Pte 42879 Thomas Rothwell

• Age: Unknown.
• From: Burscough
• 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

Thomas Rothwell was born in 1885 at Burscough and resided in Liverpool. He was the son of Ann Rothwell of 14 Emerald Street, Liverpool and the late Robert Rothwell. He was baptised 10th May 1885 at St John Church of England, Burscough (no marriage record for parents found). 

The 1881 Census shows the family living at Mill Lane, Lathom.

Father Robert is aged 32, a general labourer b.Sefton, mother Ann is aged 34 b.Burscough, children John aged 4 b.Burscough, Robert aged 2 b.Bickerstaffe, Joseph aged 11mths b.Burscough.

The father Robert died aged 50 at the R.S. Hospital on the 25th Nov 1898 and buried at Toxteth Cemetery.

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 14 Emerald St, Toxteth Park, Liverpool.

The mother Ann is a widow aged 54, born 1847 no occupation, and  has her six children living with her, John aged 24,  born 1877 is a gas stoker born in Burscough, Robert aged 21, born 1880 is a carter who was born in Lathom, Joseph aged 20, born 1881 is also a carter who was born in Burscough, Ann aged 17, born 1884 is a printer machinist born in Lathom, Thomas aged 15, born 1886 is a shop lad born in Burscough and Sarah aged 13, born 1888 in Liverpool.   

The 1911 Census shows the family still living at 14 Emerald St, Toxteth Park, Liverpool.

The mother Ann is a widow aged 65, born 1846 no occupation, who was born in Burscough, Ormskirk. She had six children. At the time of the Census, she has five of her children still living with her, John aged 33,  born 1878 and Robert aged 32, born 1879 are both general labourers, Joseph aged 30, born 1881 is a Carter, Thomas aged 25, born 1886 is a fruit cleaner in a wholesale fruitery and Sarah aged 24, born 1887 has no occupation.    

He enlisted in Liverpool and was serving in the 18th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 42879 when he was killed in action on the 31st July 1917 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.

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 remembered on the Lathom & Burscough War Memorial.

Soldiers Effects and Pension to mother Ann.

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