Name
Eric Pratt
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
04/09/1917
22 years
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
11528
Lincolnshire Regiment
2nd Battalion
"A" Company
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
HARLEBEKE NEW BRITISH CEMETERY
XI. C. 7.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
No Inscription
UK & Other Memorials
All Saints Church Memorial, Radwell, Potters Bar, Little Heath & Bentley Heath Memorial, Potters Bar, All Souls Chapel Book of remembrance Potters Bar Not on the Newham memorial,
Pre War
Eric was born in Newnham, Hitchin, Hertfordshire in 1893, the son of Arthur Pratt, shepherd, and Mary Jane (nee Cox).
On the 1901 Census records Eric aged 7, living with his parents and sister Mabel (born 1885) in Newnham Herts. His Father Arthur Pratt died in July 1904. His mother Mary remarried in 1908 to Alfred Lilley.
By the 1911 Eric now aged 18, was working as a Farm Labourer,
living with his mother, Step-father Alfred Lilley,, step-brothers Herbert, Walter, Edward and George Lilley and step-sisters Nellie and Amy in Radwell, Herts.
Recorded as born in Newnham and living in Radwell (Herts) when he enlisted in Lincoln.
Wartime Service
Eric enlisted in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, in Sep 1914, and was posted to the Lincolnshire Regiment as Private 11528.
Eric went to France ion 14 Jul 1915. to join 1st Battalion..in the field as a unit it of 3rd Division in the Ypres Sector. In 1916 having transferred to 21 Division the Battalion took part in the Battle of Albert (1-133 Jul 1916) and Bazentin (14-17 Jul 1916) as Battles of the Somme. He received a gunshot wound to the right thigh on 8 Aug 1916, Eric was evacuated from Rouen to Netley Hospital, UK for further treatment.
He returned to France on 22 May 1917 and after passing through the Infantry Base Organisation at Etaples. He-joined his new posting 2nd Battalion, Lincolnshires, a part of 25 Brigade 8 Division on the 23 May 1917. Eric probably took part in the Battes of Pilkem (31Jul-2 Aug) and Langemarck 16-18 Aug), both early Battles of 3rd Ypres (Passchendaele). Eric was reported missing in the field on 16th Aug 1917. It was later disclosed by the Germans that had been wounded in action and taken a prisoner of war. He died of an abdominal wound in a German Field Hospital on the 4 Sep 1917. He was initially buried by the Germans in Iseghem, Communal Cemetery German Extension, in Belgium, Grave Ref No. 668. Map Reference 21. S21. B. 6. 2.
After the war he was re-buried in Harlebeke New British Cemetery, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £13 10s and arrears of £7 1s 9d was paid to his left to his mother Mary J. Lilley..
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne, Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild, Stuart Osborne
