Leonard Clifton

Unknown

In a letter of 5th December 1916, his father, William Clifton, a collier, complained about the inadequate gratuity paid out to him in respect of the loss of his son. “BROKEN IN OUR WARS. “Sir, –– I think it is quite time that some measure of justice was done to the relatives of the soldiers who have fallen in action or died of disease, under the aegis of the Indian Government, in Mesopotamia. “I have two sons who enlisted in the Leicester Regiment and the Royal Field Artillery respectively. We received separation allowance in respect of them both whilst alive, and even then we had less than what they earned in civil life and what they would have reached at present, and as I have a large family (six, not including the two who enlisted, and only two girls who earn anything at all), and my own wages are moderate it took us all our time to make both ends meet. “Both my boys enlisted voluntarily; they were employed in colliery work. One was killed in action in the Persian Gulf, and after his pay had been continued for the same length of time as if he had been killed in France, his relatives received no gratuity or pension, the same as others have done whose sons or relatives have been killed in France. We received the usual form to fill up for gratuity, and after returning it filled up, had it returned with the intimation to full up the form for pension, which we also returned, but up to the present have heard nothing further, which, I presume, was due to his having been sent to the wrong place (Mesopotamia) for compensation. We received a very small sum, a little over £1, and this at present looks like all we shall get in compensation for the loss of his wages and his life. “I think it is a disgrace that the soldiers who risk their lives in a dangerous climate, in addition to the risks they run in actual active service, should be debarred from leaving their relatives and dependents in as good a position as if they were killed or died in France. They gratuity or pension is not under the most favourable circumstances very excessive for a grateful country to pay to the soldiers' dependents who mourn their loss in penury, but in any case, I think that all should be treated alike, as the sacrifice is just as great in whatever geographical position it occurs. I wrote to our Member of Parliament, who made it a plank in his election address of supporting adequate soldiers' pensions, but received no answer. I am, &c., W. CLIFTON. Kimberley, December 5th, 1916.” [ Letter courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918