Pte 51607 John Singleton

• Age: 21
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Thursday 12th October 1916
• Commemorated at: Warlencourt Brit Cem
  Panel Ref: V.F.14

John was born in 1896 in Liverpool, the only son of James Gaulter Singleton and his wife Hilda (nee Aspinall) who were married on 22nd February 1893 at St Luke's Church, Liverpool. He was baptised on the 24th November 1896 at St Silas' Church, Toxteth, his parents address recorded as 32 Treborth Street. 

The 1901 Census shows the family are living at Public House, 63 Essex Street, Toxteth Park, Liverpool. John is 4 years of age and is living with his parents and two sisters. His father is a Licensed Victualler born in Liverpool in 1867, whilst his mother was born in Liverpool in 1868. His two elder siblings were both born in Liverpool, Hilda in 1894 Elizabeth in 1895.

John is not present at the family home in 1911. The family were living at 119 Park Street, Toxteth Park. Both parents were present and the two sisters Hilda and Elizabeth were joined by another daughter Dorothy born in 1902.

At the time of the 1911 Census John was living with his uncle John at 65 Essex Street, Toxteth. He was now 14 years of age, his estimated year of birth again stated as 1897. He is shown as a student. 

1914 Gores Directory shows that his father James G. was the licensee of the Derby Arms, 165 and 167 Mill Street.

John enlisted in Liverpool as Rifleman 4608 joining the 6th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment (Liverpool Rifles). He embarked from Folkestone-Boulogne on 15th July 1916, reaching the 24th Infantry Base Depot on 16th July. He proceeded to 11th Entrenching Battalion on 02nd August, and proceeded to 17th Battalion K.L.R. on 05th August. He was posted to the 17th Bn from 05th September 1916 as Private No 51607.

John was killed in action on the 12th October 1916 during the Battle of the Transloy Ridges which was part of the ongoing Somme Offensive.

17^th Bn War Diary:  Battle of Transloy Ridge –                                               

11-10-16 - Gird Trench/Gird Support – Battalion in front line and support trenches. British bombardment of enemy front line system commenced about midday.  Hostile shelling was intermittent throughout the day.

12-10-16  - Our bombardment continued. Enemy reply weak.  2.5 p.m. Zero hour. Attack on German front line system commenced.  Enemy wire was found to be uncut and attack was unsuccessful.  Hostile machine gun fire was very heavy and caused many casualties. Battalion H.Q. and Support Trench were heavily shelled throughout afternoon and evening. […] During this action all communication had to be carried out by runners and carrier pigeons as all wires were being continually cut by enemy shelling.

Casualties: 5 officers killed,  5 officers wounded, 38 OR killed, about 225 OR wounded/missing etc.

Graham Maddocks, in “Liverpool Pals” p.140, adds:

“As the whistle blew, the 17^th Battalion left its trenches to move forward.  […]  As soon as the attacking waves left their trenches the enemy artillery began to register on them, and at the same time, the defending infantry commenced a murderous rain of fire.  […]  Although their numbers had been depleted by the British bombardment, they were trained and experienced soldiers, well dug in on high ground, and for the most part, looking out on uncut wire.  As such, it was virtually impossible for them to miss the City Battalion men struggling to advance in the mud towards them.   The 17^th Battalion, on the left, was particularly badly hit, as its portion of No Man’s Land contained a slight rise in the ground, and as the troops emerged onto it they were silhouetted against the sky and became easy targets.  Those on the left of the attack, who managed to avoid the hail of bullets and make it to the German wire, then found that it was totally uncut, and thus trapped, they too became easy targets, to be picked off almost at the enemy’s will.  It was hardly surprising that, seeing the first waves being wiped out, some of the following waves turned back and made for their start lines. These lines were now packed with other waves of troops, however, and the fleeing men added to the congestion already there, and became easy prey for the German gunners.  There is some evidence also, to suggest that at this stage, the British trenches were also being hit by their own heavy artillery shells which were falling short.”

He was initially reported as Missing and his name appeared in the local press on 16th November 1916 amongst a list of men from the King's Liverpool Regiment

John now rests at Warlencourt British Cemetery, France, where his headstone bears the epitaph:

“THE DEARLY LOVED AND ONLY SON OF HILDA AND JAMES GAULTER SINGLETON”

Warlencourt Cemetery is entirely a concentration cemetery, begun late in 1919 when graves were brought in from small cemeteries and the battlefields of Warlencourt and Le Sars.  The Graves Registration form shows graves from “Le Sars 6/1, 6/2, Hexham Road, Seven Elms”.

Graves were brought in from the original cemeteries at Hexham Road (Le Sars), and Seven Elms (Flers), as well as over 3,000 British graves due to the fighting which took place around the Butte de Warlencourt from the autumn of 1916 to the spring of 1917, and again in the German advance and retreat of 1918.   The cemetery now contains 3,505 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War, 1,823 of which are unidentified.

Soldiers Effects to mother Hilda, also his Pension, 33 Rice Hey Road, Liscard.  

John is also commemorated on the following War Memorials;
 
Wallasey Civic Memorial, Mill Lane

Wallasey Roll of Honour.

His father died, aged 61, in Birkenhead in the December quarter of 1928.

His mother died, aged 83, on the 05th June 1951 and was buried at Rake Lane Cemetery.  

Grateful thanks are extended to Lorraine Lister for permission to use the photograph of John now on this site. 

Grateful thanks are also extended to Kevin Shannon the author of the book The Liverpool Rifles for providing details of John's service with the 6th Rifles.  

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