Herbert Skelton
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
George (an agricultural labourer) and Jane Elizabeth Skelton bought their nine children up in Dunham on Trent where they were all born. The nine were, Harriot, Mary Ellen, George, Jane E, Arthur, Ben E, A Elvin, Harry, Herbert born between 1876 and 1896. George, their eldest son, was the first of their family to join the forces. Herbert, the youngest son, was their only child still living with his parents in 1911 in Dunham and like his father, was working as a farm labourer.
Herbert Skelton, was the first in the village to be attested at Lincoln on 6 Sept 1914 in Lincolnshire Regiment. Number 12248, signing for the duration of the war. He went to France 14 July 1915 and returned home on 9th December of that year. He had two transfers of regiments whist in the UK, first to the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry on 15 April 1916 then to the Sherwood Foresters on 8 Oct 1916. He was drafted with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force and arrived at Alexandria 3 weeks later spending 16 days in hospital with pleurisy in October. On 2nd Aug 1917 he was transferred to the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment and left Port Said 18 May 1918 arriving at Marseilles, France 10 days later. It was in France that he was killed in action and buried at in Raperie British Cemetery, Villenmontorie, France.
CWG additional information:- Son of George and Elizabeth Skelton, of Dunham-on-Trent, Newark. Family headstone, St Oswald's churchyard: SKELTON 'In loving memory of our dear sons. George Skelton, Manchester Regiment, who died 30 September 1919 aged 39. Herbert Skelton, killed in action in France, July 29th 1918, aged 23 years, interred (-) British Cemetery near Soissons. Grant them O Lord eternal peace.' His brother, George, Private, Machine Gun Corps (Inf), died 30 September 1919 and is buried in St Oswald's churchyard.
