Pte 16604 Thomas Stanley Pickersgill

• Age: 22
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

16604 Private Thomas Stanley PICKERSGILL, 18^th Battalion, KLR.

Thomas Stanley was born on 07^th August 1893 at 163 Mill Street, Liverpool and was the son of Robert Dawson Pickersgill, a greengrocer, and his wife Martha Jane (nee Rimmer) who were married on the 06th December 1885 at St James' Church, Toxteth, Robert was a 22 year old joiner of 14 Park Roa, father Samuel, whilst Martha was aged 18 of 24 Park Road, father Thomas.

Thomas was baptised on 15th October 1893 in St Paul's Church, Princes Park, Liverpool. 

His older brother, Robert Samuel, had been born on 24^th September 1886, when his parents lived at 52 Park Road, Dingle. His father, Robert Dawson Pickersgill was self-employed and had his own greengrocer shop.

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 19 Upper Hill Street, Liverpool. Thomas is 7 years of age and is living with his parents and three siblings. His father is 37 years of age and a greengrocer, his mother is 33. His siblings are recorded as; Robert aged 14 and a boy in fruiterer's office, Eleanor aged 9, and Dorothy aged 3. The family also employ Elizabeth Rimmer aged 26 and described as unmarried aunt as a servant.     

The 1911 Census shows the family now living at 24 Upper Hill Street, his father, Robert Dawson, is aged 47 and employed as a greengrocer and his wife Martha Jane aged 43 assists in the shop. They have been married for twenty five years and have had five children of which one had died. Robert junior, aged 24, is a Customs Officer and Thomas Stanley, aged 17 years, is an assistant freight clerk for a ship owner, Eleanor is 19 and Dorothy is 13 and at school. 

Thomas enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool on 02^nd September 1914, joining the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 16604. He gave his age as 21 years 26 days; his occupation as clerk. He was employed by Yeoward Line Ltd. His next of kin is shown as his father of 24 Upper Hill Street. He is described as being 5' 5" tall, weighed 112lbs, a 34" chest and a fresh complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. His religion was stated as Church of England.

From the 23^rd September 1914 he was billeted at Hooton Park Race Course and remained there until 03^rd December 1914 when they moved into the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 18th 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. 

Thomas arrived in France on 07^th November 1915 with his Battalion earning his three medals.

He was killed in action at Montauban on 01^st July 1916, aged 22.

18^th Battalion Diary

At 6.30am the artillery commenced an intensive bombardment of the enemy’s trenches. Zero Hour – 7.30 am – the battalion commenced to leave their trenches and the attack commenced. The attack was pressed with great spirit and determination in spite of heavy shelling and machine gun enfilade fire which caused casualties amounting to 2/3rds of the strength of the Battalion in action. The whole system of German trenches including the Glatz Redoubt was captured without any deviation from the scheduled programme. Consolidated positions and made strong points for defence against possible counter attacks.

Graham Maddocks provides more detail concerning the events of the day:

As the first three waves began to move forward towards the German reserve line, known as Alt Trench and then on to the Glatz Redoubt itself, they suddenly came under enfilading fire from the left. This was from a machine gun which the Germans had sited at a strong point in Alt Trench. The gun itself was protected by a party of snipers and bombers, who, hidden in a rough hedge, were dug into a position in Alt Trench, at its junction with a communication trench known as Alt Alley. These bombers and snipers were themselves protected by rifle fire from another communication trench, Train Alley which snaked back up the high ground and into Montauban itself. The machine gun fire was devastating and it is certain that nearly of the Battalion’s casualties that day were caused by that one gun.  

Lieutenant Colonel Edward Henry Trotter  wrote in the conclusion of his account of the days action:

I cannot speak to highly of the gallantry of the Officers and men. The men amply repaid the care and kindness of their Company Officers, who have always tried to lead and not to drive. As laid down in my first lecture to the Battalion when formed, in the words of Prince Kraft:

“Men follow their Officers not from fear, but from love of the Regiment where everything had always and at all times gone well with them”.    

Joe Devereux in his book A Singular Day on the Somme gives the Casualty Breakdown for the 18^th Battalion as Killed in Action 7 Officers and 165 men and of those who died in consequence of the wounds 3 Officers and 19 men a total of 194 out of a total loss for the four Liverpool Pals Battalions of 257.

His body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and his name is recorded on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme in France.

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 family placed a memorial notice in the Liverpool Daily Post on 03rd July 1917 close to the first anniversary of his death: