Pte 48129 Isaac Trafford

• Age: 35
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Tuesday 31st July 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

Isaac was born in June quarter of 1882, the son of Frederick Trafford and his wife Elizabeth (nee Bradshaw) who married in Liverpool in 1881 at St Alban's Church, Vauxhall.

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 5 Higham Street, Everton, Liverpool. His father, Fred, is aged 42, born in Liverpool in 1859 occupation listed as a plasterer, his mother, Elizabeth, is aged 39, born  in Liverpool in 1862 has no occupation listed. They have three children in the household, all born in Liverpool; Isaac aged 18, born 1883 occupation plasterer , Fred aged 12, born 1889 and Gertrude aged 7, born 1894. 

Isaac married Minnie Ann Lupton in 1908 in the Methodist Chapel, Great Homer Street, Liverpool. Their daughter Minnie Lorant was born in  the December quarter of 1910.

In 1911 Isaac and Minnie were living at 19 Eaton Place Liverpool with their five month old daughter Minnie.  Isaac now aged 28, is employed as a plasterer and his wife Minnie Ann is aged 33 and was born 1878. 

They later had a second daughter, Lily, who was born in 1913.

Prior to enlisting he lived at 38 Lyell Street, Everton.

He enlisted in Liverpool and was serving in the 19th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 48129 when he he was killed in action on the 31st July 1917 during the Third Battle of Ypres.

The 19^th Battalion started the day in Divisional Reserve but were called forward in the early morning of 31^st July and reached Maple Copse in late afternoon. It was originally detailed to continue with the morning’s attack but this was cancelled and they eventually relieved a Battalion of the 53^rd Brigade in the newly captured line, sustaining casualties from shell fire.

The Battalion was relieved on the night of 3^rd/4^th August.

Although not actively engaged in the assault the Battalion lost 26 men killed or died of wounds with four officers and 101 men wounded.  

Isaac's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres, Belgium.

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

He was reported killed in the Weekly Casualty List of 11th September 1917:

King's Liverpool Regiment - Trafford 48129 I. (Liverpool); 

Soldiers Effects and Pension to widow Minnie Ann and children Minnie Lorant and Lily.

His widow Minnie, never remarried and died, aged 53, in the June quarter of 1930.

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