Pte 17836 Reginald Charles Heyes

• Age: 22
• From: Anfield, Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Wednesday 8th November 1916
• Commemorated at: Pommier Cc
  Panel Ref: 19

17836 Private Reginald Charles HEYES, 19^th Battalion (Lpool Pals) KLR.

In his enlistment papers, dated 23^rd September 1914, Reginald states his age as 20 years and 60 days, which would mean that he was born around 24^th July 1894. We know that he was baptised in St Mary’s Church, Walton on the Hill, on 25^th July 1895, according to a Family Tree in the name of WOODS. He was the second of five children born to Robert William and Annie Heyes nee Fisher and had an older brother also named Robert William who was six years older than Reginald. He also had two younger sisters (Beatrice Annie, born 1897 and Irene Grace born 20.11.1898) and a younger brother (Harold, born 19040. His father was born in Bristol in 1864, while his mother, Annie, was born in Manchester in 1865. They were married in St George’s Church, Everton, on 27^th July 1887, when Robert William, a barman, sone of James, a commercial traveller, was 24 years old. Annie Fisher, daughter of Edward, a joiner was only 20 years old, and both gave their address as 76 Louisa Street, Liverpool.

1881 Census :  27 Fielding Street, Liverpool.

James Heyes, 54 yrs, timber agent, born Ditton.

Elizabeth, 49 years, wife, born Prescot.

Florence Mary, 25 years, dressmaker, daughter, born Bristol.

Elizabeth Muriel, 19 years, dressmaker, daughter, b. Bristol.

Robert William, 17 years, fruit warehouseman, b. Bristol.

Charles James, 14 years, school, son, b. Bristol.

Josephine M(argaret?), 12 years, daughter, b. Bristol.

Frances Jane, 11 years, b. Bristol.

1891 Census : 4 Gilman Street, Everton.(off Walton Breck Road)

Robert William Heyes, 27 years, public house keeper, b. Bristol (married – see above).

Annie nee Fisher, 25 years, wife, b. Manchester.

Robert William, 2 years, son, b. Liverpool.

1901 Census : 13 Lillian Road – off Walton Breck Road.

Robert Heyes, 36 years, cotton sampleman.

Annie, 32 years, wife.

Robert William, 12 years, son.

Reginald, 6 years, son, b. Liverpool.

Beatrice, 4 years, daughter, b. Liverpool.

Irene, 2 years, daughter, b. Liverpool.

John Fisher, 23 years, brother in law of Robert, hotel waiter, b. Bristol.

1911 Census : 11 Bingley Road (off Priory Road).

Robert Heyes, 46 years, cotton warehouseman.

Annie, 43 years, wife. (23-6-5-1) – ie married 23 years; had 6 children, one of whom died).

Robert, 22 years, cotton sampleman, son.

Reginald, 16 years, office boy (fruit warehouse)

Beatrice, 14 years, daughter.

Irene, 12 years, daughter.

Harold, 7 years, son, b. Liverpool.

Reginald Charles Heyes :

23.09.1914 – enlisted in Liverpool as Private 17836, 19^th Battalion (ie 3^rd Pals), King’s Liverpool Regiment. Gave age as 20 years, 60 days; occupation as clerk; 5’7 ¼”; weight 145 lbs; fresh complexion; brown eyes; brown hair; C of E.

