Pte 21733 George Holden

• Age: 29
• From: Oldham
• 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.

George Holden was born in Chadderton, Oldham in December 1885 or January 1886, the son of George Holden and his wife Sarah (nee Eastwood). His father, a joiner, was born in Royton and his mother, a weaver, in Chadderton. They married on the 28th May 1877 at St Mary's Church, Prestwich. George was a 23 year old joiner of Royton, father George a manager, whilst Sarah was aged 20 of Chadderton, father Thomas a weaver. They had six children: George, born in 1878 (who died at age 1), Horace 1879 (also died before his second birthday), Emma 1881, Amanda 1883, George, and Henry, 1887. 

His father is found on the 1881 census living in Victoria Street, Chadderton, as a 27-year old joiner, with wife Sarah, 24, Horace, 1 year old and 2 month old Emma.  Horace died later that year.

No death or burial record has been found for his father (baptised 12th March 1854, St Paul's Church, Royton) but in 1891 at the time of the Census, Sarah, aged 34, is already a widow. She is living with her four children Emma aged 10, Amanda aged 8, George aged 5 and Henry aged 3, at 2 Wheatfield Road in Royton, Oldham. 

Emma died in 1896 at the age of 15 after an illness of several months.

In the 1901 Census, Sarah, now aged 44, is recorded living at 322 Rochdale Road, Royton, Oldham with her children; Amanda who is 18 and a confectionary baker, George is 15 and a clerk in a cotton mill and 13 year old Henry who is a clerk in a grocers.

The 1911 Census finds George living alone at Moss Side, Dale Avenue, Heswall. He is aged 25 and working as a pianoforte tuner. 

His mother is found at 306 Rochdale Road, Royton, with son Henry, 23, a cotton stripper and grinder, and her sister, Fanny Eastwood, aged 41.

George enlisted in Liverpool joining the 19th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 21733 on the 13th November 1914. He gave his age as 28 years and 11 months His trade is recorded as violinist. He was described as being 5 feet three and half inches tall, weighed 116lbs, 34" chest with a fresh complexion, grey eyes and light brown hair. His mother Sarah is his next of kin, her address at this time is 26 Manor Road Hoylake. He stated his religion as Wesleyan.

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. 

Whilst training at Larkhill during October 1915, George twice got into trouble, once for being late for parade on the 08th October and  the other for not turning up for a fatigue duty on the 12th October. He received the following punishments: three days confined to barracks for the first offence and five days confined to barracks for the second.

George arrived in France on 07^th November 1915. 

Out in the field he suffers some periods of sickness during February and March 1916 and from April to June 1916 he was attached to 89th Bde H.Q.

08.2.16 - Sick, to 98th F.A. 

13.2.16 - Debility, admitted to 3 Amb. Flotilla (barges located along the Somme at Chipilly). 

21.2.16 - Rejoined unit. 

5.4.16 - Attached to 89th Bde H.Q. 

17.6.16 - Rejoined unit. 

He was killed in action on the 30th July 1916, aged 29, 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.     

George was initially posted as Missing. His mother posted an appeal in the Liverpool papers on 25th and 26th August 1916 asking for information about her missing son

MISSING. Private George Holden, " Pals," is reported missing since July 30. Any information from comrades will be gratefully received by his mother, 26, Manor-road, Hoylake.

His service record shows that in December 1916 he was reported Killed in Action, and a memo from the War Office dated 14th January 1917 states that his death was officially accepted as having occurred on 30th July 1916.

George's body was not recovered or 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.”

His death was announced in the Birkenhead News on 07th February 1917:

PREVIOUSLY REPORTED MISSING, NOW  

REPORTED KILLED 

King’s (Liverpool) Regt. - Pte G. Holden, 21733 (Hoylake); 

In March 1917, his mother received his remaining belongings: his badge and a silk card. She received his service medals, the 1914-1915 Star in June 1920 and the British War Medal and Victory Medal in November 1921.

His mother received George's Army pay and a War Gratuity of £7-10s, and was awarded a pension of 15/- a week from May 1917.

George is also remembered on the Hoylake and West Kirby Memorial at Grange Hill and in St. Hildeburgh’s Church, Hoylake.

In 1919 his mother Sarah was still at 26 Manor Road, with Amanda, 36, and Henry, 31, was living in Rochdale.

According to the pension card, his mother died in 1934, aged 77.

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