Pte 42839 William Thomas

 

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 1 Laurel Grove, Toxteth Park. Father Robert aged 46, a slater b.Anglesea, mother Elizabeth aged 45 b.Anglesea, children born Liverpool, Jane 22 a cafe manageress, Ellen 15 office girl in printers, Winifred 13, Fanny 9, Henry P 8, Charles 6, and William is 3.

 

William attended Aspen Grove (National) School until January 1904 when he enrolled at Tiber Street Council School. 

 

The 1911 census finds the family now living at 47 Aspen Grove, Toxteth Park, which may be the same house, on the corner of Laurel and Aspen Groves.  His father is 56, a slater and plasterer, employer, and his mother is 55 and has no occupation. Jane 32, and Fanny, 20 are shop assistants, Winifred, 23, is a dressmaker, Harry, 19, and Charles, 16, are plasterer’s apprentices. William, 13, is at school.  He left school in June 1911 when he turned 14.

 

He enlisted in about May 1916 in the King’s Liverpool Regiment, as Private 42839 and went to France in April 1917.  His CWGC record, as well as the pension card and Soldiers’ Effects, show that he served in the 18th Bn, whereas the Medal Roll shows 17th.

 

He was initially declared Missing on 31st July 1917, the first day of the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele) and about two months later was officially declared Killed in Action.

On the 31st July 1917, 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 Lieut 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 02^nd August.

William's body was never recovered from the battlefield, or was subsequently lost; he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing, 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.

Liverpool Daily Post 27th August 1917

LOCAL CASUALTIES.

Private William Thomas been killed action. His parents reside at 47, Aspen Grove, Lodge-lane, Liverpool. His Platoon officer writes that he was a good and noble soldier, and was loved by both officers and men his battalion. 

 

His parents placed a notice in the Liverpool Echo on 9th October 1917:

“July 31, killed in action, previously reported missing, aged 20 years, William, the dearly-beloved youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Thomas, 47 Aspen Grove. (Sadly missed.)”

 

And on the first anniversary of his death:

“In loving memory of our beloved youngest son William (Willie), aged 20 years, who was killed in action July 31, 1917.  Sadly missed by all at 47 Aspen Grove.”

 

His father received father Willie’s Army effects, including a War Gratuity of  £4.  His mother at 47 Aspen Grove, Lodge Lane, was awarded a pension of 3/6d a week from March 1918.  Some time after her death his father returned to Anglesey and lived at The Lodge, Carrelean (?).

 

Willie is commemorated on the following Memorials:

Liverpool’s Hall of Remembrance, Panel 36.

Tiber Street County Primary School Memorial (currently housed in Kingsley Community School, Eversley Street, Toxteth Park).

His name appears on the Roll of Honour of Sefton Harriers https://www.lps-athletics.co.uk/history/sefton-harriers-history/sefton-harriers-roll-of-honour/

Parents were still at 47 Aspen Grove until 1929 on the Electoral Roll, and widowed Robert, dob 21 Nov 1854, is found on the 1939 Register at Lodge Carnealefn?, Twrcelyn Rd, Anglesea. He died aged 86 in 1940.

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