Pte 17436 Gilbert Allan McGough

• Age: 26
• 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.

Gilbert Allan McGough was born 12th August 1889 at Liverpool and baptised 28th October 1889 at St Peter Church of England, Liverpool. He was the son of John McGough and his wife Margaret (nee Carr). At the time of his baptism his parents lived in Low Hill and his father worked as a coach maker.

His father, born in Edinburgh, and his mother, from Chester, married in Sheffield in 1870 and had nine children, of which Gilbert was the youngest. Their first child, Gertrude, was born in Sheffield, after which the family spent some time in Oldham, Lancashire, where Ernest was born.  By 1875 they had settled in Liverpool, where seven more children were born: John Carr, Helena Gordon, Arthur James, Margaret Ellen (who died at age 3), Charles Cecil (who died at 1), Mabel, and Gilbert.

At the time of the 1891 census the family is living at 5 Winter Street, Liverpool, with seven children.  His father, 48, is a coach body maker, Gertrude is 19, Ernest, 17, is a shorthand correspondent, John, 15, is an apprentice coach body maker, Helena is 13, an apprentice dressmaker, Arthur is 11, Mabel 4, and Gilbert one year old.

His father died just before Christmas in 1899 aged 57, and was buried in a public grave.

In 1901 the family is living at 72 Elizabeth Street. His mother is living on her own means, John, 25, is a coach body maker, Helena, 23, is a draper’s cashier, Mabel, 14, is a stationer’s clerk, and Gilbert is 11.  Gertrude, Ernest, a shipping clerk, and Arthur, a coach smith, are married and living in Liverpool. 

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 72 Elizabeth Street, Liverpool. His mother, Margaret, is a widow aged 63, born in Chester in 1848. At the time of the Census she is living with four children who were all born in Liverpool. John Carr aged 35, born 1876 is a coach body maker, Helena Gordon aged 33, born 1878 is a draper’s clerk, Mabel aged 24, born 1887 is a novelty manufacturers cashier and book-keeper and Gilbert Allan aged 21, born 1890 is a clerk in an iron merchants office.

His brother Ernest, married with three children, died just after the census at the age of 37.

He enlisted on the 02nd September 1914 at St George's Hall, Liverpool  joining the 19th Battalion as Private 17436. He gave his age as 25 years and 31 days and his occupation as a clerk. He was described as being five feet six and a quarter inches tall, weighed 112lbs, being of fresh complexion, with brown eyes and  brown hair with his religion declared as being Church of England.  

Formed on 07^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. He arrived in France on 7^th November 1915.
Gilbert's service papers show: 

09.02.15: At Knowsley Camp, failing to obey an order. Confined to barracks for three days.

30.11.15: Loss of kit, forfeit of five days pay.

Gilbert Allan was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916 aged 26 at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive.

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 susequently 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.”

His mother announced his death on 02nd October 1916 in the Liverpool Echo:

“July 30, killed in action, aged 26 years, Private Gilbert Allan M’Gough (King’s Liverpool Regiment), beloved youngest son of the late John M’Gough and Mrs. M’Gough, 72 Elizabeth Street, Liverpool.”

His outstanding Army pay was shared between his mother, brother Arthur, and sister-in-law Amy (for deceased brother Ernest’s children).  His mother received the War Gratuity of £8-10s and was awarded a pension of 8/- a week from April 1917.

In January 1917 she was informed there were no personal effects of Gilbert’s to be sent.

Probate reords show:

McGough Gilbert Allan of 72 Elizabeth Street, Liverpool, Private 19th battalion K.L.R. died 30 July 1916 in France. AdministrationLiverpool 02nd January 1917 to Margaret McGough widow £96, 6s. 10d.

His mother suffered further loss when son John (Jack), 41, died of pneumonia in March 1917.

Gilbert earned his three medals.  His 1914-15 Star, issued with the incorrect regimental number 17456, was returned and reissued.  

In the Liverpool Echo, on 30th July 1917 under the heading ‘Lost At The Battle of Guillemont’ a notice was placed in Gilbert's memory:

“In loving memory of a happy warrior, Private Gilbert Allan McGough, 19th K.L.R. (City Pals), killed in action, in Battle of the Somme, July 30, 1916.”

He was remembered on the second anniversary of his death in 1918: 

"In loving memory of a happy warrior, Gilbert Allan McGough, K.L.R. (City Pals), killed in action Battle of Guillemont, July 30, 1916. - 12, Littledale Road, Egremont (late Elizabeth Street, Liverpool)."

By 1919 his mother had moved across the river and was at 12 Littledale Road, Egremont, with Gertrude and Helena;  Mabel also lived in Egremont, and Arthur was living in Liverpool. 

Arthur had enlisted on 27th October 1914 in the R.A.M.C. and arrived in France on 20th May 1915.  He transferred to the Royal Flying Corps and then the R.A.F.  He was admitted to an asylum in October 1922, a pension card (claim rejected), giving his address as 26a Myrtle Street, Liverpool, shows “insane”.  Arthur raised a family, worked as a coach smith, and lived to the age of 74.

Gertrude’s husband, Charles Porter, served in the Merchant Marine and was chief steward on the S.S. Englishman bound for Portland, Maine, when the ship was torpedoed on 24th March 1916 by U-43 30 miles off the north coast of Ireland.  Charles, 51, was one of the ten crew lost.

His mother died in 1927 at the age of 79, having lost three of her four sons.

Gilbert is also remembered on the following Memorials:

St Augustines Church war memorial, Everton

Hall of Remembrance, Liverpool Town Hall, Panel 27 

He is commemorated on the family headstone at Allerton Cemetery.

ALSO GILBERT ALLAN, THEIR YOUNGEST SON

        (19TH KING’S LIVERPOOL REGIMENT)

          KILLED IN ACTION 30TH JULY 1916

                           AGED 26 YEARS

                                 AT REST

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