Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry 10th Battalion, Service no. 29710
Son of Francis Rainbird Edwards and Rhoda Howson of Kippax
Died 3rd May 1917, aged 22
Story
Francis was born on Robinson Lane, but the family moved to Micklefield as his father worked at the Peckfield Colliery. On 30th April 1896, when Francis was one year old, his father was killed in the Peckfield Colliery disaster. His body was recovered on 2nd May at 9pm. He had unsuccessfully tied a handkerchief over his mouth to combat the effects of afterdamp, and was buried at Kippax, to where the family returned. Rhoda was so upset at the loss of Francis, her husband, that his brother William Edwards who lived on New Street, Kippax identified her husband’s body.
A newspaper reporter came up to Micklefield, in late June 1896, three months after the explosion, to write a review. “You want to see some of the widows?” asked the stationmaster. “Well, you’ll find them in yon street, pretty near every house you come to.” Whilst the reporter did not name the women he spoke to, unquestionably ‘Mrs C’ in the article is Frank’s widow, Rhoda, and the baby described in the article is undoubtedly Francis Edwards:
“Mrs C. wore the utterly broken-down and slatternly look of one for whom the world had proved too hard. Her face was thin, worn, and sallow, her hair gathered up into an untidy wisp, her clothing far from clean. On the floor sat a chubby little fellow of ten months, his fat face very sore and very dirty. He was the youngest of six, and the eldest was twelve years of age. She had been married for fourteen years, and had lived at Kippax, whence her husband walked three miles to his work up to four months ago. Latterly he had been working only two days a week, but she thought that their average income during their married life would have been about £1 a week when he was in work. She also had received two payments of 5s. and 2s. 6d. for each child. She did not look more than thirty, but it was easy to see that excessive child-bearing, household drudgery, and bitter poverty had broken her spirit.”
Life never improved for Rhoda. Her fourth child, Sarah Jane Edwards passed away less than two years later aged 7, and was buried in Kippax with Frank. Rhoda never re-married, and utterly lost the will to live when her youngest son was killed in the First World War on 3rd May 1917 aged 22. He was part of the British offensive at Arras, the Bullecourt attacks, which were an attempt to breach the Hindenburg line behind which the Germans had retreated in February 1917. The attacking forces quickly ran into trouble. The moon had disappeared and the wind blew clouds of dust and smoke from the barrage towards the attacking troops. Thus the dawn attack turned into a night attack, and the leading battalions, unable to keep direction, became intermingled. When the Battalion arrived at the German trenches, they found them still in German hands. Surprised and confused, soldiers started to look for cover in shell-holes, or were killed. Francis is buried in Cojeul British Cemetery in St Martin-Sur-Cojeul in France ref E5.
Rhoda Edwards passed away herself three months after Francis’s death. The family are buried in Kippax, with the headstone also referring to Francis Jnr.
Kippax Roll of Honour 