Peterborough & The Great War

Biography

Herbert Potts, affectionately known as Bert, was born on 1 December 1897, in Nether Alderley, the son of Edward Potts and Lucy Salthouse.  In 1901, the family were living at Welsh Row (Herbert is recorded as Albert E Potts on the census).  Edward’s occupation was a ‘farmer in his own right’, at Gately Green Farm.  Herbert had a sister, Winifred Anne, born in 1902.

Before Lucy married, she and her sister Annie ran the village shop.  After Annie’s death, Lucy and Ted took over the tenancy of the shop. Just along the road at Church Cottages, lived Herbert’s grandmother, Martha and there were lots of aunts and cousins also living close by, so Bert and his younger sister Winifred enjoyed their young lives in the centre of a close knit village community.

Herbert enlisted with the 9th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders.   His service records have not be found but he passed through Peterborough East Station on 20 July 1916, and signed the visitors’ book as ‘Sergeant’. It would appear he may have been an Acting Sergeant.  On 21 March 1918, the Battle of St Quentin began with a Germans offensive, pounding the British troops with heavy artillery fire and shells for over five hours, the British responding with artillery fire of their own. The firing stopped overnight. The morning brought thick fog but, when it cleared, the Germans resumed their offensive. Herbert Potts was fatally injured in this onslaught and died of his wounds on 22 March 1918. He was 20 years old.  Herbert is buried at Roye New British Cemetery, Picardie, France.  He was awarded the British War and Allied Victory Medals.

Bert’s mother died in 1934, aged 75. His father, Edward re-married to Alice Simpson, and continued the tenancy of Church Cottages and Alice kept the village shop.

Bert’s father, Ted is remembered as a very pleasant, quiet man who never travelled far from Nether Alderley.  He was a member of St Mary’s Church, Nether Alderley and a bell ringer for over 50 years. He died in 1947, aged 82.

Most of this information was kindly provided by Hiliary Hartigan, a family relative.

http://www.belton.me.uk/Pages/Families_Pages/Potts/potts_family.htm

http://www.stmarysalderley.com/ww1-2/roll-of-honour/herbert-potts/