Betrayal – Fred & Beatrice – (1915-1920)

 

Fred’s thoughts turned from disbelief to sadness and quite quickly to anger. He couldn’t believe what he was being told at first. He couldn’t understand why she would do such a thing, and become well known for it!

They hadn’t been married much longer than a year in September 1917. Fred had been away in the army for a year, but so had most young men in that time period. Beatrice had grown up in the Paddock area of Huddersfield and was well known around Luck Lane which linked to the Marsh district and then on to her new marital home in Birkby.

Luck Lane was where he was told Beatrice had been seen committing adultery, on many occasions. The ultimate indignity and horror for Fred was for this to culminate in her having a miscarriage at their house in Corby street. The fact that the potential father of the child was unknown only compounded the sordid nature of this event. The actual cause of the miscarriage was not known but with the doctor having been called to attend meant it could not be concealed. Beatrices’s infidelity became confirmed.

Fred could not come to terms with these events. He was away at war with the risk of being killed each and every day, while his wife was having sex in public places and had become pregnant with another mans child.

Fred wanted a divorce.

 

Petition for Divorce Fred v Beatrice 1918

A Future Found

1911 had been a tumultuous year for Beatrice Blackburn.

Having moved to Clement Street, Birkby, Huddersfield in 1910 with father Rowland, mother Annie and older brother Percy, the house was still not large enough. Comprising a living room, kitchen and two bedrooms. The cellar was used as a scullery and bathroom using a tin bath. The toilet was in an outhouse. It was a “through terrace” though which meant it had a front garden and a back yard.

Tragedy struck in November 1911 when mother Annie died of a stroke at only fifty two years of age. She had had a stroke four years previously and suffered headaches ever since, but the death was a big shock for the family.

The long planned marriage of brother Percy to girlfriend Norah Dyson still went ahead in December 1911, and they also moved into Clement Street following the wedding. Beatrice was feeling increasingly squeezed out.

The arrival of Percy and Norah’s first child in 1912 may have been the final straw. Under increasing pressure Beatrice moved out and became a boarder at Mr & Mrs Haley’s house in Tanfield Terrace. Their house was bigger by one extra room and this became Beatrice’s.

It was still a family atmosphere with the Haley’s, but without her mother and father around a new found freedom became apparent. Her father, Rowland, increasingly turned to drink after his wife’s death and previous controls weren’t enforced.

She had to leave her childhood friends from the Paddock area behind at sixteen when the family moved to Birkby. She was always outgoing and gregarious though and made the effort by tram and walking to stay in touch and socialise. To add to this she also made new friends in her work as a tailors machinist at a wholesale clothiers.

When she met Fred Tunnacliffe he was immediately different. Not because he was a diminutive 5 feet 2 and a half inches tall, but that he ran his own business. Fred was a plasterer and had taken on  his fathers business “J B Tunnacliffe – Plasterers” when he died in 1908.

Fred was what Beatrice needed, successful, his own business and he was also living in Birkby. They were married on Saturday June 26th 1915 at Highfield Congregational Church. Fred had been saving up and they bought a house in Birkby at 22 Corby Street. Beatrice was also learning bookkeeping to help in running the business. Their life was on track and this was how they entered 1916.


The War Intervenes

The war had been running since August 1914 and had quickly consumed available manpower. This was despite the Secretary of State For War, Herbert Kitchener’s, highly successful “New Army” of all volunteers. Which had a target of 500,000 men and actually reached 2.5 million. By 1916 the supply of volunteers had dried up and the government under Herbert Asquith resorted to conscription. All eligible men between the ages of 18 and 41 were to be called up under the Military Service Act of January 1916. 

Military Service Act 1916 Poster

Fred received his notification of call up on 24th of June 1916. Reporting to the Halifax recruiting station he enlisted on 5th September into 3rd Battalion West Riding Regiment (Duke of Wellingtons) which was the local regiment for the Huddersfield and Halifax area.

The 3rd battalion was initially a reserve/training unit, but the need for manpower was such that the movement to other battalions would follow. From September 7th Fred was moved around the country undergoing training in Retford, Newcastle, Salisbury Plain and Bedford.

The training and postings in Britain continued for a year, owing for some time at home, but not much. Finally on 15th September 1917 Fred received his posting to France with a reassignment to the 9th Battalion and within two weeks to the 2/5th Battalion on the 27th.

These battalions, along with the 2/4th & 2/6th , made up the 186th Brigade of the 62nd Division. They had been in Fance since January 1917 and suffered the horrors of attacking the Hindenburg line at Bullecourt, where the barbed wire was repeatedly found to be uncut after bombardment, incurring many casualties.

