a poem I wrote in 2008,

 I'VE OFTEN THOUGHT

my g/grandfather, PTE FREDERICK RODAWAY      K.I.A 18/8/1916 age 47  Kings Liverpool Irish battalion attached to the 4th bn  on the 28 July 1916

I'VE OFTEN THOUGHT AND PONDERED TO             IF I AM THE FIRST TO VISIT YOU                             FROM THE FAMILY YOU LEFT BEHIND                 AS YOU LAY HERE IN THE GROUND                       WHAT WAS YOU DOING AT YOUR AGE               FIGHTING A WAR WHEN YOUR TWICE THERE AGE I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT YOU HAD MORE SENSE SUPPOSE ITS BETTER THAN SITTING ON THE FENCE                                                             YOU SONS CAME HOME FROM THAT WAR           AND I GUESS THEY NEW THE SCORE                       THEY WERE HURTING DEEP INSIDE                           KNOWING YOU WERE LEFT BEHIND                       MY GRANDDAD NEVER SPOKE A LOT                 OF YOU HIS DAD HE LOVED SO MUCH                   SO I THANK YOU ON THIS DAY                             THE PRICE FOR FREEDOM YOU HAD TO PAY           AND HAS I GAZE AND LOOK AROUND                 AT ALL YOU PALS IN THE GROUND                         I WONDER WHAT LIVE WOULD HAVE BEEN           WITHOUT THERE SACRIFICE FOR THE LIKE OF ME.I HAD THE HONOR OF VISITING MY G-GRANDFATHERS GRAVE IN SEPT 08   2010,2012,2014  CATERPILLAR VALLEY LONGUEVAL  SOMME  

 FREDERICK  enlisted  on 1 November 1915 as No 5015 in the 8th (Territorial) Battalion of the King's (Liverpool) Regt. He crossed to France on an unknown date after 31/12/15 and was subsequently transferred to 4 KLR (which was a Service Battalion)  on the  28 July 1916 with 100 other's drafted in from the 8th battalion Liverpool Irish and others from the 24th Infantry Base Depot   and 7th battalion

As his number remained a TF one he kept the terms of his original enlistment.  

In early 1917, and after his death on 18 August 1916 he was renumbered to 307255a number which is also associated with 8 KLR).     He   married Catherine Kembal march 1901  7 children sons John and William  both came home  William underage in 1916 after 18 months to sign up again still underage   

HE WAS 47 YEARS OLD WHEN HE DIED, RIP

Tony Rodaway