Pte 17094 Harold Joseph Trow

• Age: 22
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Tuesday 31st July 1917
• Commemorated at: Ypres Reservoir Cem
  Panel Ref: X.D.6

Harold Joseph (Harry) Trow was born on the 15^th February 1895 in Liverpool and baptised on the 10th March 1895 at St Mary's Church, Walton, Liverpool. He was the son of John Turner and Alice Jane Trow (nee Breen) of 61 Luxmore Rd, Walton, Liverpool, who were married in 1893.  

Harold was educated at Arnot Street School.

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 22 Alfonso Road, Kirkdale, Liverpool. His father, John, is aged 29, born in Liverpool in 1872, his occupation, is shown as a ship steward, whilst his mother, Alice, is aged 27, born in 1874 in Gosport, Hampshire and has no occupation listed. They have four children, Harold aged 6, born 1895, Alice aged 4, born 1897, George aged 2, born 1899 and Albert born 1901. The children were all born in Liverpool.  

The 1911 Census shows the family now living at 59 Luxmore Road, Walton on the Hill, Liverpool. His father, John, is not listed at the address during the Census, however, his mother Alice is now aged 37 and she advised that they had been married for seventeen years and have had eight children of which one had died. She has her seven children living with her; Harold now aged sixteen is an office boy, George aged 12, Albert aged 10, John aged 8, born 1903, Walter aged 6, born 1905, Edwin aged 4 born 1907 and Edna aged 1, born 1910.  

Two more siblings were born after the 1911 census, Ethel in 1913 and Leslie in 1915.

Harry was employed by Cunard in the Engineering Department.

His service papers have survived and show he enlisted on the 31st August 1914 at St George's Hall in Liverpool joining the 18th Battalion as Private 17094. He gave his age as 19 years and 150 days and gave his occupation as a clerk. He was five foot three and half inches tall and weighed 112lbs, with a 34” chest, he had a fresh complexion, dark grey eyes, brown hair. He stated his religion as Church of England. His father, John, of 61 Luxmore Road, was named as his next of kin. 

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. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. He arrived in France on 7^th November 1915.

His service papers further show that on 22nd September 1916: he was admitted to hospital with a trivial wound.

His Commanding Officer wrote:

He was one of a party assisting to detrain the transport of the other battalions of this Brigade, He slipped onto the railway lines and sustained wounds to head and knee. The day the accident occurred had been very wet and he was not to blame.

He forfeited 10 days pay from 02nd May 1917 for overstaying leave after being apprehended by Military Police in Liverpool on 23rd April 1917.

29.05.17 - Posted to Infantry Base Depot.

30.05.17 - Posted to 11th Btn KLR.

16.06.17 - Posted to 18th Btn KLR.

30.07.17 - Missing. 

He was again wounded, this time with a Gun Shot Wound to his fingers on his left hand at Transloy on 18th October 1916

Between 28th October 1916 and 28th May 1917, Harry was in England before he returned to France on 30th May 1917.  

He forfeited 10 days pay from 02nd May 1917 for overstaying leave after being apprehended by Military Police in Liverpool on 23rd April 1917.

He was serving in the 18th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 17094 when he was killed in action on the 31st July 1917 aged 22 on the first day of the Third Battle of Ypres, better known as Passchendaele.

18^th Battalion

On this day, before Zero Hour, the 18^th Battalion was part of 21^st Brigade and was to form up for the attack from trenches from the area of Sanctuary Wood to Observatory Ridge but it was dark and continually falling rain gave very poor visibility. The departure of the 21^st Brigade was delayed by heavy shelling.

The 18^th King’s began to move forward in the rear of the 2^nd Battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment who had been detailed as the left attacking battalion of the 21^st Brigade.

No’s 1 and 3 Companies of the King’s led the way followed by No’s 2 and 4. In Sanctuary Wood there was considerable confusion, as a result No.2 and No.4 Companies became separated from the others, and were moved over to the left flank towards positions known as Surbiton Villas and Clapham Junction in the direction of the 90^th Brigade.

No.1 and 3 Companies were soon in action with the enemy, and were for a time, held up against an enemy strong point. They pushed forward with their right on a trench known as Jar Row and their left on the tramway south of Stirling Castle. Advance along Jar Row was held up by the Germans who put up a fierce resistance and the party was forced to withdraw.

Another group of men from No.1 and No.3 Companies led by 2^nd Lieutenant Graham were being held up by another strongpoint which was south of Stirling Castle, which was eventually stormed and taken.  Not far away from this action,  an attempt, by other men of No.1 and No.3 companies, was made to penetrate a broad belt of uncut wire, but this was covered by Machine-guns which killed almost every man attempting to pass through the two gaps that were discovered.

The situation was similar with No.2 and 4 Companies, who had attacked along the wrong axis. Their advance was met with fierce opposition, and once all the experienced officer’s had been killed or wounded, all cohesion was lost, although some men did reach and cross the Menin Road at Clapham Junction.

By that time, the situation had become extremely confused, and the whereabouts of all four companies being unknown to Battalion Headquarters, urgent attempts were made to discover their locations. Eventually by mid- afternoon, it was established that the bulk of the companies, although all mixed together, were dug in the vicinity of Stirling Castle and by mid evening, the Battalion Headquarters moved forward to meet them.

During its time in the line the 18^th Battalion lost 7 officers and 76 men killed or died of wounds and 7 officers and 177 men wounded. They were relieved on the 2^nd August.

Harry now lies in Ypres Reservoir Cemetery, Ypres, Belgium.

The cemetery was at first called the "Cemetery North of the Prison," later "Ypres Reservoir North Cemetery”, and now Ypres Reservoir Cemetery.  It was begun in October 1915 and used by fighting units and field ambulances until after the Armistice, when it contained 1,099 graves. The cemetery was later enlarged when graves were brought in from the battlefields of the salient and smaller burial grounds.  There are now 2,613 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in the cemetery. 1,034 of whom are unidentified. Six of the identified burials are Liverpool Pals.

His death was notified in the Liverpool Echo on 14th August 1917:

TROW - July 31, killed in action aged 22 Private Harold Trow (KLR), dearly loved and eldest son of Mr and Mrs J. T. Trow of 61 Luxmore road, Walton (late on the clerical staff, Cunard Engine Works, Derby Road), Dearly loved and deeply mourned. 

Liverpool Daily Post 1st Aug 1918

TROW - In loving memory of our dear eldest son Private HAROLD J. TROW, presumed killed July 31, 1917. (Loved and mourned by all - Brother George (in India) and Albert (at sea). - 61 Luxmore Road, Walton.

He was remembered by his family in the Liverpool Evening Express on Wednesday 4th August 1920;

TROW - In loving memory of Private HAROLD TROW, 18th K.L.R. (Pals), presumed killed July 31. (Loved and mourned by all).  

Harold is also commemorated on the following Memorials:

St Luke the Evangelist Church, Walton

Cunard WW1 Memorial now housed in Our Lady and St Nicholas' Church, Liverpool. 

His mother, Alice, died aged 58, in 1931 and was buried on the 28th November at Kirkdale Cemetery, her address at the time of her death was 61 Luxmore Road, Walton. 

His father, John, date of birth 01st February 1872, is found on the 1939 Register at 106 Dodds Lane, Maghull with his married daughter Ethel M. Backland.

His father, John, died aged 69, in 1941.

We currently have no further information on Harold (Harry) Joseph Trow, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.