Having been held in reserve during the second battle of Ypres, the 186th Brigade were to go into battle at Cambrai, where tanks were to be used as a major weapon for the first time. This was to be Fred Tunnacliffe’s first taste of action and he eagerly took part in the training for infantry fighting with tanks.

On the first day of the battle the 186th Brigade were initially in reserve but were in action in attacking the village of Anneaux with men from the Brigade firing Lewis guns from the hip. Another welcome spell in reserve was followed on 27th September with the 2/5th attacking the village of Bourlon. They became pinned down by heavy machine gun fire and the whole 62nd Division were soon relieved by the 42nd Division. A welcome period behind the lines for Fred after his first taste of battle and the death of comrades.

Mercifully Christmas 1917 was spent in reserve and celebrated in the best spirit. Owing to casualty rates battalion organisation was a feature of constant change. In January 1918 the 2/5th absorbed a number of other “Dukes” battalions and eventually became known as the 5th battalion.


A Culmination

In March 1918 the Germans launched a massive “Spring” offensive and the 62nd Division was brought up from reserve. After being involved in the battles of Bapaume and Arras on 25th and 27th March respectively the Germans were halted after four days heavy fighting.

It was during this first part of 1918 that Fred  was made aware of Beatrice’s infidelity. Letters from family and friends began to reveal the whole story. Gradually confirming through sightings and the activities at 22 Corby Street that this was not idle gossip. Sadness and heartache gave way to resentment. When he was facing death almost daily, witnessing friends being literally blown to pieces, how could his wife indulge in multiple casual encounters. It just didn’t make sense and in Fred’s eyes it was unforgiveable.

Contact was made with Learoyd & Co. a firm of solicitors based in Lion Chambers, Huddersfield. His appointed solicitor was Mr. Thomas Smailes.

Through tortuous dialogue by post and with the help of relatives Fred was advised by Thomas Smailes that he need to apply to be classified as a “Poor Person” for the purpose of prosecuting a suit for divorce. As per the Supreme Court Rules (1914) what became known as the “poor persons procedure” came into being. This was established to enable citizens to establish their legal right to justice without necessarily having the financial means to do so. It was also aimed at reducing the activities of unscrupulous solicitors, sometimes know as “ambulance chasers”, who would take on cases purely on the basis of recovering costs from the other party.

It was a tough environment for Fred, with the war carrying on around him, he was having to follow legal rules and procedures, leaving nothing to chance. He was finally able to make his application to be a “poor person” on 22nd August, which Thomas Smailes submitted to the High Court of Justice on the 30th. Admission as a poor person was rapid however, and it was ordered that his application be accepted on 2nd September. Fred was now able to continue with the rest of his divorce action.

Through August the 62nd Division had been taking part in the allies the Hundred Days Offensive. During the second battle of Bapaume Fred’s battalion followed a “creeping” artillery barrage on the 29th August, recording great success with “the bayonet”.

By the 28th September Fred had crossed the Canal du Nord, which was 50 feet wide but had been drained resulting in thick mud to wade across. At one point, as they battled for control of the “Marcoing Line” they were attacked from behind by German prisoners who had grabbed weapons when they realised their guards were distracted. Mistakes were being made but at least the Division were steadily advancing after the years of trench warfare.

Towards the end of October the “Dukes” crossed the river Selle using bridges constructed by the sappers. On the 4th November they led off the battle of the Sambre. There was a heavy German counter bombardment and stiff resistance. By the afternoon, however, resistance slackened and they began taking hundreds of prisoners. Having crossed the Sambre river on 9th November they advanced to Maubege. The Armistice came into force on 11th November and the lookout posts could no longer detect signs of the enemy. They had disappeared.

As the First World War drew to its official close Learoyd & Co. had been working hard to turn Fred’s statements regarding his marriage into a Petition for the Dissolution of Marriage for submission to the High Court of Justice in London. Not an easy process, which involved employing Law Agents in the firm of James, Mellor & Coleman to carry out the administration in the capital.

The 62nd Division had been selected as part of the army which would cross the Rhine bridgeheads into Germany. The only Territorial Force to be given this honour. They began the advance across Belgium on 18th November. The halt between 1st to 9th December allowed Fred some much needed time to progress the legalities that required his input. He journeyed back to the major allied army base at Etaples, France in order to find a qualified commissioner of oaths. This was required in order for Fred to swear the truth of the statements in his divorce petition. An officer from the 1/8th Sherwood Foresters was found and operating under license witnessed Fred swear under oath on 11th December 1918.

