Pte 16997 George Lancelot Scarff

• Age: 24
• From: Everton, Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Danzig Alley Cem, Mametz
  Panel Ref: Mem20

16997 Private George Lancelot SCARFF, 18^th Battalion KLR.

George Lancelot (known as Lance) Scarff was born in Everton on the 05th May 1892, the second of four children and elder of two sons born to George, and his wife Alice Knowles (nee Gregory) who were married in 1888 in Liverpool.

The 1901 Census shows the family are living at Mann Island, Pier Head, Liverpool. Lancelot, as he is shown, is 8 years of age and is living with both parents and 3 siblings. His father is 37 years of age and is the assistant superintendent of a canal company, whilst his mother is 37 years of age, both were born in Liverpool. His siblings are listed as; Ethel aged 10, May aged 6 and Frank aged 3. Ethel and May were born in Liverpool, whilst Frank was born in Liscard, Cheshire. There is also a servant recorded on the Census, Elizabeth Loch aged 17.

The 1911 Census sees the family address given as Pier Head House, Manchester Dock, Liverpool. Shown as George Scarff, he is now aged 18 and an iron merchant's clerk. Both parents are resident alongside his three siblings. His father is 48 years of age and now the superintendent of a canal company, whilst his mother is 48 years of age and they have been married for 22 years, four of their five children have survived. His siblings, resident at the property, are shown Ethel now aged 20 and a shop fitter's clerk, May aged 16 and Frank aged 13 at school. Also declared in the household is Dorothy Scarff aged 20, a cousin who is employed as an assistant draper. 

Lance enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool on 03^rd September 1914, joining the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 16997. He gave his age as 22 years 131 days, his occupation as clerk with Lever Brothers and his next of kin as his father of Pier Head House. He is described as being 5' 6" tall, weight 122lbs, 33” chest, with a sallow complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. He stated his religion as Baptist. 

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. 
George crossed to France with his Battalion on 7^th November 1915.

He was a childhood friend of Arthur Kenrick Lloyd, Private 25349 in 19^th Battalion who was killed on 30^th July 1916 and who, in letters home, referred to him as Lance Scarff.

Lance was killed in action on 01^st July 1916 with No 4 Company. He was reportedly killed by a machine gun bullet which struck him in the chest.

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.

Lance was originally buried in Vernon Street Cemetery, Carnoy but the location of his remains lost probably through enemy shelling. He is now commemorated on the war memorial at Dantzig Alley British Cemetery, Mametz.

The village of Mametz was carried by the 7th Division on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, after very hard fighting at Dantzig Alley (a German trench) and other points. The cemetery was begun later in the same month and was used by field ambulances and fighting units until the following November. The ground was lost during the great German advance in March 1918 but regained in August, and a few graves were added to the cemetery in August and September 1918. At the Armistice, the cemetery consisted of 183 graves, now in Plot I, but it was then very greatly increased by graves (almost all of 1916) brought in from the battlefields north and east of Mametz and from certain smaller burial grounds, including:

VERNON STREET CEMETERY, CARNOY, in the valley between Carnoy and Maricourt, at a place called "Squeak Forward Position". 110 soldiers who died in July-October 1916 were buried here by the 21st Infantry Brigade and other units.

Dantzig Alley British Cemetery now contains 2,053 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 518 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 17 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 71 casualties buried in other cemeteries, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.

His death was reported in the Liverpool Echo on 20th July 1916.

"Private George Lancelot Scarff, of the "Pals," elder son of Mr. and Mrs. Scarff, Pierhead House, Mann Island, has been killed in action. He was one of the first wave to go over the parapet at the commencement of the great push, and was shot through the breast by machine gun fire. He was in the employ of Lever Bros, Liver Buildings, at the outbreak of the war, and enlisted with the "Pals" near the close of August,1914. He was a member of the Church of Christ, Thirlmere road, Everton, and for some years had been actively engaged in Sunday school work". 

A letter on his file from his father, dated 16^th July 1916, and addressed to Western Command, Preston, says:

“I have had news from a private source that my son was killed in action on 1^st July. Can you confirm or otherwise”.

Liverpool Daily Post 7th Aug 1916 

Killed. 

King’s (Liverpool Regiment) - Scarff, 16997, G. L. (Liverpool); 

Lance is also remembered on the Lever Brothers War Memorial, The Causeway, Port Sunlight.  

The family had to suffer further loss when Lance's brother, Frank Victor, was killed in action, aged 20, with the 6th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment, No.241865 on 22nd June 1917 when his dugout was hit by enemy shellfire. He now rests at Vlamertinghe New Military Cemetery in Belgium where his headstone bears the epitaph:

"FOR GOD AND HOME"

Liverpool Echo on 30th June 1917 

SCARFF - June 21, killed in action in his 20th year, Frank Victor, the dearly loved son of G. and A. Scarff, Pierhead House, Mann Island.   

Soldiers Effects of both George L. and Frank V. to father George, the Pension of George to mother Alice, Frank’s was not granted. 

As of 1919 his surviving siblings were; Ethel and May Scarff. 

His mother died, aged 71, in 1935 and was buried on the 06th June 1935 at Anfield Cemetery.  

His father, George, remarried to Mary Jane Latimer in 1936. They appear on the 1939 Register at Pier Head House, George, date of birth 31st December 1863, Mary J., dob 28th March 1874 (overwritten 1885).

His father died, aged 79, on the 25th November 1943. 

Probate 1944:- 

SCARFF George of 54 Lucan Road, Aigburth Liverpool 17 died 25 November 1943 Probate Liverpool 20 June to Mary Jane Scarff widow. Effects £2746 13s 2d. 

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