Royal Navy, Royal Marines Medical Unit, Service no. 3163 RN.
Born: 13th December 1882. Died: 1976.
Story
Edward, or Ted as he was better known, was the son of George Bickerdike and Caroline Bickerdike. His mother died 28th July 1885, when Ted was only two years-old, and his father passed away 1st September 1890, when Ted was aged 7, so he was brought up by his uncle, William Webster, and became a Colliery Banksman, before working as a Carter. Ted played for the first Kippax Parish Church football team in 1902, and he married Clara Eveline Webster, his second cousin, on the 22nd January 1907. He was also the cousin of Alfred and Walter Bickerdike, who were both killed during the war. In 1911, Ted was awarded a St. John’s Ambulance Brigade medal for saving the life of a man who had been bitten by a horse. Ted enlisted early in the war in the White Swan, Kippax, with the Royal Navy. He wrote a letter to his wife describing the campaigns in Gallipoli, and the work of the ten medical men from Kippax.
Lance-Corporal E. Bickerdike, R.N.D. writes on behalf of ten Kippax lads, who he says he is very proud to be with. “We left home sixteen months ago, and were for eight months day and night under the fire of the enemy, with the exception of fifteen days. We worked in the trenches in the three great bombardments of Achi Baba [July 1915, pictured below left], seven of us took part in the Suvla Bay landing [August 1915 pictured below right], where we stayed for nine weeks, and were recommended for devotion to duty, etc. I must say I cannot speak too highly of my pals, their work, and the way they stuck it for three days and nights without rest. I hope to speak to you some day of their work as stretcher bearers. I have a ‘soft’ job, but I have been able to see the work done by our lads and have often marvelled at their pluck and stamina.” In a post-script he mentions that seven Kippax men took part in the evacuation of Gallipoli and the village was represented in the last boat to leave. They had since been in another fighting area, and returned all well.
Ted returned to Kippax after the War, and worked as the Sexton at St. Mary’s Church. The Bickerdike family were heavily involved in Church life, and were long-standing members of the Church Choir:
At the start of the Second World War, Ted was extremely active. He built an air-raid shelter (reported below left in 22nd September 1939), and also started the Kippax collection of glass and metal for the war effort (below right, reported 15th March 1940):
Ted’s retirement as Sexton was covered in the press on the 12th September 1947 (below left), and his 77th birthday was covered on the 23rd December 1959 (below right).
Ted was the last survivor of the band of 10 Kippax Army Medical recruits photographed, and was President of the Kippax Old Age Pensioners Association. He passed away at the age of 93.
Kippax Roll of Honour 