Kitty Morter

Discussion in 'World War 1' started by liverpool annie, Dec 28, 2009.

  1. liverpool annie

    liverpool annie New Member

    Kitty Morter was widowed when her husband was killed on the Somme less than a fortnight into the Battle. His death left her alone to face the birth of their child three months later.

    Kitty worked in a mill near Droylsden, Manchester. On 20 December 1913, aged 19, she married a painter called Percy Morter. Some weeks after war broke out, in the autumn of 1914, Percy was persuaded to enlist by the music hall star, Vesta Tilley, during an evening at the Palace Theatre in Manchester. He joined the 9th Battalion, the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. As part of the 25th Division, they embarked for France in September 1915.

    With Percy gone, Kitty went to live with her mother and got a new job in Audenshaw. Early in 1916, Percy came home on leave. Before he returned to France, Percy told Kitty’s brother that he feared he would never come back.

    Soon afterwards Kitty realised she was pregnant. She worked until the middle of July. On the day after she stopped, she heard that Percy had been killed. On 7 July, the 9th Loyal North Lancashire Regiment had attacked two positions immediately to the northeast of la Boisselle, beside the Albert-Bapaume road. Percy’s body was never found. His name is now on the Thiepval Memorial.

    On 19 October 1916 Kitty and Percy’s son was born. He was named Percy Edward after his father. In 1964 having married again, Kitty Eckersley spoke to the BBC and explained that she could not ‘remember the baby being born, and I felt I didn’t want to live. I’d no wish to live at all because the world had come to an end then, for me, because I’d lost all that I’d loved.’
     
  2. Carrie

    Carrie New Member

    Hi Percy and kitty were my great grandmother and grandad,the baby the article above was my grandad,he died when I was eight.xx
     
  3. Carrie

    Carrie New Member

    Please can Liverpool annie get in contact as I can tell you how their lives continued.xx
     
  4. MandSFHF

    MandSFHF M&SFHF

    Sadly Liverpool Annie is no longer of this world and died a few years back. She is sadly missed by all who knew her.
    God bless and sleep well my friend.
     

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