Pte 24280 George Frederick Thomson

• Age: 23
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

George was enrolled at the Caledonian Free School in 1900. His father is recorded as an ironmonger and the family address is given as 7 Heath Street. 

The 1901 Census finds the family living at 7 Heath Street. His father Wiliam is aged 53, born in York in 1848 his occupation shown as an iron mongers assistant, whilst his mother Elizabeth is aged 50, born 1851 in Liverpool as were their children. George is 7 years of age and has three siblings in the household; William aged 16 is a telegraph messenger, David aged 14 is an iron mongers apprentice and John aged 12. Also present is a servant Martha Finningham who is 15 and was born in Liverpool.

The 1911 Census shows the family have moved and are now living at 53 Egerton St, Liverpool. Both parents are in the household, his father Wiliam is now shown as a hardware dealer. They have been married for fourteen years and have had eight children of which sadly four have died. Those listed in the household are; William aged 25, born 1886 a ship steward,  John aged 21, born 1890 assistant optician and George Frederick aged 17, born 1894 a hardware dealers apprentice. His brother David, a hardware dealer’s assistant, is married and living in Priest Street.

George enlisted in Liverpool joining the 19^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 24280. Based on his regimental number and the amount of the War Gratuity, George enlisted in about December 1914.  

The 19th Battalion had by then moved to the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 19th 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 on 16th December 1915.

He was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 23, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive. 

19^th Battalion Diary 30^th July 1916

MALTZ HORN FARM

BATTLE begun. ZERO hour 4:45 am. The Battalion reached its objective, but suffered heavy losses, and had to evacuate its position owing to no reinforcements.

Everard Wyrall gives details of the attack in his book The History of The King’s Regiment; 

"The 2nd Attack on Guillemont- 29th July 1916 the 89th Brigade the 20th King's were to attack on the right and the 19th on the left. During the evening of the 29th the night was dark and foggy when the Battalions moved off and the 19th with Lt Col G Rollo commanding, when passing the South east of the Briqueterie they were heavily shelled first with H E and then with a new kind of asphyxiating Gas shell which had curious results, at first it had no nasty effect but about 8 hrs later men began to fall sick with violent headaches and pains in the stomach. All ranks had to wear gas masks which in the darkness and mist made the going terribly difficult. It was indeed wonderful that they were able to reach their Assembly point at all. But they did and by 2.45 a.m. on the 30th July 1916 the Btn was assembled having suffered about 30 Casualties on the way up ready for the Zero hour at 4.45 a.m.

It is known that the two left Companies of the 19th under Capt. Dodd and Capt. Nicholson advanced in touch with the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on their left although they suffered many casualties from Machine gun Fire did not encounter many Germans and reached their final objective about the time allocated, beginning at once to dig in south of the orchard on the South east corner of Guillemont.  

On the left of the 19th the Scots Fusiliers most gallantly forced their way through Guillemont to the eastern side of the village but were soon overwhelmed by the enemy and few returned. 

At 8 a.m. finding that the village was not held the two left Companies of the 19th received no word from the rear or either flank believed themselves to be totally isolated so were forced to fall back and dig in, their position being untenable.

At midday the effective fighting strength of the 19th Btn was just 7 Officers and 43 other ranks" 

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30^th Division held a line from the railway on the eastern side of Trones Wood , southwards and including Arrow Head Copse, to east of Maltz Horn Farm. On this line the division was relieved by the 55^th Division during the early hours of the 31^st July.

Casualties in the 19^th Battalion were 11 Officers and 435 Other Ranks 

The events of 30^th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89^th Brigade written by Brigadier General Ferdinand Stanley which gives an indication of the events of the day.

Guillemont

Well the hour to advance came, and of all bad luck in the world it was a thick fog; so thick that you couldn’t see more than about ten yards. It was next to impossible to delay the attack – it was much too big an operation- so forward they had to go. It will give some idea when I say that on one flank we had to go 1,750 yards over big rolling country. Everyone knows what it is like to cross enclosed country which you know really well in a fog and how easy it is to lose your way. Therefore, imagine these rolling hills, with no landmarks and absolutely unknown to anyone. Is it surprising that people lost their way and lost touch with those next to them? As a matter of fact, it was wonderful the way in which many men found their way right to the place we wanted to get to. But as a connected attack it was impossible.

The fog was intense it was practically impossible to keep direction and parties got split up. Owing to the heavy shelling all the Bosches had left their main trenches and were lying out in the open with snipers and machine guns in shell holes, so of course our fellows were the most easy prey.

It is so awfully sad now going about and finding so many splendid fellows gone.   

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 brother placed a notice in the Liverpool Echo on 30th August 1916:  

“July 30, killed in action, aged 24 [sic] years, George Frederick Thomson, of the Liverpool Regiment.

  We know not where he found his grave,

  Swept on by death’s exalting wave;

  For Britain’s cause his life he gave.

Fondly remembered by Dave, Edith, and Family.”

His Army pay and a War Gratuity of £6-10s went to his father William. No pension card has been found.

In the Liverpool Echo, on 30th July 1917 under the heading ‘Lost At The Battle of Guillemont’ the following tribute was posted to George Frederick on the first anniversary of his death:

“In loving memory of Private George Frederick Thomson, K.L.R. (“Pals”), killed in action, July 30, 1916, in his 24th year, youngest son of Mr. Thomson (Jeacock, Thomson, and Co., Hanover Street). Gone but not forgotten".

His mother died in 1923 aged 70, and his father in 1933 at the age of 86.

George is commemorated on the following Memorials:

Hall of Remembrance, Liverpool Town Hall, Panel 38 Right as Thompson. 

St. Bride’s Church, Liverpool

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