Monday, 8 November 2021

Stories of Percy Main Railwaymen Part 2

Part 2...
F. Keritzer
Not much is known about Frederick Keritzer’s life. By 1914, Keritzer was working for the North Eastern Railway as a Greaser at Percy Main.

In January 1915, Keritzer joined the 4th Tyneside Irish Battalion, the 27th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers. He took the service number 6910 and the rank of Private. At some stage before his death, Keritzer received a promotion to the rank of Lance Corporal.

A year later in January 1916, the battalion moved to France. All four Tyneside Irish battalion suffered major casualties on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. Keritzer survived the horrors that was the Battle of the Somme. Some records also note that Keritzer had served some time with the 13th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers.

In the later stages of April 1917 during the Battle of Arras, Keritzer was reported as missing. It was later amended to Missing, Assumed Killed in Action on or about the 25th April 1917. Keritzer has no known grave and is commemorated on the Arras Memorial. At the time of his death, Keritzer was serving with “C” Company.

 

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