Pte 16147 Roderic Dexter Sharpe

• Age: 19
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Roderic Dexter Sharpe was born in Liverpool on 13th August 1896, the son of Alexander Sharpe and his wife Margaret (nee Dexter) who were married in 1892 in Whitechapel, London. He was baptised on 20th September 1896 in St James Church, Toxteth Park. 

The 1901 Census shows Roderic aged 4 is living at 22 Great George Place, Liverpool with his parents and his elder brother Mornington D. aged 5. His father, Alexander, is a 31 year old hairdresser, born in Lincoln, whilst his mother Margaret is 26 years of age and was born in Shadwell, Leicestershire.   

The 1911 Census shows the family are now living at 30 Great George Place. Roderic is now aged 14 and lives with his parents and three siblings. His father now 41 years of age is recorded as a hairdresser/employer, his mother is 36. They advise that they have been married for 18 years and have had four children all of whom have survived. His siblings are recorded as; Mornington Dexter a 15 year old schoolboy born on 23rd April 1895, Marjorie Dexter aged 7 born on 02nd February 1903 and Mildred Dexter aged 5 born on 12th May 1905.    

Roderic was educated at St Margaret's Higher Grade School and at the Collegiate in Liverpool, subsequently serving articles as an architect and surveyor with Mr J Williams of Collingwood Street in the city. 

Roderic Dexter Sharpe's service papers have survived. They tell us that he enlisted on 01st October 1914, aged 19 years. His occupation was a clerk and he was given the regimental number 17/16147 in the 1st City Battalion, The King's Liverpool Regiment. He was in the 17th Battalion which was the first of the 'pal's battalions'. Roderic passed his medical inspection and the form tells us that he was 5ft 7 inches tall,weighed 130lbs and had a fresh complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. His religion was stated as Church of England. He gave his next of kin as his father Alex, of 30 Great George Place.  

He was billeted at Prescot Watch Factory from 14^th September 1914, he trained there and also at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 17th 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. He arrived in France, with "A" Company of the 17th battalion on 7^th November 1915.

Roderic Dexter Sharpe was killed in action on the 1st or 2nd of July 1916. The 17th Battalion recorded all of their dead at this time as between 01st and 02nd. Roderic will have been killed on the opening day, 01st July 1916, of the Battle of the Somme during the Pals attack on Montauban. He was 19 years of age.

17^th Battalion Diary

3.30 am the Battalion in position in assembly trenches -Battalion frontage from Maricourt – Briqueterie Rd to 100 yards west of Maricourt – Montauban Rd – 1^st wave, 2 platoons of A Company on the right and 2 platoons of B company on the left. 2^nd wave remaining platoons of these companies. 3^rd wave C Company and 4^th wave D Company in parallel trenches at about 100 yards distance. 3^rd Battalion 153^rd French Infantry on our right and 20 KLR on our left. The Battalion’s objective was Dublin Trench from Dublin Redoubt exclusive to a point 400 yards west.

7.30 am – “Zero Hour”. The assault commenced, some shelling but very slight infantry resistance and little machine gun fire encountered, the work of our artillery having been very effective on the German trenches.

8.30 am – the objective was taken at 08.30 am the French on our right gaining their’s at the same hour. Lieutenant-Colonel B C Fairfax and Commandant Le Petit commanding 3^rd Battalion 153^rd Regiment arrived together in Dublin Trench. A and B Companies dug in almost 100 yards south of Dublin Trench which the Germans shelled intermittently all day hardly touching the new trench. Casualties up to 12 noon, Captain E C Torrey commanding C Company, Lt D H Scott commanding A Company and 2^nd Lieutenant P L Wright wounded 100 other ranks. Later in the day the 90^th Brigade took Montauban and the 20^th KLR captured the Briqueterie. Lt Scott died of wounds in a French hospital at Cerisy where Captain Mirascou commanding the left Company of the French also lay wounded. Perfect liaison existed between the French and ourselves the above two officers commanding respectively our right Company and the French left Company being in constant touch. Shortly after the attack commenced the Battalion Headquarters moved to a German dugout in Favieres Support under Briqueterie Road where Commandant Le Petit also established his H.Q. During the remainder of the day there was intermittent bombardment of Dublin and Casement and  Favieres Support trenches. Rations were brought up safely at night. Disposition of the Battalion – 2 Companies in Dublin and 2 in Casement.

He was originally buried near Briqueline Road, his grave was subsequently lost:

"In an area North East of Marincourt, about 4 1/2 miles North East of Bray-Sur-Somme. Buried near Briqueline Road on right looking North. Ref to map sheet 62c square A.10.c.2.6"

His body was subsequently lost as he now has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. 

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.”

Roderic's family seem to have received notification of his death but nothing from the Military, as such his father wrote:

Infantry Record Officer, Preston 

I received an intimation from one of the Liverpools in France that my son Pte Roderic Dexter Sharpe 16147 Scouts Section, 17th Service Battalion, King's Liverpool Regiment was killed on July 1st have you had any notification of same if so will you please communicate by wire enclosed cost.

Yours Truly

A Sharpe

In response they were advised on 15th July 1916 that they had no record of Roderic as a casualty. 

However, despite the lack of confirmation a notice was placed in the Liverpool Daily Post on 18^th July 1916: 

 “July 1, killed in action, aged 19 years, Roderic Dexter (Roddy) Sharpe (“Pals”), the dearly beloved second son of Mr. and Mrs. A. Sharpe, 30 Great George Place. Buried with comrades who played the game.”

