Pte 21520 John Willcot Hesler

• Age: 27
• 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.

John Willcot Hesler was born in Liverpool on 26th July 1889 the son of Frederick Gustavus Heissler and Jessie Isabella (nee Cooke). The couple were married in 1884. Frederick’s father was born in St Petersburg and was recorded as a clerk. John was the youngest of their four children: His siblings were Frederic Harry Claude, Helena Frances, and Leo Charles. He was baptised on 29th August 1889 in Our Lady of Immaculate Conception.

The 1891 Census shows Frederick and Jessie are living at 53 Salisbury Road in Everton. Frederick is 35 and is a bookkeeper. Jessie is 26. They have four children : Frederick aged 7, Frances (Helena) aged 5, Charles Leo aged 3 and 8 month old John.

Electoral rolls show that the family remained at 53 Salisbury Road until at least 1898.

By 1901 the family are living at 12 Hapsford Road in Litherland. His father, Frederick, aged 45,  is working as an accountant, his mother, Jessie, is 36.  Their son Frederick has left home, but Helena is there aged 17 and working as a typist, (Charles) Leo 13, and John, 11, are at school. Also in the household are his mother's siblings Maria and Thomas Cooke.

John’s father Frederick died in 1910, aged 55 and was buried on the 13th September at West Derby R.C. Cemetery. His address 21 Fountain Street.

By 1911 they have moved across the Mersey to Seacombe. John, 21, a stockbroker's clerk, is living at 7 Mainwaring Road with his mother Jessie, 47, and brother Leo, 23, a steward. Living with them is Frederick's wife Margaret, 27. His married sister Helena is living in Wolverhampton.

In 1911 and 1912 Leo, 24, is found on crew lists as an assistant steward on the Empress of Britain. Frederick also served in the Merchant Marine.

Prior to the outbreak of war John was employed by Messrs A M Sing and Co Stockbrokers, Exchange Street, Liverpool.

He enlisted on the 11th September 1914 at Liverpool joining the 19th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 21520. He gave his age as 25 years and 47 days and his occupation as a clerk. He was described as being five feet seven and three quarter inches tall, weighed 124lbs, 35" chest with a fresh complexion, brown eyes and brown hair . he stated his religion as Roman Catholic. His birthplace as well as his residence is given as Seacombe. He gave as next of kin his mother Jessie at 7 Mainwaring Road.

Formed on 7^th September 1914 the 19^th Battalion trained locally at Sefton Park and remained living at home or in rented accommodation until November 1914. They then moved to the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 19th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. 

28.7.15: At Belton Park Camp: Falling out without permission while on manoeuvres. Three days confined to barracks.

14.8.15: At Belton Park Camp: Dirty bayonet on picquet. Two days confined to barracks

7.11.15: Embarked for France from Folkestone with his battalion.

28.6.16: Sick to 27 Field Ambulance and admitted.

5.7.16: Discharged to duty.

John was killed in action on the 30th July 1916, just days after his 27th birthday, 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.   

Having been originally reported as Missing in the Liverpool Daily Post on 11th October.

His death was reported in the Liverpool Echo on Friday 17 November 1916: 

Killed In Action. 

HESLER - July 30, killed in action, aged 27 years, John Hesler (K.L.R.), the beloved and younger son of the late Frederick and Mrs Hesler, 7 Mainwaring-road. 

The family finally had confirmation of John's death and on 17th November put a notice in the Liverpool Echo:

Mrs Hesler and family wish to thank all friends for their kind expressions of sympathy in their sad bereavement. 7 Mainwaring Road Seacombe.

His Casualty Form notes that in December 1916 a report was received from O/C 7th K.L.R. stating that John had been killed in action, and had been buried at Guillemont, giving the map reference of his grave.  

His body was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme.

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.” 

He earned his three medals, which his mother signed for.

His outstanding Army pay went to his mother (at the request of Leo, she also received his share). She received the War Gratuity of £7-10s, and was awarded a pension of 12/6d a week from July 1917.

Leo served in the Merchant Marine until enlisting in the Army in May 1915.  He served in the 24th (Denbigh Yeomanry) Bn. Royal Welch Fusiliers, and arrived in Alexandria with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force in March 1916.  In December 1917 in Palestine he suffered a gunshot wound to the right leg. He was later transferred to the Western Front and was "sick and wounded" in August 1918 at Hazebrouck. He was discharged in February 1919 and later emigrated to Australia.  Eldest brother Frederick emigrated to Canada.

In September 1939 his mother Jessie is found in Sandrock Nursing Home in Wallasey, incapacitated. She died not long afterwards, aged 75.

John is commemorated on the following memorials -

Liverpool Stock Exchange

Victoria Central Community Hospital, Wallasey

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