Undercliffe Cemetery tour tells of 11 sets of brothers who died at war

Researching these soldiers not only revealed their tragic stories, but those of their families who lived on for the rest of their lives with their loss. However, one set of brothers, the Averdiecks, would reveal much a wider story - made more special by the sacrifice made by their mother after the war. Beyond this, a discovery of a contemporary family tragedy requiring my attention...and the realisation that undertaking this research had been no coincidence.

The Averdieck family came to England from Germany to set up a textile business in the 19th century, they became naturalised in 1870. George Herman Averdieck married Emma Wechmar (from another naturalised German family) in 1884. Their family business, Messrs Kessler and Co of Bradford and Manchester, thrived. Their first son Godfrey Harold (sometimes known as Gottfried) was born that same year. Two daughters followed, Dorothy and Margaret followed by sons George Gerald (Georg), Percy and Ulrich. Although Godfrey and George are the main focus of this story, others in the family had important parts to play.

In 1891 the Averdieck family lived in Blenhiem Mount, Heaton, but by 1911 with the family business continuing to prosper, they moved to Beech Grove, Harrogate. Tragedy struck with the death of Percy in June 1914, he was one of over 1,000 people lost as the liner Empress of India was struck at sea by another ship in the fog off the coast of Canada. His body was never recovered, he was just 19.

With war coming in August 1914, many families with German origins and names were at risk of being attacked and victimised and had homes and business damaged. Bradford, with a significant immigrant German population, escaped much of this, indeed the CO of the Bradford Pals was a Lt-Col Muller! Many changed their family names, eg Shoenfeldt to Schofield. The sinking of the Lusitania in May 1915 by a German submarine, with loss of life to women and children, brought more violence to indigenous German families - now even to Bradford.

For young men from such households, one way to prove their loyalty to Britain, and protect their families, was to enlist in the British army. Godfrey was educated at Charterhouse. From here, he joined his father’s business and became a director. He was Captain of Bradford Rowing Club, hunted with the Bramham Moor and was a subscriber to the Airedale Beagles. He travelled with the company to New York in 1914, but returned home and enlisted in 1915.

Godfrey Averdieck was the oldest brother (Image: submitted)

George also joined the family firm. In June 1915 he married Mabel Fawcett. They lived at Greenroyd Lodge, Apperley Bridge. He too enlisted, to both serve his country and help protect his family at home.

George Averdieck became an officer, like his brother (Image: submitted)

Given their backgrounds and education, it was natural that both brothers would become Army officers. Godfrey was commissioned into the 16th battalion King’s Royal Rifle Corps and went out to France with them on November 17, 1915. George was commissioned into the 10th Battalion Rifle Brigade and went out on September 22, 1915. As officers, the chances of being mentioned in their battalion unit war diary are far greater. After a ‘quiet’ winter, the 16th KRRC took routine four-day tours in the line in front of the village of Beuvry facing Festubert. The war diary simply mentions on March 11, 1916: ‘2nd Lt (Godfrey Harold) Averdieck killed by sniper in Boyau 16.’

And the following day: ‘Battalion relieved by 1st Queens after dark...Relief completed by 9pm, marched back to Beuvry and took over same billets as before. Last company in by 11.30pm. 2nd Lt Averdieck buried at Cambrin.’

Godfrey's war grave in Cambrin (Image: submitted)

The family received a letter from Godfrey’s commanding officer: ‘Lieutenant Averdieck was killed by a stray bullet, whilst going up one of the communication trenches to the front line firing trenches. He was always in perfect good humour and ready to assist anyone else, you will always know that in 1 platoon, he will never be forgotten.’

Many soldiers in the Great War were reported as being ‘killed instantly by a sniper or from a direct hit by a shell’, often to hide a longer, more painful demise. But in this case, from the war diary never intended to be seen by family, Godfrey had indeed probably been killed by a sniper, rather than a stray bullet - an officer’s dress marking him out as a target.

Godfrey was buried in Cambrin Cemetery. His parents left an inscription on his CWGC gravestone, possibly in light of his CO’s letter: ‘He lives in the memory of his comrades as a true gentleman’.

July 1916 saw the start of the Battle of the Somme. George Averdieck with the 10th Rifle Brigade took part when the battalion was brought in for the general attack scheduled for September 3. They attacked near the village of Guillemont. The war diary September 3, 1916: ‘Up to noon on this day, the two battalions waited in the Assembly trenches, suffering considerable discomfort from overcrowding and casualties from shellfire. At noon, Zero Hour, the advance began and was completely successful. The rest of the day was spent in consolidating the position gained. The night was uneventful’.

And on September 4, 1916: ‘The day was spent in the consolidated line, heavily shelled. The casualties during the two days were unfortunately heavy and amounted to (other ranks) 290. Officer casualties including wounded...Lt George Gerald Averdieck’.

George was returned to England and died in Manchester General Hospital. He was buried at St Peter’s burial ground, Rawdon, where his maternal grandparents once lived. The funeral was with full military honours and attended by family, over 40 employees of Messers Kessler and Co and dignitaries.
For the Averdieck family, 1916 was a dreadful year. They had lost two sons (another son, Percy, was one of over 1,000 people drowned in June, 1914 when the Empress of India liner was struck at sea by another ship. He was 19), the war was showing no end and youngest son Ulrich had turned 18 and liable for call-up. Ulrich had an excellent education at Uppingham School also with a thriving Officer Training Corps and, like his brothers, was commissioned as an officer, into the 21st Lancers. In November 1917, he too was sent ‘on active service’. Mercifully, to India where he spent the rest of the war. For his parents, their worry through 1918 would have been that Ulrich would be brought back to the Western Front in the light of the German Spring Offensive and subsequent Allied Advance to Victory. But Ulrich did finally return to his family.
The loss of three sons in three years and worrying for the rest of the war about her youngest son took its toll on their mother, Emma. She did not stop. In 1919 she began to collect details of the war dead from Rawdon where George, was buried, with a view to commemorating them. Emma died in January 1920, but her unfinished work was used to instigate, build and eventually unveil the Rawdon war memorial in 1926 - bearing the name of her son, George Gerald Averdieck. In 2018, on the centenary of the end of the Great War, a further plaque was added to the memorial commemorating 16 more Rawdon men that Emma, by 1920, had not yet identified.

Rawdon War Memorial (Image: submitted)

The Averdieck family firm continued through Ulrich, who married in 1927. He died in 1976. 
Researching the brothers, my examination of a photograph of Godfrey Harold’s gravestone at Cambrin showed this to be a modern replacement, probably due to damage/illegibility. More inspection revealed that his parents’ carefully chosen final epitaph for their son  - ‘He lives in the memory of his comrades as a true gentleman’ - had, by oversight, been omitted by the CWGC.

Mindful of the sacrifices this German family made both in the war and at home in their adopted country, I contacted the CWGC to look into this. It is hoped that Godfrey’s new headstone will soon include his parents’ inscription once more. The least we can do to ensure their memory is not forgotten!

The Averdieck family grave in Undercliffe Cemetery (Image: submitted)

* On Saturday, October 1 David Whithorn and historian Andy Tyne will be at Undercliffe Cemetery, looking at 11 sets of brothers who died in WW1, buried and commemorated there. The Brothers in Arms tours are 11am-12.30pm and 1.30-3pm. Visit undercliffecemetery.co.uk