Bertram Morrell

War Service

With the outbreak of The Great War, Bertram answered Lord Kitchener’s call to arms and joined the patriotic rush to join up, becoming a soldier in the 3rd Battalion Grenadier Guards. Bertram was known to have signed up in Pontefract.
Extract from Pontefract and Castleford Express 23rd March 1917 (copy damaged)
“A KNOTTINGLEY LAD PAYS THE PRICE
The death of Pte Bertram Morrell, of the Grenadier Guards, second son of Mr & Mrs Albert Morrell, England House, Knottingley has been officially notified.
He was killed instantaneously by an enemy rifle grenade whilst on sentry duty on March 4th. The Chaplain speaks in .........ily words of the influence of Pte Morrell upon his fellow soldiers at the front and praises his conduct and bearing. Pte Morrell enlisted in January and went to France in October following, and served 17 months without............ . He was well known in Knottingley and became very popular as a cricketer-member of the Knottingley Town team.”
His remains were buried near Combles, in a British Cemetery, on the day following his death. Bertram was part of the 2nd Division. In the early months of 1917 they were following the retreating Germans across the Somme area towards the Hindenberg Line. Between 25th February and 2nd March they were taking the villages of Thilloy.

Family Life

Knottingley born Bertram Morrell, the third son of Aire Street grocer Albert Morrell & Sarah Ann Morrell (nee Wray), was born in January 1890. Bertram followed in his father’s footsteps into the grocery trade with his brother Walter & became Grocer’s assistants in the family shop on Aire Street.

Bertram Morrell

Bertram Morrell's gravestone