Benjamin Gratrix

BENJAMIN GRATRIX   Private  The Loyal N. Lancashire Regt. 6th Bn.  d. 12 June 1920 due to Malaria, aged 38  13775

 

Benjamin Gratrix was the son of George and Alice Gratrix. In 1891, he was aged 9 and living with his parents at 15 Edge Fold as a scholar. In 1901, he was aged 19 and still living with his parents, now at 10 Edge Fold. His occupation was waggoner in a coal mine. Benjamin was baptised at St. Mark's on 31 August 1882 by William H. Baynes. His parents were married also at St. Mark's on 31 December 1870 by St. Vincent Beechey. In 1911, he was a boarder at the home of Elizabeth Pickup at 74 Harriett Street, Walkden, and was 28 years of age.

 

Benjamin served in the Balkans in the Loyal North Lancs Regiment and that he was entitled to the 1915 trio of medals, the 1914-15 Star; the British War Medal; the Victory Medal. This would explain his cause of death in 1920 as being down to Malaria. A soldier on the Balkan front was often ten times more likely to become a casualty of disease than of enemy bullets or shells. On the Macedonian (Salonika) Front, Malaria was a far greater hazard than enemy combat, incapacitating over 160,000 British soldiers alone.

Researched and written by Paul R Speakman​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​