Pte 58553 John Welsh Rawling

• Age: 19
• From: Bootle, Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Tuesday 31st July 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

John Welsh Rawling was born at 16 Cedar Street, Bootle on the 1st May 1898 and was baptised on the 8th June at St.Matthew’s  C.of E. Church,  Bootle.  His father, William Ashcroft Rawling, was a marine engineer. He married Margaret (nee Welsh) in 1889 at Christ Church C.of E. Church, Bootle.   

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 3 Gloucester Road, Bootle cum Linacre -

Parents William A. aged 36, a timber sawyer, and Margaret aged 32 with children Harriet 11, Margaret 8, Lily 6 and John W. Rawling aged 2.   

1911 Census shows the family moved to 17 Gloucester Road, Bootle cum Linacre -

Parents William Ashcroft Rawling aged 46, a wood sawyer, and Margaret aged 42(Married 22 years with 9 children born and 8 alive) and Harriet 21 a grocers book keeper, Lily 16, John Welsh 12, Mary Louise 9, Leslie 7, Hilda 4 and Edna 11mths.

He was serving in the 18th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 58553 when he was killed in action on the 31st July 1917 aged 19 during the Third Battle of Ypres.

18^th Battalion

On this day, before Zero Hour, the 18^th Battalion was part of 21^st Brigade and was to form up for the attack from trenches from the area of Sanctuary Wood to Observatory Ridge but it was dark and continually falling rain gave very poor visibility. The departure of the 21^st Brigade was delayed by heavy shelling.

The 18^th King’s began to move forward in the rear of the 2^nd Battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment who had been detailed as the left attacking battalion of the 21^st Brigade.

No’s 1 and 3 Companies of the King’s led the way followed by No’s 2 and 4. In Sanctuary Wood there was considerable confusion, as a result No.2 and No.4 Companies became separated from the others, and were moved over to the left flank towards positions known as Surbiton Villas and Clapham Junction in the direction of the 90^th Brigade.

No.1 and 3 Companies were soon in action with the enemy, and were for a time, held up against an enemy strong point. They pushed forward with their right on a trench known as Jar Row and their left on the tramway south of Stirling Castle. Advance along Jar Row was held up by the Germans who put up a fierce resistance and the party was forced to withdraw.

Another group of men from No.1 and No.3 Companies led by 2^nd Lieutenant Graham were being held up by another strongpoint which was south of Stirling Castle, which was eventually stormed and taken.  Not far away from this action,  an attempt, by other men of No.1 and No.3 companies, was made to penetrate a broad belt of uncut wire, but this was covered by Machine-guns which killed almost every man attempting to pass through the two gaps that were discovered.

The situation was similar with No.2 and 4 Companies, who had attacked along the wrong axis. Their advance was met with fierce opposition, and once all the experienced officer’s had been killed or wounded, all cohesion was lost, although some men did reach and cross the Menin Road at Clapham Junction.

By that time, the situation had become extremely confused, and the whereabouts of all four companies being unknown to Battalion Headquarters, urgent attempts were made to discover their locations. Eventually by mid- afternoon, it was established that the bulk of the companies, although all mixed together, were dug in the vicinity of Stirling Castle and by mid evening, the Battalion Headquarters moved forward to meet them.

During its time in the line the 18^th Battalion lost 7 officers and 76 men killed or died of wounds and 7 officers and 177 men wounded. They were relieved on the 2^nd August.

” In Memoriam” notices were placed in the Bootle Times in the subsequent years

RAWLING. - In loving memory of Private J.W. Rawling, K.L.R. ("Our John"), who was killed in action July 31st, 1917.

-"Too dearly loved to be for one moment forgotten." - From Hetty and Will (Bolton).

RAWLING. - In loving memory of our dear son and brother, Private J.W. Rawling, K.L.R., who was killed in action July 31st, 1917. - "Christ will clasp the broken chain when we meet again." - From his loving Father, Mother, Sisters and Brothers.  9th August 1918

RAWLING. - In loving 21st birthday remembrance, May 1st, of our dear John, killed in action July 31st, 1917. (Ever remembered by his loving Dad, Mother, Brother and sisters, 17, Gloucester-Road, Bootle.) "Not dead to those that loved him, but only gone before."  2nd May 1919

RAWLING. - In sad but loving memory of our dear son, Private J.W. Rawling, K.L.R., who was killed in action July 31st, 1917.

"Dearer to memory than words can tell."

- Father Mother, Sisters and Brothers; also Hetty and Willie (of Bolton). 9th August 1919

RAWLING. - May 1st, in loving 22nd birthday remembrance of our dear son, Private J.W. Rawling, who was killed in action July 31st, 1917. - Fondly remembered by Father Mother, Sisters and Brothers; also Hetty and Willie (of Bolton). 7th May 1920

RAWLING. - May 1st, in loving birthday remembrance of Private J.W. Rawling (our John), who was killed in action July 31, 1917 at Ypres. - Fondly remembered by his loving Father Mother, Sisters and Brothers; also Hetty and Willie, Bolton.

   "Some day, some time, our eyes will see that dear face kept in memory." 6th May 1921 

He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Belgium.

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

He is also commemorated on the Christ Church C of E Church and School War Memorial, Bootle, Bootle Civic Memorial and the Bank of Liverpool and Martins Ltd War Memorial.

Reported wounded in the Weekly Casualty List on the 18th Sept 1917

King's Liverpool Regiment - Rawling, 58553, J.W.. (Liverpool);

Soldiers Effects and Pension to father William Ashcroft.

The mother died aged 60 in 1928 and the father died aged 88 in 1953.

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