Capt Robert Cecil Salisbury (MID)

• Age: 30
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Friday 22nd March 1918
• Commemorated at: Pozieres Memorial
  Panel Ref: P21-23

Robert Cecil was born in Shrewsbury on 20th February 1888 the son of Francis Salisbury and his wife Ann Catherine (nee Hughes) who were married in March 1879 at St George's Church, London. He had a twin sister Dorothea Edith and he was baptised at Meole Brace on 25th April 1888. 

The 1891 Census shows the Salisbury family are living at Menai New Terrace, Bangor.  The head of the household is Elizabeth Townsend  a lodgng house keeper born in Lostock Gralam, Cheshire in 1833. Her neice Lily Townsend and a serveant Ellen Owens are also present. Robert's father is shown as a lodger, employed as Surveyor with the General Post Office Department, born in Brixton, Surrey in 1851. His mother Anne C is shown as born in Bangor Caernarvonshire in 1850. Robert Cecil is 3 years of age born at Shrewsbury as are his siblings listed as; Francis H. b.1880, Wilfred R. b.1887 and Dorothea E b.1888. Also present are another lodger Susannah Boylan and a servant Ellen Hughes.      

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 3 Sandringham Drive, Toxteth Park. Robert's father is away at the time the Census is taken and so his mother Ann Catherine is shown as the head of the household. Robert Cecil is 13 years of age and he has two siblings in the household; Wilfrid R b.1887 and Dorothy E. b.1888. There are two servants in the household. 

He was educated at Liverpool College (Upper School), from September, 1900, to July, 1904, and at Godesberg on the Rhine (near Bonn) for a year to July, 1905.

By 1911 the family are resident at 9 Sefton Drive, Liverpool. Head of the household is again mother, Anne Catherine who states she is married. Also present are Robert Cecil now 23 and employed as a Cotton Salesman along with his twin sister Dorothea Edith. There are also two servants present.  

Robert Cecil enlisted at Liverpool originally joining the 17th Battalion of the King's Liverpool Regiment before transferring to the Inns of Court OTC at Berkhamstead as 5269. He was then assigned to the 19th Battalion of the King's Liverpool Regiment and had attained the rank of Captain. He received UK leave in August 1917, and January 1918. He was killed in action on 22nd March 1918, during the initial onslaught of the German Spring Offensive. 

This was the second day of the German Spring Offensive, after the enemy had broken through the British front lines at St Quentin. The previous day the Battalion had been stationed behind the defensive Battle Zone near Germaine. At 04.30am, the German attack began with a rapid bombardment, and at 05.00am, the order Man the Battle Stations, was given. The Battalion marched towards the front and was ordered to re establish a position in the front line of the Battle Zone itself by counter attacking the Germans there.

By 06.30am on 22nd March the Battalion was in position in the village of Roupy, having been ordered to hold the line and not retreat. It became obvious that the Germans occupied the approaches to the village, and that only defence was possible. Eventually, in the early afternoon the Germans attacked in overwhelming numbers, eventually breaking through, at about 16.30pm, and capturing or killing all the defenders.

The remainder of the 19th Battalion was was forced to retire south to Fluquieres, but in all eleven officers and over two hundred men had been killed, wounded or taken prisoner.

Robert's body was not recovered from the battlefield or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial.

The POZIERES MEMORIAL relates to the period of crisis in March and April 1918 when the Allied Fifth Army was driven back by overwhelming numbers across the former Somme battlefields, and the months that followed before the Advance to Victory, which began on 8 August 1918. The Memorial commemorates over 14,000 casualties of the United Kingdom and 300 of the South African Forces who have no known grave and who died on the Somme from 21 March to 7 August 1918.

The cemetery and memorial were designed by W.H. Cowlishaw, with sculpture by Laurence A. Turner. The memorial was unveiled by Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien on 4 August 1930.

Probate was granted to his father Francis Salisbury on 19th December 1918 in the sum of £186. 15 s. 10d.

Soldiers Effects for Capt. and Adjutant Salisbury to father Francis, no Pension record found.

His father died in the March quarter of 1922, aged 71.

His mother died in the December 1935, aged 85.

