Pte 22438 William Charles Judd

• Age: 21
• From: Crewe, Cheshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

William Charles Judd was born in Crewe, Cheshire, on the 31st December 1894, the son of Percy William Judd and his wife Elizabeth (nee Parkinson) who had married in 1890 in Kendal. The couple had two children, William, and Vera Pearl who was born in 1900. His father was born on the 30th Nov 1870 in Dublin, the son of William Judd and Esther Anna Howard of 7 Mt Petrin Hill, but had lived in Cheshire since childhood. His mother was born in Galgate, nr Lancaster. William was baptised on the 3rd February 1895 at Christ Church, Crewe, his father a fireman of 62 Bedford Rd. 

At the time of the 1901 census their address was 13 Somerville Road Street, Monks Coppenhall.

The father Percy is aged 30, occupation is recorded as locomotive fireman, and his wifer Elizabeth is aged 30, the children born in Crewe are William Chas 5, and Vera P. just 7mths.  

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 39 Ruskin Road, Crewe. 

Father Percy is aged 40 and still employed as a locomotive engineman, and his wife Elizabeth is aged 39. They have been married for 20 years and have two children, William who is now aged 16, and working as a grocer’s apprentice and Vera  aged 10 who is at school.  

He enlisted on the 09th November 1914 at Liverpool, joining the 20th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 22438. He gave his age as 19 years and 11 months and his occupation as a grocer. He was five feet seven and a half inches tall, weighed 120lbs, 35” chest, with fresh complexion, blue eyes and black hair. He gave his religion as Church of England and his next of kin father Percy, 39 Ruskin Rd. 

Formed in November 1914 the 20^th Battalion were originally billeted at Tournament Hall, Knotty Ash before on 29^th January 1915 they moved to the hutted accommodation purposely built at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 20th 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. 

On 07th November he embarked for France with his battalion.

He was killed in action on the 30th July 1916, aged 21, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive.

The 20^th King’s Battalion Diary records:

“At 4.45am prompt the attack was launched. Unfortunately, a thick mist prevailed and it was impossible to see more than 10 yards ahead. This continued until about 6 o’clock when it lifted slightly, but it was still too hazy and impossible to see what was happening 100 yards ahead. This being so, it was not surprising to find that the attacking waves were experiencing great difficulty in maintaining connection.”

At 6am, Lt. RE Melly, No.1 Company, reported that his men had taken the German Maltz Horn trench.

At 6.30am, 2/Lt. CP Moore reported that he had 150 men, 4 Stokes Mortars and 2 Lewis Guns, but he was the only officer. He also said that due to the fog, both his “flanks were in the air” i.e. he was not in contact with neighbouring troops.

At 9.10am, Moore was still not in contact at his flanks, and now he had only 75 men, he had sent out 2 patrols and neither not returned. Later Moore established communication with the French on his right.

Around 10.00am, 2/Lt Musker reported that he had just over a company with him, but his left flank was suffering from German machine gun fire. Later he reported that he had over 30 casualties from the machine gun fire. His flanks were also “in the air”. No contact was made with this party until the remnants returned around 9.30pm, all runners sent were killed or missing. The War Diary states that this group had: ”held the ground won all day, and this permitted the consolidation of the ground won on the Maltz Horn ridge with little interference from the enemy”.

Relief for 20/Kings had been planned for 11.00pm, but it was 5.00am on the 31st July before it took place, ending a tragic day for the Liverpool Pals.

Casualties for 20^th Battalion were 16 Officers and 357 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. 

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.  

His Casualty Form shows that William was initially reported Wounded in Action, and the following article appeared in The Nantwich Guardian on 15th September 1916:

Private W. C. Judd, of the King’s Liverpool Regiment, has been officially reported wounded.  His parents, who live at 39, Ruskin Road, Crewe, have received the following letter from the War Office: -

“In reply to your enquiry I am directed to inform you that Private W. C. Judd has been officially reported wounded on the 30th July, 1916.  This is the latest information regarding this soldier which has been received.  I am, however, to add that if you have not heard from him since he was wounded further enquiries will be made and the result communicated to you.”

Private Judd enlisted in November, 1914, and went to the front in November, 1915.  He received his education at the Crewe Academy under Mr. W. Dishart. Before enlistment he was employed at Mr. Holland’s, the grocer, Nantwich Road, Crewe.

He was later reported Wounded and Missing.