Fred’s divorce petition was made up of seven paragraphs each containing a statement. The first four paragraphs contained largely inarguable truths regarding the particulars of who he and Beatrice were. These included his and Beatrice’s marriage date, work details, cohabitation address and that no previous divorce proceedings had previously been made. Most importantly from these first four paragraphs was the statement that “there had been no issue of the said marriage”. (children).

To these paragraphs 1 to 4 Fred was able to swear that statements were “true”.

It is with the paragraphs 5 to 7 where the difficulty may arise as Fred is only able to swear that the statements “are true, to the best of my knowledge, information and belief”. These paragraphs are important to the case, however, as they contain the details of why Fred is wanting a divorce from Beatrice. As follows:

5) That the said wife of your Petitioner has frequently committed adultery with men whose names are unknown to your Petitioner in Luck Lane, Marsh, Huddersfield aforesaid.

6) That upon one night towards the end of September 1917 the said wife of your Petitioner committed adultery with a man whose name is unknown to your Petitioner.

7) That on or about the sixteenth day of November 1917 at 22 Corby Street, Birkby, Huddersfield aforesaid the said wife of your Petitioner suffered a miscarriage and that such miscarriage had no reference whatever to cohabitation between your Petitioner and his said wife.

It was on this basis that the petition was filed with the High Courts of Justice by the agents on 21 December 1918. In the document Fred asks that the court to decree the marriage dissolved and that he, as petitioner; “receive such relief as may be just”.

On the 11th December Fred had to return to his unit from Etaples on the coast of France. The first units of the 62nd Division crossed the German border on 15th December. The last units, including Fred, reached the town of Schleiden on Christmas Day.

It was a complex process to demobilise the allied armies following the end of the war. The process for the 62nd Division began on 21st February with units being returned to the UK to begin the return to civilian life. Fred was required to remain in Germany and was based near Cologne.

It was in Cologne that Fred was made aware of problems with his divorce petition. Thomas Smailes had considered how to address this and had arrived at the action needed. In paragraph 5 there is a fairly loose assertion that Beatrice had been seen “frequently” with men committing adultery. This may or may not have been true but would require witnesses to attest to this. The assertions in paragraphs 6 and 7 were, however, more straight forward. The miscarriage described in paragraph 7 was supported by medical evidence and professionally verified. This would naturally support the assertion in paragraph 6 that Beatrice had committed adultery at least once, given that her husband was documented as serving with the army during the vital time period.

To ensure a less complicated path through the High Court Fred was required to effectively drop paragraph 5. To this end on the 12th March 1919 he is required to re-affirm his statements in paragraphs 6 & 7 and make slight modifications supporting the change.

A Commissioner for Oaths is found in the form of Captain G.E. Sykes of the Royal Garrison Artillery at 2nd Army HQ in Cologne. He makes the acknowledgement that regarding paragraph 5 he a cannot add any further particulars to the assertion “frequently committed adultery with men”. He does bolster paragraph 6 by adding that the adultery was also in “Luck Lane, Marsh” and that it was “seen”. These details are sworn under oath before Captain Sykes in a restatement of paragraphs 5,6 and 7 (as new paragraphs 1,2 and 3 in this document).

These changes allowed the divorce petition to proceed and the “Cause Set Down” was submitted on 13th May. This means that the cause on which the trial hearing will be based is now firm.

The Decree Nisi was issued on 5th November 1919. Meaning that the divorce had been granted in principle having met all conditions required. The significance of the date was not lost on Fred and he felt a bonfire party was more than justified.

 

Epilogue

Fred was fully demobilised from the army when he received his Z notification to the army reserve on 13th December 1919.

The Decree Absolute Final for the divorce didn’t come through until 28th June 1920.

Fred had returned to his plastering business and formed a new relationship. He married Patti Emelia Harpin at the Wesleyan Chapel on Queen Street, Huddersfield on 27th December 1920.

They had children and remained married until the end of their days. Fred passing away in 1964.

Beatrice had moved back to the Haley’s house in Tanfield Terrace during 1918. She had now established herself as a bookkeeper and was working for William Whitakers & Co. Ltd at the Old Brewery in Bradford. She did not remarry until 1931, to John H Croft, a Club Steward eighteen years her senior.

Sadly Beatrice did not have any children following the miscarriage of 1917. Her life was cut short in 1937 at the age of 44 having suffered from cancer of the cervix.

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