Robert Cecil is also commemorated on the following memorials:

Hall of Remembrance, Liverpool Town Hall, Panel 40

Liverpool Junior Conservative Club

Liverpool Cotton Association, Walker House, Exchange Flags, Liverpool

Liverpool College

Liverpool College Chapel

The extract below was taken from Liverpool's Scroll of Fame.

Captain Robert Cecil Salisbury was one of the glorious company who fell in the German onslaught in front of St Quentin in March, 1918. He was in the act of conveying his wounded commanding officer to the rear, when he was shot through the heart. He was at first reported missing, but two months later evidence of his death was obtained, though his burial place is unknown.

Thirty years of age and unmarried, he was the son of Mr. Francis Salisbury, C.B.E., I.S.O., J.P., and Mrs. Salisbury, of 9, Sefton Drive, Liverpool. He received his education at Liverpool College (Upper School), from September, 1900, to July, 1904, and at Godesberg on the Rhine (near Bonn) for a year to July, 1905. After serving an apprenticeship to Messrs. Reynolds & Gibson, Cotton Brokers, Exchange Street East, Liverpool, he went for a year to a firm at Chickasa, Olkahoma, USA. In 1913 he joined the firm of Messrs. Pennefather & Co. Manchester Buildings, Liverpool, and represented them in the United States during the winter. He returned to Liverpool in February, 1915, and within a week he had enlisted in the 17th Liverpool's (1st Pals).
For about six months he served in the ranks, but in the Autumn of 1915 he was transferred to the Inns of Court O.T.C at Berkhamstead, and on the 15th December, 1915 was gazetted Sec-Lieutenant in the 19th Liverpools. He crossed to France in August, 1916, and in July the following year he was promoted to be Lieutenant and in November, 1917, became Captain and Adjutant. He was honourably mentioned in Marshall Haig's despatch of the 7th April, 1918.

It was on the second day of the great German attack, 22nd March, 1918, that Captain Salisbury met his death. He was with his battalion at Roupy in front of St Quentin. Part of the unit was cut off and many officers and men taken prisoners. The Commanding Officer, Lt.-Col Peck, was severely wounded and Captain Salisbury, with the assistance of two N.C.O's dressed his wounds and proceeded to carry him to the rear. They had gone about eighty yards when a heavy machine-gun and rifle fire was opened upon them, at close range.Captain Salisbury turned to face the advancing Germans, but he was shot through the heart and fell dead, but not before he had time to shake hands with Lance-Corporal Towler and give instructions for his papers to be buried. At the same time Colonel Peck was wounded a second time and was taken prisoner.

Captain Salisbury's death was a great loss to the Army and to civil life. His character was a happy combination of gentleness and manliness--he was bright, happy,sociable and very considerate of others. In business he was keen and alert with an unusual readiness to take responsibility. In military as in civil life he won a reputation for conscientiousness, and consequently he was valued and trusted by his Commanding Officer and loved by his men.

The following extracts from letters received testify to the esteem in which the late officer was held both in the army and in business circles:--
Lt.-Col George Rollo (Commanding the 19th Liverpools until wounded):--
"His loss to me is enormous especially now . . . . He would have been of immense assistance . . . . He was a most able and painstaking Adjutant . . . .I told the men last night and there was great grief; he was beloved by us all."
Major Emery:-- "The 19th had been continually assaulted and had put up an amazing defence. They inflicted enormous losses on the German. Captain Salisbury was a good fellow and very capable."

Lt.Col. J.N. Peck (who led the battalion into action on the 22nd March, 1918) :-- "I knew your son for a long time . . . . and had a very high regard for him all the time. He was absolutely my mainstay . . . .I could not have had a more whole-heartedly, loyal and sympathetic adjutant. At about 2 p.m. the enemy were attacking heavily, and by about 4p.m. we had lost most of our position . . .so I sent some of my party to a position a little farther back. I was then wounded, and your son helped to bind up my wound and then he and my runner tried to get me back. We got back about eighty yards under fire when suddenly very heavy machine-gun fire opened upon us. Your son turned to shoot back when I saw him fall . . . .He died a fine death without an atom of fear."

Col. J.P. Reynolds, Mr. D.F Pennefather, M.P., and Mr. R.A. Smythe, (Atlanta, USA.) expressed in their letters deep sorrow at the death of a personal friend and one who by his sense of responsibility, ability and integrity was certain if he had been spared to rise high in his commercial career.

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