Cpl 16492 George Harold Thompson

• Age: 23
• From: Garston, Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

George Harold Thompson was born in Garston, Liverpool in the first week of April 1893, the son of Thomas Thompson and his wife Alice (nee Nash). George was baptised in St Michael's Church, Garston, Liverpool on April 11th 1893. His father’s occupation is given as drill instructor and their address as The Drill Shed, School Lane, Garston.

George’s parents had married in Valetta in Malta on 23rd December 1879. His father had served in the Army for 21 years – 1873-1894 with the Royal Artillery and then with the 6th Lancs Artillery Volunteers. He had served in Malta, Egypt and Gibraltar where his eldest two sons were born.

The 1901 Census shows the family are living at 13 Earp Street, Garston. His father, Thomas, is a 51 year old gateman at a gas works, born in Kendal in 1850 whilst his mother Alice was born in Leominster, Herefordshire in 1864. George H. is 8 years of age and has 7 siblings listed on the Census; Thomas A. a 19 year old plumber born in 1882 at Gibraltar, William A. a 17 year old labourer at gasworks also born at Gibraltar in 1884, all other siblings were born at Garston, Jane A., is 11 years of age , John A. is 9, Henry B. is 6, Samuel is 3 and Frank L. is 7 months old.

The 1911 Census finds the family living at 2 Argyle Street, Garston. His parents are both present his father now 61 is shown as an Army Pensioner. His parents have been married for 31 years and have had 10 children of whom 9 have survived.  George is now 18 and his occupation is listed as a labourer at a gas works. His siblings still present at home are; Thomas Albert a 29 year old platers helper in an iron foundry, Jane Ann aged 21, John Arthur 19, an apprentice fitter in an iron foundry, Henry Benson is a 16 year old grocer's van boy, , Samuel James is 13, Frank Leslie is 10 and a new addition to the family Mary Elizabeth aged 6 born in Garston.

George Harold enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool on September 03rd 1914 joining the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 16492 and his enlistment papers show he was aged 21 years and 60 days and his occupation was as a clerk. He was recorded as being 5’ 9½”, weighing 138lbs, 37" chest, with a fresh complexion, grey eyes and fair hair. His religion was stated as Church of England. His next of kin was his father, Thomas, at 2 Argyle Street.

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. He was appointed unpaid Lance-Corporal on May 18th 1915 and promoted to the rank of Corporal on June 26th 1915, They remained at Belton park until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. 

Whilst at Belton Park he was appointed unpaid Lance Corporal on 18th May 1915 and promoted to the rank of Corporal on 24th June 1915.

He sailed to France with his Battalion on board the SS Invicta on the 07th of November 1915 and was granted leave in the UK between 2nd and 13th May 1916.

His father died, aged 66, a few months before George was killed, and was buried in Allerton Cemetery on 18th March 1916. 

He was killed in action on the 1st July 1916 during the attack at Montauban.

The events of that day for the 18th Battalion are recorded:

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 18th 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.

George's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme.

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.”

His sister Jane married Ernest Roberts in 1912, and was living with her husband and son in Allerton, Liverpool at the time of the 1939 Register.

His mother was born on the 02^nd December 1863 and is found incapacitated on the 1939 Register at 68 Durley Avenue, Harrow, London living with a Mary E. Lowe, no relationship is apparent. She died aged 79 and was buried with her husband, at Allerton Cemetery, on 09th July 1943.

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