Pte 31161 William George Holroyd

• Age: 19
• From: Everton, Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Peronne Rd Cem Maricourt
  Panel Ref: II.G.18

31161 Private William George Holroyd, 17^th Battalion KLR.

William George Holroyd was born on the 06th July 1896 at Hibbert Street, Everton and was baptised at St Saviour’s Church, Everton, Liverpool on the 12th August 1896. He was the eldest son of James William Holroyd and his wife Mary (nee Walker) who had married in 1889 at St Ambrose's Church, Everton.

The 1901 Census shows the family are living at 107 Louisa Street, Everton. William is 4 years old and is living with both parents and four siblings. His father is a 31 year old journeyman baker born in Woolton, Liverpool, whilst his mother is 30 years of age and was born in Prescot. His siblings, all born in Liverpool are shown as; Mary J. aged 11, Annie aged 8, Florence aged 7 and Sarah aged 9 months.

His mother died in 1909.

By 1911 the family have moved to 15 Caernarvon Road, Walton. William is 14 years old and a butcher's errand boy. His father is now 41 and described as a widower, baker - bread baking. William has eight siblings listed as; Mary aged 21 and a housekeeper, Annie aged 18 a laquerer in a metal polish works, Florence aged 17 a domestic servant, Sarah aged 10, Elsie aged 9, James aged 7, Frances aged 5 and Stanley aged 3.     

William was educated at Northcote Road Council School, Liverpool.

William enlisted in Liverpool in late August 1915 and sailed to France as part of a reinforcement draft on 31st May 1916. He was initially posted to the 4^th Battalion King’s (Liverpool) Regiment but on the 22nd June 1916 was transferred to the 17^th Battalion as Private 31161.

He was killed in action at Montauban on the 01^st July 1916, however most of the men who were killed with the 17th battalion on 01 July are officially listed as having died between 01st and 02nd July 1916. 

17^th Battalion Diary

3.30 am the Battalion in position in assembly trenches -Battalion frontage from Maricourt – Briqueterie Rd to 100 yards west of Maricourt – Montauban Rd – 1^st wave, 2 platoons of A Company on the right and 2 platoons of B company on the left. 2^nd wave remaining platoons of these companies. 3^rd wave C Company and 4^th wave D Company in parallel trenches at about 100 yards distance. 3^rd Battalion 153^rd French Infantry on our right and 20 KLR on our left. The Battalion’s objective was Dublin Trench from Dublin Redoubt exclusive to a point 400 yards west.

7.30 am – “Zero Hour”. The assault commenced, some shelling but very slight infantry resistance and little machine gun fire encountered, the work of our artillery having been very effective on the German trenches.

8.30 am – the objective was taken at 08.30 am the French on our right gaining their’s at the same hour. Lieutenant-Colonel B C Fairfax and Commandant Le Petit commanding 3^rd Battalion 153^rd Regiment arrived together in Dublin Trench. A and B Companies dug in almost 100 yards south of Dublin Trench which the Germans shelled intermittently all day hardly touching the new trench. Casualties up to 12 noon, Captain E C Torrey commanding C Company, Lt D H Scott commanding A Company and 2^nd Lieutenant P L Wright wounded 100 other ranks. Later in the day the 90^th Brigade took Montauban and the 20^th KLR captured the Briqueterie. Lt Scott died of wounds in a French hospital at Cerisy where Captain Mirascou commanding the left Company of the French also lay wounded. Perfect liaison existed between the French and ourselves the above two officers commanding respectively our right Company and the French left Company being in constant touch. Shortly after the attack commenced the Battalion Headquarters moved to a German dugout in Favieres Support under Briqueterie Road where Commandant Le Petit also established his H.Q. During the remainder of the day there was intermittent bombardment of Dublin and Casement and  Favieres Support trenches. Rations were brought up safely at night. Disposition of the Battalion – 2 Companies in Dublin and 2 in Casement.

William now rests at Peronne Road Military Cemetery, France where his headstone records his date of death as 02nd July 1916. 

Maricourt was, at the beginning of the Battles of the Somme 1916, the point of junction of the British and French forces, and within a very short distance of the front line; it was lost in the German advance of March 1918, and recaptured at the end of the following August.

The Cemetery, originally known as Maricourt Military Cemetery No.3, was begun by fighting units and Field Ambulances in the Battles of the Somme 1916, and used until August 1917; a few graves were added later in the War, and at the Armistice it consisted of 175 graves which now form almost the whole of Plot I. It was completed after the Armistice by the concentration of graves from the battlefields in the immediate neighbourhood and from certain smaller burial grounds.

There are now 1348, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, 366 are unidentified and special memorials are erected to 26 soldiers from the United Kingdom known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of three soldiers from the United Kingdom, buried in other cemeteries, whose graves could not be found.

The cemetery covers an area of 3,787 square metres and is enclosed on three sides by a low red brick wall.

He earned two medals the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. 

Soldier's Effects and Pension to his father, James William. 

He is commemorated on the war memorial in Northcote Road Council School, Cavendish Drive, Liverpool. 

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


His father James William died in 1934 aged 65.

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