Pte 34295 Henry Hayworth

• Age: 26
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Henry (Harry) Hayworth was born in Liverpool in 1889 the son of John Hayworth and his wife Jane (nee Brownbill) who married on 1st August 1887 at St George's Church, in Everton.  Harry had 5 siblings; Eva, Lilian, William (died in infancy), William and Doris. 

The 1891 Census shows the family living at 59 Gloucester Place, West Derby, Liverpool. His father, John, is aged 29, born 1862 in Liverpool  his occupation recorded as a joiner’s labourer  whilst his mother, Jane, is aged 26, born 1865 no occupation, she was also born in Liverpool as were their three children, Eva aged 2, born 1889, Henry aged 1 , born 1890 and Lillian born 1891. They also had two boarders living at their address William Edwards aged 36, born 1855 a civil engineer born in Middlesex, London and his wife Grace aged 25, born 1866 in Scotland.  

The Census of 1901 shows the family are living at 51, St Albans, Everton. Henry is 11 years of age and lives with his parents and three siblings. His father, John, is a 39 year old general labourer born in Liverpool, whilst his mother, Jane, is 36 years of age. His siblings are recorded as; Eva aged 12, Lilian aged 10 and William aged 7. 

Henry is not listed at the home address of 53 Phoebe Ann Street, Everton, Liverpool during the 1911 Census.

He enlisted in Liverpool and was serving in the 19^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 34295. [Pte 34223 J.A. Wood enlisted Seaforth, 11th December 1915] 

He was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 26, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive.

19^th Battalion Diary 

MALTZ HORN FARM

BATTLE begun. ZERO hour 4:45 am. The Battalion reached its objective, but suffered heavy losses, and had to evacuate its position owing to no reinforcements.

Everard Wyrall gives details of the attack in his book The History of The King’s Regiment; 

"The 2nd Attack on Guillemont- 29th July 1916 the 89th Brigade the 20th King's were to attack on the right and the 19th on the left. During the evening of the 29th the night was dark and foggy when the Battalions moved off and the 19th with Lt Col G Rollo commanding, when passing the South east of the Briqueterie they were heavily shelled first with H E and then with a new kind of asphyxiating Gas shell which had curious results, at first it had no nasty effect but about 8 hrs later men began to fall sick with violent headaches and pains in the stomach. All ranks had to wear gas masks which in the darkness and mist made the going terribly difficult. It was indeed wonderful that they were able to reach their Assembly point at all. But they did and by 2.45 a.m. on the 30th July 1916 the Btn was assembled having suffered about 30 Casualties on the way up ready for the Zero hour at 4.45 a.m.

It is known that the two left Companies of the 19th under Capt. Dodd and Capt. Nicholson advanced in touch with the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on their left although they suffered many casualties from Machine gun Fire did not encounter many Germans and reached their final objective about the time allocated, beginning at once to dig in south of the orchard on the South east corner of Guillemont.  

On the left of the 19th the Scots Fusiliers most gallantly forced their way through Guillemont to the eastern side of the village but were soon overwhelmed by the enemy and few returned. 

At 8 a.m. finding that the village was not held the two left Companies of the 19th received no word from the rear or either flank believed themselves to be totally isolated so were forced to fall back and dig in, their position being untenable.

At midday the effective fighting strength of the 19th Btn was just 7 Officers and 43 other ranks" 

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30^th Division held a line from the railway on the eastern side of Trones Wood , southwards and including Arrow Head Copse, to east of Maltz Horn Farm. On this line the division was relieved by the 55^th Division during the early hours of the 31^st July.

Casualties in the 19^th Battalion were 11 Officers and 435 Other Ranks 

The events of 30^th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89^th Brigade written by Brigadier General Ferdinand Stanley which gives an indication of the events of the day.

Guillemont

Well the hour to advance came, and of all bad luck in the world it was a thick fog; so thick that you couldn’t see more than about ten yards. It was next to impossible to delay the attack – it was much too big an operation- so forward they had to go. It will give some idea when I say that on one flank we had to go 1,750 yards over big rolling country. Everyone knows what it is like to cross enclosed country which you know really well in a fog and how easy it is to lose your way. Therefore, imagine these rolling hills, with no landmarks and absolutely unknown to anyone. Is it surprising that people lost their way and lost touch with those next to them? As a matter of fact, it was wonderful the way in which many men found their way right to the place we wanted to get to. But as a connected attack it was impossible.

The fog was intense it was practically impossible to keep direction and parties got split up. Owing to the heavy shelling all the Bosches had left their main trenches and were lying out in the open with snipers and machine guns in shell holes, so of course our fellows were the most easy prey.

It is so awfully sad now going about and finding so many splendid fellows gone.    

Originally posted as missing, his family who were desperate for information placed requests for information in the Liverpool Daily Post and Mercury on 12/09/16 and again on 18/09/1916. 

Liverpool Daily Post - Tuesday 12 September 1916 

Private H. Hayworth, K.L.R. Any information to L. Williams, 42 Bradewell St, Walton. 

Liverpool Daily Post on 18th September 1916 

King’s(Liverpool Regiment) - Hayworth, 34295, H.;  

Harry's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.

The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916.

On 01st August 1932 the Prince of Wales and the President of France inaugurated the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy. The inscription reads: “Here are recorded the names of officers and men of the British Armies who fell on the Somme battlefields between July 1915 and March 1918 but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.”

A memorial notice was placed in the Liverpool Echo on the second anniversary of his death on 31/07/1918:

"In loving memory of Private Harry Hayworth (Liverpool Pals), killed in action July 30, 1916.

  To meet, to know, to love, and then to part,

  Is a sad tragedy for any human heart.

Never forgotten by Lil and all at 42 Bradewell Street.". 

His effects were sent to Elizabeth Williams who may have been his girlfriend.

Harry's brother William was also a Liverpool Pal, joining the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 24573.  William died at home on 24/01/1915 aged 21 and is buried in Everton Cemetery with a CWGC headstone showing that he died whilst in service and his illness exacerbated as a result of his military career.

Harry's father John lost his wife, aged 48, in 1913, his son William in 1915, his son Harry in 1916 and his daughter Lilian aged 29 in 1920.  John had remarried in 1917 to widow Margaret H. Nicholson(b.1878 Liverpool). 

His father, John, died, aged 73, on 01st October 1934 and is reunited with his first wife Jane in Everton Cemetery.

His death was reported in the Liverpool Daily Post on Thursday 04 October 1934: 

HAYWORTH - October 1 at Mill Road Infirmary, aged 73  years, JOHN HAYWORTH 53 Phoebe Ann Street. Interment at Everton Cemetery, to-day (Thursday) at 2.30 p.m. 

We currently have no further information on Henry Hayworth. If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.