Abel Flitney - Second son of Eli and Ellen Flitney

This is the third in a series of posts about my paternal great-grandparents Eli and Ellen Flitney. In my previous post, Eli and Ellen's eldest son Albert returned from WW1 their second son Abel would not to be so fortunate.

The year is 1878, and the family are living at Chalkshire a hamlet in the parish of Ellesborough, Buckinghamshire, England.  Albert Flitney is two years old, and the First World War still a long way into the future when Abel is born. By 1893 both Albert and Abel are employed as farm labourers but Abel's life is about to take a different direction. By 1900, he has met and married Matilda Ann Clayton and moved to Millards Cottages in Guildford, Surrey. I have no idea what precipitated the move, but by now he has also moved away from agriculture and is employed as a gardener.   Matilda was born at Longfield in Kent so perhaps that explains their later move to Chevening a village and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent. By this time, they had two daughters Rhoda Marjorie born in 1903 and Margaret Doris born in 1907.

By 1909 Abel is in the employ of Mr. William Burfoot of Chipstead Mill, Sevenoaks.

Chipstead Mill continued to grind corn until 1945. When production finally ceased the buildings were put to other uses and although the great wheel was removed long ago the tumbling millrace still creates soothing water music.(A History of the Parish Of Chevening Pg.151)

Advertisement for Chipstead Flour Mills c1923 via A History of the Parish of Chevening

The photograph on the right shows the former corn mill in Chipstead. Today it's divided into apartments with names such as Granary, Flour Store and Grain Store reflecting its earlier use.

Abel worked at Chipstead Mill until he joined the ranks of the 13th Battalion, The Royal Sussex Regiment. By 1915, he was in uniform as Private G/12022 Flitney, A.  After his death, his former employer William Burfoot said of him, "Private Flitney worked at Chipstead Mill for six years as a groom/gardener. He was greatly respected by all who knew him, and much sympathy is felt for his widow and two daughters".

What follows is reproduced by kind permission of Andrew Robertshaw from his book
Feeding Tommy: Battlefield Recipes from the First World War Pages 59 & 61

At some stage between joining up and 1916, Abel was sent to the school of cookery at Portslade near Brighton in Sussex. By pure good fortune, the illustrated cookery Log Book that he compiled in the camp has survived and is now in the collection of The Royal Logistic Corps Museum. At the conclusion of his course, which was usually around six weeks, Private Flitney would have been posted back to his unit. At that time, the battalion was in Britain, so the budding cook would have had a gentle introduction to his new trade. Permanent camp cookhouses in a hutted camp would have given him time to put into practice all the lessons learnt at Portslade. Abel's battalion was part of 116th Brigade in 39th Division and went to France, via Le Havre, in March 1916. It is very likely he was with them when they arrived on the continent and during the heavy fighting on the Somme from September to November of that year. Casualties were heavy and by 10 November, 50 per cent of the officers and 66 per cent of the Other Ranks were reinforcements replacing the dead and wounded of the preceding few months of bitter fighting. The battalion did not go into battle again until 31 July 1917 at Ypres, at the beginning of the battle which would become known as Passchendaele. The sector allocated to the 116th Brigade for the attack was east of the city of Ypres in the area of Forward Cottage. By the end of the day, the 13th Battalion had captured the village of St Julien and taken seventeen German officers and 205 Other Ranks prisoner. It is not clear what role Private Flitney played in this success. Whether as a cook waiting to move forward with the cookers to the captured objective to serve hot meals or, as is very possible, as an infantryman to bolster the number of experienced men in the line.

From Log Book of  Private Abel Flitney

Feeding Tommy Battlefield Recipes from the First World War by Andrew Robertshaw.  If you are interested in more information about Andrew Robertshaw, please visit his website HERE

While the menfolk of Chevening were away fighting many of the farms turned to the growing of crops, ploughing up acres of pasture land. In this way Chevening, together with other areas of the country kept Britain largely self-sufficient in food. At the same time, the large houses in the parish were maintained by an ever diminishing staff as the women left to join the Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) Kent 58 and to do other war works. Able's daughter Margaret remembers the four soldiers billeted on them. She also remembers her mother telling their quartermaster that he must increase their rations as they needed more food. (Angela Lucas - A History of the Parish of Chevening Pg. 190)

Abel died on the 2nd August 1917. The following is a letter sent to Matilda and published in the Kent Messenger on Sat 25 Aug 1917. 

Dear Mrs. Flitney, a very unpleasant task has befallen me, that of writing you a letter of sympathy and informing you of your husband's death, which took place in the recent big advance. He was killed by the force of a shell bursting very near to him, along with several others who happened to be with him. It may be a consolation to you to know his death was instantaneous, there being no lingering or suffering. Your husband was in my Platoon, and the whole time I had him under my command, I found him efficient, willing and cheerful. He was a good soldier, doing everything he had to do to the best of his ability, and I wish all my men had the same spirit, it would make things so much easier for those in command. I was very taken to your husband because of his pleasant countenance; he always had a smile and never had a grumble. You may rest assured he did his bit, and when I tell you I have lost one of my best men, perhaps you will realise how he was regarded. You have no idea how sorry I am, and how I sympathise with you in your bereavement. So please accept my deepest sympathy and sincere condolence, which is shared by all the officers of this company, and is the best I can offer trusting you will find comfort, and receive strength to carry your burden by placing your faith in our Heavenly Father, I remain, yours very sincerely.  

Abel is buried at La Brique Military Cemetery No. 2 Grave Reference 1. Y. 9. The cemetery is located to the North-East of the town of Leper.  'Fling open wide the golden gates and let the victors in' are the words on the headstone paid for by the family, at a cost of 14s or two-weeks wages for a private soldier.

Now a war widow Matilda went to work at Chipstead Place carrying out general domestic duties as a way of supporting herself and her two daughters.  She married Edgar E. Hornsell in 1942 at the age of 65. She died on the 27th January 1950 and is buried at Greatness Cemetery, where Abel is also remembered on her grave.  

I've not researched either of the two daughters, but I believe Margaret married Herbert E. Janes in 1936 and Rhoda Married M. Rogers in 1930.  I'm very tempted to find out more about them, but as I've started researching Eli and Ellen’s eight sons I feel I must continue with that for now.  As always, this is an ongoing search so if you have any information please get in touch.

Sources;

Kent Messenger Sat 25th August 1917, Pg. 5

Forces war records - Flitney A G/12022 Royal Sussex Regiment

Commonwealth War Graves Commission - Flitney. A  La Brique Military Cemetery No. 2

The National Archives - Flitney. A Medical Card

Feeding Tommy Battlefield Recipes from the First World War Andrew Robertshaw

A history of the parish of Chevening

The long, long trail

HM Passport Office General Register