BORN HULL 1898. SON OF FREDERICK JAMES ASHBY & HARRIET ANN ASHBY GRASSAN, OF 8 WILLOW GROVE, BEVERLEY (1911 CENSUS) AND THIS CWGC ADDRESS. SON OF A BICYCLE MAKER. THE FAMILY LIVD AT 9 DUESBURY STREET, HULL (1901) AND RAN A BICYCLE REPAIR BUSINESS AT 43 PARAGON STREET, HULL. HE WAS EDUCATED AT SPENCER STREET COUNCIL SCHOOL AND WON A SCHOLARSHIP TO HYMERS, WHERE HE JOINED THE OFFICER CADET CORP. HE HAD A FINE PHYSIQUE WAS SIX FOOT TALL AND WANTED TO BECOME A TEACHER.
ONE OF TWO SONS BOTH KILLED IN THE WAR, DONALD WAS COMMISSIONED INTO THE 4TH EAST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT, ON 10/08/1915. KILLED ON A NIGHT PATROL, BY A BOMB EXPLOSION, ON 17/06/1916, AGED 18. BURIED IN BELGIUM. HIS GRAVE INSCRIPTION, READS, “NEARER TO THEE”. RECORDED ON HYMERS COLLEGE MEMORIAL.
HIS DEATH WAS REPORTED IN THE HULL DAILY MAIL ON 31ST JULY 1916 & 5TH AUGUST 1916 WITH HIS PHOTOGRAPH. *
HIS BROTHER, 2ND LIEUTENANT, MAURICE GRASSAM ASHBY, SERVED WITH 42ND SQUADRON, ROYAL AIR FORCE AND WAS KILLED ON 04/07/1918, AGED 19.
1/4th Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment – Map 28 Wytschaete – 17 June 1916, War Diary reads:-
12.25am Enemy released Gas opposite E trenches, the wind at the time was North and rather variable. It blew the gas across the ‘New Cut’ trench E3. E1. E6 trenches. The gas cloud was very thick and lasted about 20 minutes. Few casualties were caused at first, but the after effects proved fatal in several cases, 2nd Lt WF Carlton was killed in F Trench, 2nd Lt Gresham very severely wounded, 2nd Lt Sutton slightly wounded, 2nd Lt WRR Brown and 2nd Lt Marshall were affected by shock and gas and left the trenches.
The Total casualties were, Officers killed 1, wounded 3, other ranks killed 10, wounded 74, missing 1. 5 other ranks of the wounded subsequently died at the dressing station at LINDENHOEK. 2nd Lt GH Lofthouse sick to hospital.
18 June 1916
Quiet day no casualties. 2nd Lt Carlton and 17 other ranks were buried at LINDENHOEK Cemetery, N.27.c. These men were casualties on the 17/06/1916. Six were killed by shellfire, 11 died of gas poisoning. 2 men of the wounded died in hospital and 2 others were buried at LOCRE.
