Pte 17759 Harold Cyril Lee Walshe

• Age: 23
• From: West Derby, 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.

The 1901 Census shows the family (listed as Walsh) are living at 27 Broad Green Road, Liverpool. His father, Joseph, is 47 years old, born in Liverpool in 1854 and is a warehouseman (drug stores), whilst his mother, Margaret, is 49 years of age and was born in Lancashire, she is a shopkeeper. Harold is 8 years of age and has three siblings, all born in Liverpool, and are shown as William J. aged 20 a brewers clerk, Joseph D.H. aged 15 and Ada M. aged 13.     

On the 1911 Census the family are shown as living at 29 Broad Green Road, Liverpool. Father, Joseph David, is aged 57, still a warehouseman, mother Margaret is aged 59. They have been married for 34 years and have had five children all of whom have survived. Those listed in the household are shown as: William James Lee aged 30, a brewer's clerk, Joseph David Hartley aged 25 and a timber broker's clerk and Harold Cyril Lee aged 18 and a coal merchant's clerk. His sister Edith was married, and Ada was living in the nurses’ home in Mill Road Infirmary. 

He enlisted on the 03rd September 1914 at St George's Hall, Liverpool joining the 19th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 17759. He was aged 21 years and 340 days and gave his occupation as a clerk. He was described as being five feet three and half inches tall and weighed 119lbs, 36” chest, and had a fresh complexion, hazel coloured eyes and brown hair. He stated his religion as Church of England and his next of kin as his father, at 29 Broadgreen Road.   

Formed on 07^th September 1914 the 19^th Battalion trained locally at Sefton Park and remained living at home or in rented accommodation until November 1914. They 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. Whilst at Larkhill on 03.10.15 he was absent without leave from 11.55pm until 7.00pm 4.10.15- Confined to barracks for seven days and forfeiture of two days pay.

He arrived in France on 07^th November 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. 

Like so many other Pals he was originally posted as Missing, and his name appeared as such in the list of K.L.R. casualties published in the Liverpool Daily Post on 18th September 1916.   

His father died on 16th September 1916, six weeks after Harold went missing, aged 62.

His family contacted the International Red Cross in hopes that he had been taken prisoner. His brother William, writing from 26 Birkenhead Road, Meols (Hoylake), Cheshire (Edith’s address), received a response dated 20th September 1916 that they held no information on Harold. Further enquiries from his sister Ada, who was then a nursing sister at King George’s Hospital, Stamford Street, Waterloo, London, received the same response on 05th April 1917.

Dear Sir …. (dated 03rd March 1917) …

“I have heard that a number of the 19th King’s Liverpool were missing on that date, could you tell me if any of them has been reported as prisoners in the German List.”

Another page of correspondence shows communication from William:

“I shall be very thankful for any information you could give me regarding him, or if you could help me in any way to trace him.  Also, could I ask you to furnish me with the address of Pte. E. George’s people (also of the 8th Platoon) so that I could get into touch with them to see if they have heard anything.”

(Pte. 25325 Ernest George was also missing, presumed killed in action on 30/7/1916.)

His brother William wrote another letter dated 17th March 1917 to the Infantry Records Office at Preston:

Dear Sir

My brother Pte C.H.L. Walshe. 17759. 19th King Lpool Regt has been reported as missing since July 30th 16. + since then we have not heard anything from him. 
This last few days I have been able to trace a soldier out of his platoon and he informed me that my brother is a prisoner as he saw him in the hands of the Huns along with Pte. George also of the 8th platoon 19th K.L. Reg. 

His military record also includes replies to his mother and brother Joseph requesting the address and regimental number of Private Thomas (there was more than one of that name in the 19th Bn.). His mother responded that she was not in possession of the requested information, but did say that Pte. Thomas had given a statement in camp at Knowsley which was acknowledged by the record office at Preston.

The uncertainty surrounding Harold’s fate resulted in years of anguish.  His mother, still hoping that her son had been taken prisoner, appealed for information after the war was over, on 04th April 1919:

“Private H.C.L. Walsh [sic], of Broadgreen, 17759 19th King’s Liverpool Regt. (3rd Pals), missing since July 30, 1916.  Supposed to have been taken a prisoner on that date.  Could any returned prisoners of war give any information of him which will be most thankfully received by his Mother, 26, Birkenhead Road, Hoylake, Cheshire? (Postage repaid.)”

It is not known when the family were finally advised of his death, although his Army pay and a War Gratuity of £10-10s went to his mother, who was awarded a pension of 10/- a week from May 1917.

Harold's body was not recovered from the battlefield or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on 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 mother received his personal effects which included one wallet containing letters, one testament and one religious service book.  

Harold earned his three medals.

He is commemorated on the Memorial at All Saints Church, Childwall.

After the war, William, 39, was living at home with his mother;  Joseph, 35, was also in Liverpool;  Edith, 42, lived at 26 Birkenhead Road, Hoylake, Cheshire;  Ada, 32, had returned to the Mill Road Infirmary.

Joseph had attested in the K.L.R. in December 1915 at age 30 and was mobilised in June 1916.  He was discharged a month later as not likely to become an efficient soldier due to chronic sciatica(?).

His brother William had a son in 1922 he called Harold.

His mother died in 1929, aged 77. 

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