Family :

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The Second Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902, South Africa.
• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

31 July - 10 November 1917. By the summer of 1917 the British Army was able for the first time to fight on its chosen ground on its terms. Having secured the southern ridges of Ypres at Messines in June, the main attack started on 31st July 1917 accompanied by what seemed like incessant heavy rain, which coupled with the artillery barrages conspired to turn much of the battlefield into a bog. Initial failure prompted changes in the high command and a strategy evolved to take the ring of ridges running across the Ypres salient in a series of 'bite and hold' operations, finally culminating in the capture of the most easterly ridge on which sat the infamous village of Passchendaele. The Official History carries the footnote ?The clerk power to investigate the exact losses was not available? but estimates of British casualties range from the official figure of 244,000 to almost 400,000. Within five months the Germans pushed the British back to the starting line, which was where they had been since May 1915.

Detail :

LIEUT.-COLONEL AUDLEY CHARLES PRATT, D.S.O. 11th Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers Second son of Joseph Pratt, D.L., J. P., of Enniscoe, Crossmolina, Ireland, and of his wife, Madeline Charlotte Eliza Pratt. Educated at Harrow School. Lieut.-Colonel Pratt was gazetted to the 1st Battalion Royal Scots in 1895, and was promoted Lieutenant in 1896, and Captain in 1902. He served with his Battalion in the South African War, was mentioned in Despatches, and received the Queen's Medal with three clasps, and the King's Medal with two clasps. He retired in 1913. On the outbreak of the Great War he rejoined the Service as Second-in-Command of the 9th Royal Irish Fusiliers, and in August, 1916, he was given command of the 11th Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. He was twice mentioned in Despatches and received the D.S.O. He was killed by a shell outside his dug-out on his way up to Battalion Battle Headquarters before an attack, on the morning of August 16th, 1917, aged 43. Major General Nugent, General of 36th Division, wrote : "Audley was an ideal CO. for a Battalion of Irishmen, especially of so good a class as those he commanded. His cheeriness and unflagging high spirits were an inspiration to his Battalion. He loved them all, and they loved him. They were always 'his boys' and 'my old dog pack!' General Ricardo, General of Brigade, wrote to his father : "He occupied a unique position in the Brigade. He always conveyed something of his own cheery humour to those he was with. It always did me good to meet Audley Pratt, and I have known few men out here who kept their heads up higher than your son. He had a splendid Battalion, which he had imbued with his spirit; indeed, he was an inspiration to us all. Colonel Blacker, 9th Royal Irish Fusiliers, wrote : " I was selfishly grieved when he left me to command the 11th , as our companionship out there had been very close and real, and he had worked so hard for the efficiency of the 9th, but I realized it was bound to come. He did wonders for his new men, who all adored him. Major Knott, 11th Royal Inniskillings, wrote : " The whole Battalion is extremely grieved about it, as I daresay you know how popular he was, and how he lived for the Battalion and worked night and day in its interests."

Masonic :

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley