Queens South Africa Medal clasps Orange Free State & South Africa 1901 named 3074 CPL E MORTON KRRC, 1914/15 Star named 2 LIEUT E MORTON K R RIF C, British War & Victory (MID) Medals named 2 LIEUT E MORTON & 1911 Delhi Dunbar Medal named 3074 SGT E MORTON KRRC.
Daniel Morton was born in 1880 in Sandal Magna, Wakefield, Yorkshire and was the Son of the Late Daniel & Eleanor Harris Morton of Scotts Terrace, Sandal Magna, Wakefiled. He enlisted into the Kings Royal Rifle Corps numbered 3074 and went to South Africa in Dec 1901 and fought in the Boer War as a Cpl with the 4th Battalion earning the clasps Orange Free State, South Africa 1901 & 1902 (missing). He then went back to the UK till 1809 when they were sent to India where he earned the Delhi Dunbar Medal 1911 as a Sgt.
They stayed in India till 1914 when WW1 broke out they were sent to the UK arriving back on 18th Nov 1914, by now he was the Orderly Sgt. As a lot of officers had been killed early on in the fighting and the army was now growing in size, he was made a 2nd Lt on the 15th Dec 1914 and on the 20th Dec 1914 he landed in France with the 4th Battalion.
At the Battle of Second Battle of Ypres the regiment were stationed in trenches near the Menin Line. On the 8th May 1915 there was a huge artillery fire on the forward trenches and several attacks by the enemy which were fought off but eventually the line broke and the 83rd Brigade holding this line fell back in disorder and it was up to the 4th KRRC together with the PPCLI to hold the next line. They did this with vigour holding off countless attacks over the next few days, giving the British time to call up the remainder of the 80th Brigade to help hold this line.
It was during these few days of battle, that 2nd Lt Morton was killed in action, he was first reported as wounded and missing in action on the 10th May 1915 and when he did not become a prisoner of war, he was declared dead aged 35 years old. He is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial.
He was awarded a mention in dispatches in the LG 1st Jan 1916.
The regiment listed all its men, including other ranks who were killed, wounded or missing and the list is massive. 77 officers and other ranks killed, 245 officers and other ranks wounded, 6 officers and other ranks wounded and missing & 175 officers and other ranks missing. A total casualty tally of 503, over half the regiment.
