Pte 24336 William Judge

• Age: 19
• 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.

William Judge was born in Liverpool on 04th June 1897 the son of William Judge and his wife Winifreda, also found as Winifred (nee Gavan or Gavin on records) who were married on the 26th October 1890 at Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Church. William was of 29 Priory Grove, father Patrick, whilst Winifred Gavin was of 28 Priory Grove, father Mathew Gavin.

William junior was baptised also at Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Church on the 16th of August 1897.  

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 23 Abram Street, Everton. William is 3, his sisters are Winifreda aged 7 and Annie 6. His father William is 42 and working as a corn porter born in Liverpool, and his mother Winifreda is 40 and was born in Ireland. Also recorded in the household is Evelina Gavin, 31, described as niece, born in Liverpool, who works for a printer.  

By the time of the 1911 Census the family are living at 2 Blythe Street, Everton. His father, William, aged 50, is still a corn porter, this time the census gives the detail that he is working on the docks. His wife Winifreda, aged 48, is a house-keeper this time it records that she was born in Galway, Ireland (Co.Mayo on 1921 census). They have been married for twenty two years and have had three children. Those three children are all still living with their parents. Winifreda 17 is a solderer for a tinned goods manufacturer, Ann 16 is a cycle wheel lacer and William aged 13 is a scholar 

William enlisted in Liverpool in about January 1915 joining the 19th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 24336. (He was only 17 when he enlisted so he must have exaggerated his age in order to serve). 

The 19th Battalion had by 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. He arrived in France on 07^th November 1915, disembarking with his battalion at Boulogne.

He was killed in action on the 30th July 1916, a month after his 19th birthday, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive. 

William was initially declared Missing, and his death later presumed for official purposes as having occurred on or since 30th July 1916.

19^th Battalion Diary 30^th July 1916

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.     

His 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 earned his three medals.

William is remembered in the Hall of Remembrance at Liverpool Town Hall at Panel 66.

His Army pay and a War Gratuity of £6-10s went to his father William.  His mother, at 2 Blythe Street, was awarded a pension of 10/6d a week from May 1917. 

A notice was placed in the Liverpool Echo on 30th July 1918 on the second anniversary of William's death:

JUDGE - In loving memory of Private WILLIAM JUDGE, 3rd Pals, killed on July 30 in his 19th year. ("On whose soul sweet Jesus have mercy".) Sadly missed by Father, Mother and Sisters. - 2 Blythe Street, Everton. R.I.P.

His mother died aged 76 in 1931 and was buried on the 19th March at Ford R. C. Cemetery (correct address 2 Blythe St but age at odds with census). 

His father died aged 77 a year later and was buried on the 10th March 1932 at Ford R.C. Cemetery (correct address 2 Blythe St but age similarly at odds with census). 

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