- Type of Memorial
- Board / Plaque / Tablet
- WMR Reference Number
- 2310
- Description
- Wooden Board.
St Andrews United Reformed Church (Holylake with Meols), Greenwood Road, Meols, Wirral, Merseyside has a similar collage. (our reference 2311)
Wirral Archive hold the letter to Mr John Lester, Millers Hay, Irby, near Birkenhead from King George, which reads :
20th December, 1918.
It is a matter of sincere regret to me that the death of N. 51674 Private Frank Lester, late 10th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, deprived me of the pride of personally conferring upon him the Victoria Cross, the greatest rewards for valour and devotion to duty.
- Inscription
- PTE FRANK LESTER VC 10TH BN LANCASHIRE FUSILIERS 12TH OCT 1918 AGE 22 SON OF JOHN AND ELLEN LESTER OF MILLER'S HAY IRBY BIRKENHEAD. BORN AT HUYTON LIVERPOOL AN EXTRACT FROM THE LONDON GAZETTE NO 31067 DATED 13TH DEC 1918 RECORDS THE FOLLOWING:- "FOR MOST CONSPICUOUS BRAVERY AND SELF-SACRIFICE DURING THE CLEARING OF THE VILLAGE OF NEUVILLY, ON 12TH OCTOBER, 1918, WHEN, WITH A PARTY OF ABOUT SEVEN MEN UNDER AN OFFICER, HE WAS THE FIRST TO ENTER A HOUSE FROM THE BACK DOOR, AND SHOT TWO GERMANS AS THEY ATTEMPTED TO GET OUT BY THE FRONT DOOR. A MINUTE LATER A FALL OF MASONRY BLOCKED THE DOOR BY WHICH THE PARTY HAD ENTERED. THE ONLY EXIT INTO THE STREET WAS UNDER FIRE AT POINT-BLANK RANGE. THE STREET WAS ALSO SWEPT BY FIRE OF THE MACHINE GUNS AT CLOSE RANGE. OBSERVING THAT AN ENEMY SNIPER WAS CAUSING HEAVY CASUALTIES TO A PARTY IN A HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET, PTE. LESTER EXCLAIMED, 'I'LL SETTLE HIM,' AND DASHING OUT INTO THE STREET, SHOT THE SNIPER AT CLOSE QUARTERS, FALLING MORTALLY WOUNDED IN THE SAME INSTANT. THE GALLANT MAN WELL KNEW IT WAS CERTAIN DEATH TO GO INTO THE STREET, AND THE PARTY OPPOSITE WAS FACED WITH THE ALTERNATIVE OF CROSSING THE FIRE-SWEPT STREET OR STAYING WHERE IT WAS AND BEING SHOT ONE BY ONE. TO SAVE THEIR LIVES HE SACRIFICED HIS OWN."
The Headstone is inscribed with: -
BADGE OF LANCASHIRE FUSILIERS/51674 PRIVATE/ F. LESTER VC./ LANCASHIRE FUSILIERS/12TH OCTOBER 1918. AGE 22/V.C MEDAL/GREATER LOVE/ HATH NO MAN THAN THIS.