Initially the 19^th Battalion trained in Sefton Park but in November 1914 they moved to Knowsley Park where Lord Derby had built a camp within his grounds. On 30^th April 1915, all four Liverpool Pals Battalions moved to Belton Park Camp, Grantham, Lincolnshire, where they continued their training as members of 89^th Brigade, 30^th Division. It must be remembered that for many of the Pals this would be the first time they had been away from home and they were still relatively raw recruits, so it is no surprise that many of them were subject of disciplinary proceedings, usually for being absent without leave. In Reginald’s case, his name appears in the defaulter’s records for having, on 21^st August 1915, “been inattentive on firing point” – he was confined to barracks for 3 days. In the first week of September 1915, the Pals moved down to Larkhill Camp, Salisbury Plain before, on 6^th November 1915, leaving for France. On 18^th December 1915 the 19^th Battalion is split into two halves with one half being sent to La Haie and the other to nearby Fonquevillers on the Somme Front. Three weeks later they moved to Carnoy, just south of the Somme line, where they stayed until 16^th March 1916 to spend the next month behind the British lines.  They returned to the front line near Maricourt on 30^th April, but on 25^th May 1916 the 19^th, 20^th and 17^th Pals were taken out of the line for training for the forthcoming “Big Push”. After almost 7 days of allied bombardment the Battle of the Somme started on 1^st July 1916. All but the 19^th Battalion found themselves in the front line for the opening attack, and although they achieved the objectives set for them that day it was at a very heavy cost to the 18^th and 20^th Battalions. The 19^th Battalion (Reginald’s) was held in reserve at Maricourt when the Battle started but still lost about 14 men to German artillery and sniper fire. The 19^th remained in the front line, being involved in the fighting around Trones Wood, until relieved opn 12^th July 1916. On 29^th July, the 17^th, 19^th and 20^th Battalions moved forward and next day take part in an abortive attack on the village of Guillemont – on that one day alone the Pals suffered almost 500 men killed and many hundreds more were wounded – “Liverpool’s blackest day”.  The following day, 31^st July 1916, the 30^th Division, including the Liverpool Pals Battalions, were withdrawn to camp near Fricourt and then to Abbeville for rest and recuperation. On 3^rd August however they were moved up to the Givenchy area. The 18^th Battalion had not been involved on 30^th July at Guillemont and returned to the Front Line on 11^th August while the other three battalions did not follow them until 26^th August, all in the area of Givenchy.

In October 1916, the 17^th and 20^th Pals Battalions were in the front of an assault on the Transloy Ridges, while the 19^th was again held in reserve. The assault had a very limited success with the 17^th Battalion having to consolidate a new position a mere 150 yards in front of their old front line. The 19^th and 20^th replace the 17^th during the night of 11^th/12^th October. Six days later a further attack on the Transloy Ridges takes place, with the 18^th Battalion at the head – the attack is “an abysmal failure” and by the time the Pals are withdrawn on 22^nd October they had lost 13 officers and 213 other ranks killed.

On 31^st October 1916, the 30^th Division including the Liverpool Pals moved to take over a part of the line north of the Somme near Bienvillers and It was during this time, what the Regimental historian calls a “quiet time”, that Reginald Heyes lost his life on 8^th November 1916, killed in action, possibly by German artillery fire.

His body now rests at Pommier Communal Cemetery, the only Kingsman amongst the 26 British soldiers buried here and the only one of them killed in November 1916.

There are now over 20 First World War casualties commemorated in this site.

A letter dated 20^th February 1917 in Reginald’s file says that any effects should be forwarded to his father, Robert, at 11 Bingley Road, but the letter is endorsed “No effects”.  The War Office issued a commemorative plaque, known colloquially as the “Death Penny” to the next of kin of all those men who died during the Great War and in order to distribute the plaques, which were accompanied by a “scroll”, they wrote to the last known address of the next of kin, ie Reginald’s father, and asked that he or she complete a declaration form which detailed the names etc of all of the deceased’s immediate relatives. Robert Heyes completed this form, the contents of which he swore on oath before the vicar of Holy Trinity Church, Walton Breck Road, declaring that Reginald was survived by his parents, two brothers (Robert William, aged 31 years, and Harold Leslie aged 15 years), and two sisters (Beatrice Annie, aged 22 years and Irene Grace, aged 20 years) all of whom were living at 11 Bingley Road. On 22^nd July 1920, Reginald’s 1914/15 Star was sent to his father but was returned for amendment when it was noticed that his name had been spelt “Hayes”; in 1921 his father received Reginald’s British War Medal and Victory Medal and the Star was returned having been corrected. In due course a small gratuity and some arrears of pay owed to Reginald were also received by his father, who died in Liverpool in March 1936 aged 72 years.

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