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Pte. Henry Francis Thundercliffe
British Army 5th Btn. D Coy. 13 Pltoon. West Yorkshire Regiment
from:Hull, East Yorkshire
(d.9th Oct 1917)
203120 Private Henry Francis Thundercliffe of D Company, X111 Platoon, 1st/5th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales Own) was wounded on the morning of 9th of October 1917 during the assault on Peter Pan/Wolf Copse D.4.c.9.7 during the Battle of Passchendaele. He was found about 24 hours later in a shell hole at the bottom of the ridge and was taken toward a dressing station still under fire but had to be left in a shell hole about 80 yards from the dressing station due to mud and heavy firing. He was never seen again.
Here is an extract of the letter sent to his mother by The British Red Cross and Order of St John.
Dear Madam,
In reply to your enquiry, we have received the following report. Corp. C. Mitchell 202162. D Coy: now in France says; "We found Thundercliffe about 24hrs after our first advance at Passchendaele on 9th October. He was lying in a shell hole about 30yards from the bottom of the ridge. This was at night. He called out to us. We went to him and two of us took him back about 60 yards towards the Dressing Station. There we had to leave him in a shell hole. We could not go any further because of the mud and heavy firing. He was wounded but quite cheery. The spot we left him was about 80yards from the 1st Aid Post. I knew him well. He came from Hull." This report must leave your son's final fate still uncertain.
His body was never recovered and his name is engraved on the Tyne Cot Memorial.
