PRIVATE RICHARD MORRELL
Private
Richard Morrell enlisted with the Seaforth Highlanders circa. 1891/92 and
was away from home for eleven years, seeing action in Sudan, South Africa
and Egypt. He returned to a hero's welcome but unfortunately met his
death on the railway at Crofton.
Private Richard Morrell Memorial
THE LATE PRIVATE RICHARD MORRELL
2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders
Enlisted
at Richmond (Yorkshire) in the 2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders 1891,
was sent to Fort George, in Scotland; from there to Ireland and from the
latter place to India. He was present at the Relief of Chitral in
1896 for which he received a Medal, and was at Crete during the trouble
between the Greeks and Insurgents. He was afterwards transferred to
the 1st Battalion Seaforths and accompanied the Batallion through the
entire Egyptian campaign to Atbara and Omdurman, for which he received the
Queens Medal and Khedive's Medal and Clasp in 1898.
He was again
transferred to the 2nd Seaforths, after the Egyptian War and was sent out
to South Africa where he was attached to the Highland Brigade and served
throughout the whole campaign. He had the honour of being one of the
Escorts which conducted to Pretoria, the Boer Leaders, including De Wet,
Botha, Steyn, and others. He fought through many hard battles during
his service with the Army, and was only wounded once, viz. in South
Africa. He received the Queens and Kings Medals and three Bars for
South Africa, thus making his record five medals in eleven years. He
was killed on the Railway at Crofton on October 19th 1903.
Pontefract
& Castleford Express
April 23rd 1904
LATE PRIVATE RICHARD MORRELL'S MEMORIAL
The
monument erected in the Knottingley cemetery to the
memory of Private Richard Morrell will be unveiled on Saturday April 23rd
at 2 o'clock prompt, by Col G. Bying, Commander of
the 51st/65 Regimental District, supported by Ald.
W. Bagley and other local gentlemen, and public institutes attended.
Reproduced
courtesy of the Pontefract & Castleford Express
Pontefract
& Castleford Express
April 30th 1904
Quite
a large number of Knottingley people with others assembled in the cemetery at that place on Saturday to do honour to the memory of a
local hero. The quiet little ceremony took
place at the unveiling by Col Bying C.O., which will linger long in the memory of those present. Private Morrell, a man
humble in life, did his duty manfully, and the
people of his native place do well to cherish his memory, and to erect a
memorial to which records the acts of a brave man,
may inspire others to a worthy performance on their
part.
Reproduced
courtesy of the Pontefract & Castleford Express
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