Peterborough & The Great War

Biography

Cecil Henry Leonard Askey was born in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire on 15 April 1898, to parents Reverend Arthur Henry Askey and Elsie Bainbridge (nee Lawson).  In 1901, the family was living at The Rectory, East Ravendale, Lincolnshire.  This comprised Arthur Henry (39), clergyman, Elsie (34), Helen (11), Arthur (10), Olive (7), Yvonne (5), Frederick (4), Cecil (2), Egbert (1) plus Annie Draycott (19), housemaid and Maria Horton (16), general servant.

In 1911 Cecil, aged 12, was a boarder at Caistor Grammar School, along with his younger brother Egbert.  His father was then Rector of Holy Trinity Church, Swallow, Lincolnshire.  Prior to enlistment Cecil may have worked for the United Counties (now Barclays) Bank.

Cecil passed through Peterborough East Station and signed the visitors’ book on 14 October 1916.  He was serving with the Artists’ Rifles, Officer Cadet Unit, which was part of the 28th Battalion London Regiment.  For more information on the Artists’ Rifles please follow this link: https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/units/4375/21-artist-rifles/

It was reported in the London Gazette (www.thegazette.co.uk) on 19 December 1916, that Cecil had been transferred from the Officer Cadet Unit to the 3^rd Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment as a 2^nd Lieutenant.

Regimental Diaries reveal that during fighting on 5 April 1918, South East of Gommecourt, Rosignol Wood, 2^nd Lieutenant C H L Askey was fatally wounded together with three other 2^nd Lieutenants and 24 other ranks.  In total there were also 107 wounded and 62 missing with enemy casualties estimated at 600.  Cecil was just 19 years of age.

Cecil is buried at Gezaincourt Communal Cemetery Extension, Near Doullens, on the Somme in northern France.  The inscription on the cross reads “Peace, Perfect Peace”.

He is also commemorated on the War Memorial, Holy Trinity Church, Swallow, Lincolnshire, where his father was rector.  Cecil was awarded the British War and Allied Victory Medals.

Two of his brothers emigrated to Australia: James Francis died in Sydney in 1948, and Arthur Alexander undertook military service in Australia and lived in Bradfield New South Wales.  William Askey was ordained a Priest in Lincoln Cathedral in 1913 prior to emigrating to Canada in 1915 where he lived in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Both he and his wife died in a car crash, following a collision with a bus in 1949.