Pte 16278 William Ernest Tunstall

• Age: 21
• From: Birkenhead, Cheshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Danzig Alley Cem, Mametz
  Panel Ref: V.W.4

William Ernest (Ernie) Tunstall was born on March 04th 1895, at 130 Whetstone Lane, Birkenhead, the son of William Tunstall and his wife Sarah Ann (nee Adams) who were married on the 29th December 1892 at St Mary's Church, Birkenhead. William was a 23 year old turner of 283 Borough Road, father John, whilst Sarah was aged 21 of 48 Ivy Street, father William.

William junior was baptised in Birkenhead Parish Church on 07th April 1895.

At the time of the 1901 census, the family lived at 124 Village Road North, Wallasey. William senior was 32 and an iron turner and fitter, born in Birkenhead as was his wife Sarah who was 29. William Ernest was 6 and had an older brother, Thomas Reginald who had been born the year before William in April 1894. The couple had a daughter Marion aged 2, who was staying with her grandmother. Also living in the household was 16 year old Lilian Robinson who was a mothers helper.

By 1911 William and his brother and father were living at 19 Beechwood Avenue, Wallasey. William’s mother was in a sanatorium in Frodsham one for patients being treated for tuberculosis. She sadly died, aged 45, on the 09^th December 1916. William Ernest was working as an office boy for a wholesale druggist, his brother Thomas, aged 16, was a junior clerk for an average adjustor, and their father, now aged 42, was working as a marine engineer for a ship repairer.

William enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool on 02nd September 1914, joining the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 16278. He was aged 19 years and 181 days at the time and was working as laboratory assistant at Messrs. Bibby and Sons, oilcake manufacturers of Liverpool. He was described as 5’ 7½” tall, weighed 113lbs, with a 35” chest. He had blue eyes, brown hair and a fresh complexion. His religion was stated as Wesleyan. His next of kin was his father, William, of 19 Beechwood Avenue.

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 sailed to France with his Battalion on board the SS Invicta on the 07th of November 1915.

He was killed in action during the attack at Montauban on the 01st July, 1916, and was reportedly found dead alongside three of his comrades, all of whom, prior to the war were his colleagues at Messrs. Bibby & Sons. The proximity of the bodies suggests that they were all killed by shell fire or struck down in a hail of German machine gun fire. The Wallasey News reported that Bibby employee Private Squire of the R.A.M.C. found 3 bodies, all of which he recognised as those of old Bibby men, one being Private Tunstall. 

The events of the 01st July for the 18th Battalion were:

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.

The Liverpool Echo published a notice on 21st July 1916:

Tunstall - July 1, killed in action aged 21 years. William Ernest (“Our Nern”) Tunstall, (“Pals”). The dearly beloved second son of William and S.A. Tunstall, 19, Beechwood Avenue, Wallasey.

William now rests at Dantzig Alley British Cemetery, France, Plot V, Row W and Grave 4.

The village of Mametz was carried by the 7th Division on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, after very hard fighting at Dantzig Alley (a German trench) and other points. The cemetery was begun later in the same month and was used by field ambulances and fighting units until the following November. The ground was lost during the great German advance in March 1918 but regained in August, and a few graves were added to the cemetery in August and September 1918. At the Armistice, the cemetery consisted of 183 graves, now in Plot I, but it was then very greatly increased by graves (almost all of 1916) brought in from the battlefields north and east of Mametz and from certain smaller burial grounds.

Dantzig Alley British Cemetery now contains 2,053 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 518 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 17 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 71 casualties buried in other cemeteries, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.

Ernie is also commemorated on the following war memorials:

St Hilary's Church, Wallasey

Methodist Church, Claremount Road, Wallasey

Wallasey war memorial which is now in the King's Regiment Reserve Collection in the Museum of Liverpool

Beoco Ltd (British Edible Oils Co.) Regent Road, Bootle, now Cargills.

In the October of 1916 William’s possessions were sent to his father. They are recorded as being 1 cap badge, 1 cig holder, 1 wristwatch in case and 1 ink bottle in case.

In early 1919 William's siblings were recorded as Thomas Reginald and Marion.  

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