William was still being reported as Missing in the Liverpool Echo on the 22nd November 1916:

Private W.C. Judd of the King’s (Liverpool Regiment) whose home is at 39, Ruskin Road, Crewe, is reported missing. He was formerly an assistant in a grocer’s shop in Crewe.

His Casualty Form shows a report received on 02nd August 1917, one year after William was killed, “Death accepted”.

William'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.”

He is remembered on the Crewe War Memorial and on a Memorial Plaque in the Lady Chapel, St. Andrew’s Church, Crewe -

                               TO THE GLORY OF GOD

                           AND IN LOVING MEMORY OF

                              WILLIAM CHARLES JUDD

           PTE. 22438 KING’S LIVERPOOL PALS, SON OF

                            PERCY & ELIZABETH JUDD

REPORTED WOUNDED AND MISSING AT GUILEMONT [sic]

                             JULY 30TH 1916.  AGED 21

         LOVE, LOVE THAT ONCE FOR ALL DID AGONIZE,

      SHALL CONQUER ALL THINGS TO ITSELF!  IF LATE 

        OR SOON THIS FALL, I ASK NOT, NOR SURMISE, -

            AND WHEN MY GOD IS WAITING I CAN WAIT!

       [From a poem by English poet]  DORA GREENWELL 

His father received William’s Army pay in October 1917; the War Gratuity of £7-10s was disbursed two years later. In July 1919 his mother was awarded a pension of 5/- a week.

His father, Percy, suffered another family tragedy only a few weeks after the death of his son, when his older brother Frederick who was also a locomotive engine driver was found drowned on a farm. The verdict was “Found drowned” but the coroners questioning of Percy indicates that his brother was suffering from depression following an accident at work.

William’s parents received his service medals in 1920 and 1921.

In 1939 his parents, both 69, are still living at 39 Ruskin Road.  His father is now retired. 
 
His father Percy died aged 73 in 1944. 

Crewe Chronicle - Saturday 26 August 1944 

LOSS TO ST. ANDREW'S CHURCH. —The death occurred on Monday of Mr. Percy Wm. Judd, aged 73. of 39, Ruskin-road, Crewe, a retired engine driver, a member for many years of St. Andrew's Church, where he had been Sacristan for over a quarter of a century. He had also been Superintendent of the Sunday School, Cub Master, and Group Scoutmaster. He assisted at the Forces' canteen in Nantwich-road. A keen cyclist, he travelled many miles, generally to visit churches in various parts of the country. A memorial service will be held in St. Andrew’s Church on Sunday evening. 

Crewe Chronicle - Saturday 02 September 1944 

THE LATE MR. P. W. JUDD,  

CREWE FUNERAL SERVICE AT ST. ANDREW'S CHURCH.  

The funeral of Mr. Percy Wm. Judd (73) of 39 Ruskin Road, Crewe who had been connected with St Andrew's Church for many years took place on Friday. The service in St Andrew's Church, which was conducted by the Rev. C. G. Richardson assisted by the Rev. S. Evans (Lostock), included the 23rd Psalm and the hymn “Breathe on me, breath of God.” The interment followed at Crewe cemetery. The mourners were Mrs Judd (widow), Mr and Mrs B. Booth (son-in-law and daughter), Mrs R. Sykes (sister)...... A memorial service was held in St Andrew's church on Sunday evening. 

Sadly, his mother suffered the loss of her remaining child Vera, in 1949 at the age of 48. 

Crewe Chronicle - Saturday 05 August 1950 

NEW WAR MEMORIAL AT ST. BARNABAS'S CHURCH.  

A faculty was granted at Chester Consistory Court on Tuesday for the moving of a war memorial tablet to a position on the west wall of St Barnabas’s Church, Crewe. The erection of a brass tablet with a memorial inscription, the placing of a mahogany screen in the west end, and the replacing of the standard lights in the sacrarium by new standard lights of oak. The new tablet is intended as a memorial to those associated with the church who fell in the war. The cost of the works will be met by voluntary contributions. The Chancellor of the Diocese (Mr. Humphrey H. King) also granted a faculty, subject to a further order, for a figure of St. Andrew to be placed on a stone corbel let into a pillar in the nave in St. Andrew's Church, Crewe. The figure Is the gift of Mrs. Elizabeth Judd, 39, Ruskin-road, Crewe, as a memorial to her dead husband and children. Mr. Percy William Judd, her husband, was sacristan of the church for over 30 years. The Chancellor said he had to be satisfied that there was no risk of superstitious veneration. 

His mother, Elizabeth died aged 80 in 1950. 

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