Richard's Story.
EARLY LIFE
Richard Potts was born on 13 December 1894 and baptised on 13 February 1895 at Christ Church, Macclesfield, the son of Hannah Maria and Richard Thomas Potts, a silk weaver of 46 Bond Street, Macclesfield.
The family later lived at 190 Crompton Rd, Macclesfield.
MILITARY SERVICE
Richard enlisted with the South Lancashire Regiment in Chester on 15 June 1915, stating that he was employed as a card cutter and his next of kin was his father, Richard Potts, of 190 Crompton Road, Macclesfield. After training, Private Potts was drafted to France on 29 September 1915. On 3 July 1916 he received a gunshot wound in his right leg and three days later was repatriated to England for treatment, as reported in the Macclesfield Times on 14 July 1916:
LOCAL MEN WOUNDED
Private Richard Potts, 8th South Lancs Regt, son of Mr R Potts, Crompton Rd, Macclesfield, has been wounded in the thigh with shrapnel while fighting in France, and is now in hospital at Manchester, where he is making satisfactory progress. He was wounded on Sunday week at the commencement of the "big push." Private Potts is 21 years of age and was educated at Mill Street School. He enlisted twelve months ago, being employed at the time as a designer at Messrs Kershaw's, Ltd. He has been at the front nearly ten months. His brother, Robert Henry, is in training with the RAMC in England.
Private Potts recovered from his injury and after a period of retraining he was posted to Salonika on 7 November 1916 to join the 9th Battalion of the South Lancashire Regiment.
On 13 April 1917 Private Potts was promoted to Lance Corporal. He was killed in action on 2 February 1918 and his death was reported in the Macclesfield Times on 15 February:
LANCE-CORPL R POTTS KILLED
Official news was received this week of the death in action in Salonika on February 2nd of Lance-Corporal Richard Potts, son of Mr and Mrs R T Potts, 190 Crompton Rd, Macclesfield, The deceased enlisted about three years ago in the South Lancs Regt and had served in Salonika for two years. Last week his parents had a letter from him, dated Jan 27th, stating that he was quite well.
Lance-Corpl Potts was educated at Mill Street School, and on leaving entered the employ of Messrs J Kershaw and Son, with whom he was engaged at the time of enlistment. He was 23 years of age, and was associated with Crompton Road Sunday School. Two brothers are serving in the Army - Private R H Potts, RAMC, and Pte Fred Potts, RFA. A photograph of Lance-Corpl Potts will be published in our next issue.
COMMEMORATION
L/Cpl Richard Potts is buried in Grave Ref. I. F. 1. of the Doiran Military Cemetery, Greece. His father asked for the inscription “HE LIVES WITH US IN MEMORY STILL FROM FATHER, MOTHER SISTERS AND BROTHERS” to be added to his headstone. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission holds casualty details for L/Cpl Richard Potts, and he is listed on the Imperial War Museum’s Lives of the First World War website.
In Macclesfield, L/Cpl Richard Potts is commemorated on the Park Green, Town Hall, St Michael's Church and St Andrew's Church war memorials.
NOTES
Brother of Robert Henry Potts, who served as a private in the RAMC; and Fred Potts, who served as Gunner 187020 in the Royal Field Artillery.
SOURCES
GRO (England & Wales) Index: Births
Macclesfield Christ Church Parish Baptism Registers (FindMyPast)
WWI British Army Service Records 1914-1920 (Find My Past)
Commonwealth War Graves Commission website
WWI Absent Voters Lists: Macclesfield Parliamentary Division
Macclesfield Times: 14 July 1916, 15 February 1918, 23 Sept 1921 (photo supplement)
Research by Rosie Rowley, Macclesfield.