The Liverpool Evening Express also declared Roddy amongst the fallen on 18th July 1916: 

Local Pals Killed.  

The flag of the Liverpool Cotton Association is flying half mast in memory of Corporal A. H. Gastrell and Lance Corporal R. K. Williams of the Pals’ Battalion, King’s Liverpool Regiment, killed in action, who were formerly with Messrs. Milligan and MackIntosh, and of Private A. William Wright, a Liverpool Pal, formally with Messrs. R. and C. Gill. Other Liverpool Pals killed are Private Sydney Harris and Lance Corporal James Wood, both formerly with Messrs. Gruming and Co., Albany. Private Roderic Dexter Sharpe, aged 19, son of Mr A. Sharpe of 30 Great George Street, who had many friends in the South End. 

His father subsequently wrote concerning the receipt of Roderic's effects and also to request the effects of his other son, Mornington who was badly wounded:

December 11th 1916

Officer in Charge

Effects Section

Sir

Enclosed please find receipt for some of the (received) effects of the late Pte R Sharpe 16147 K.L.R.  I would like to point out you have (returned) his (cross) but not his watch he had a small watch no 725x502 J.A.E. which he must have been wearing for the (cross) to have been recovered.

Also I should like you to forward the effects of Private M D Sharpe 26120 A Co 17th Service Battalion King's Liverpool Regiment he was wounded in head and left foot on June 26 1916 in Mariecourt and is now in _______ Military Hospital, _______ with his left foot amputated as it will be impossible for him to return to military service can you please forward his personal effects also could you please give me the (amount) of pay (associated with having) ______ ____ is the______ _____ _____ (casualty).

Yours Truly A Sharpe 

PS whomever is in charge of the department has sent enclosed with the effects of the late Pte R Sharpe a __________ bearing the name and address of Pte W _____ * 24976 K.L.R. together with _____ paper + ______ +______ which I have forwarded to the address ____________

*Although the name of the soldier is not clear the CWGC database shows it was William Ernest Jones, he was in the same battalion as Roderic and was killed on the same day as him.

Roderic's brother, Mornington was also in the 17th Battalion, as Private 26120, alongside his brother, they sailed for France together and he was injured 5 days before Roderic was killed. He survived his injuries and went on to emigrate to Canada. Records show that he sailed for Canada on the 'Metagama' on 28th February 1921 and arrived in Quebec on 30th April 1921. The arrivals form shows that he was travelling to Montreal, intending to live there permanently, he was an engineer and had disability - artificial left foot and GSW(gun shot wound) left face, (artificial jaw on one form). He had a job lined up and sufficient money ($10,000) to establish himself.

Mornington Dexter Sharpe didn't remain in Canada for very long though, immigration records show his return to England on 25th Sept 1921 (after only 5 months) and there is no record of his returning to Canada even though on his returning to the UK he states on his papers that Canada is his country of last permanent residence and he intends his future permanent residence to be in 'British Possessions'

Roderic's father Alexander Sharpe died 29th September 1918. He left his wife Margaret £13,974 2s 6d.

His mother wrote to the authorities around the confusion about the spelling of Roderic's name: 

July 11th 1919

To the Officer in Charge of Records, Preston

My son's name is Roderic not Roderick as it is speld (sic) with a k on the army form enclosed I have crossed it out. (It seems that when) he enlisted gives his name with a k in it. I have his papers to (show/check?)

Yours Truly

Mgt Sharpe

Upon checking Roderic's enlistment papers  it clearly shows inconsistency in the spelling of Roderic, presumably where different people have completed the forms. 

She wrote further:

June 7th 1920

To the Registration of Graves Dept 

Dear Sirs

I beg to ask if it is possible to have send to me the wooden cross that is on my sons grave in France when a stone is erected. If so I should like to have it for I have since my sons death in action lost my husband and I should like to put it on my husbands grave.

My sons name Pte Roderic Dexter Sharpe

16147 Kings Liverpool Regt

Killed in Action July 1st or 2nd 1916

Yours Faithfully

Mgt Sharpe 

She received the following reply:

9/6/20

Madam,

I acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 7/6/20 relating to 16147 Pte R D Sharpe K.L.Regt. In reply thereto I beg to inform you that your application re cross should be made to:- Imperial War Graves Commission

Worcester House

St James Square

SW1

Please, I am Madam,

Yours faithfully

Lieut ____

 
It is not known what further correspondence resulted or what the outcome of her search was.  

Roderic is commemorated on the following Memorials:

Hall of Remembrance, Liverpool Town Hall, Panel New

Collegiate School, Shaw Street, Liverpool

St James Church, Toxteth, Liverpool. 

As of July 1919 his siblings were recorded as Mornington Dexter Sharpe aged 24, Marjorie Dexter Sharpe aged 16 and Mildred Dexter Sharpe aged 14 all living at 30 Great George Place, Liverpool.  

Probate records shows that his brother Mornington Dexter Sharpe who was so badly injured on the Somme, died on 9th March 1928 in Highfield Sanatorium, Knotty Ash, Liverpool. His given address was the home of his mother Margaret at 21 Elm Hall Drive, Mossley Hill. He left his mother £1,304. 8s. 1d.

His sister Mildred Dexter Sharpe died in Brentwood, Essex in 1993. 

We currently have no further information on Roderic Dexter Sharpe, if you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.