2nd Lieutenant William Shuttleworth Standring

• Age: 21
• From: Rochdale
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment)
• Died on Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Guillemont Road
  Panel Ref: XIII. D. 4.

William Shuttleworth Standring was born in Rochdale on 15th June 1895, the son of Robert and Alice Standring who were married in Rochdale in 1887.  

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 36 Edenfield Road, Rochdale. His father, Robert, is aged 39, born 1862 in Rochdale occupation, political registration agent for the Conservative Party. His wife, Alice, is aged 36, born 1865 no occupation. Their children are Mary aged 12, born 1889, Helen aged 10, born 1891, Alice aged 9, born 1892 and William Shuttleworth aged 5, born 1896.  

The 1911 Census shows the family have moved and are living at 159 Portland Street, Southport. Mother Alice aged 46, born 1865 no occupation, who was born in Rochdale as were all her children. They have been married for twenty three years and had five children of which one had died. All four of the surviving children are in the household; Mary aged 22, born 1889 is a teacher, Helen aged 20, born 1891 is also a teacher with the county council, Alice aged 19, born 1892 an unemployed teacher and William Shuttleworth aged 15, born 1896 is still at school.  

William was educated at the Rochdale Secondary School and also Merchant Taylors School in Crosby from 1909 - 1913. Whist there he represented the school as a member of the Cricket XI in 1913 and the Rugby XV in 1912/13. 

William was mobilised at the outbreak of war as a member of The West Lancs A. S. C. in which he was a Corporal. He received his commission in the 14th Kings Liverpool Regiment. 

The East Lancs Regimental history has the following information on 2nd Lieutenant Standring:

He was commissioned as a Sec-Lieut in the 12th East Lancashire Regiment on the 23rd May 1915. On his arrival in France he was sent to No 30 Infantry Base Depot, and then posted to the 17th Battalion, arriving with a draft of other officers, on the 27th July 1916, when the battalion was in bivouacs in Happy Valley on the Somme. Only three days later on the 30th July 1916, he died during the Battle of Guillemont, whilst the 17th Battalion was in support of the 19th and 20th Battalions. During the attack on the village, some objectives were taken, but other unsuccessful assaults left flanks exposed. Severe enfilading machine gun fire from the village of Guillemont, and from Trones Wood, made the objectives impossible. Sec=Lieut Standring was slightly wounded at about 8 am, on his way to Battalion HQ, and was treated at the local field ambulance. However he must have been hit again, this time fatally, while trying to return to his company. 

On that date the 17th Battalion was in support of the 19th and 20th Battalions, two companies behind each. The attack on the village took place in a thick mist and was pressed home with great heroism. Some objectives were taken, but other unsuccessful assaults left flanks exposed. Fierce enfillading machine-gun fire from the village of Guillemont itself and Trones Wood made the objectives impossible to take. Second Lieutenant Standring was slightly wounded at about 08.00am,on his way to Battalion Headquarters and was treated at the local Field Ambulance. However it appears that he must have been hit again, this time fatally, whilst trying to return to his Company. He was aged twenty one.

17th Battalion Diary 30th July 1916

The Battalion was in support to 19 & 20 Battalions K.L.R. 2 Coys. behind 19th & 2 Coys. behind 20th. Very thick mist. The attack was pushed home to the objective in places but in the main was held up by machine gun fire from hidden machine guns.

Fighting continued all day swaying backwards and forwards until by 6pm about 300 yards in depth had been gained & consolidated all along our front.

Casualties in the 17th Battalion were 15 Officers and 281 Other Ranks

Further details are reported in more detailed by Everard Wyrall in his book The History of the King’s Regiment (Liverpool) 1914-1919 Volume II 1916-1917

The 17th King’s had advanced (two companies each behind the 19th and 20th Battalions) in small columns. They too suffered heavily from machine-gun fire and were quickly absorbed into the waves that preceded them. They also shared the gains and losses of that terrible day.

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30th 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 55th Division during the early hours of the 31st July. 

The events of 30th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89th 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.

He was reported Missing in the Southport Visiter dated 08th August 1916:

Sec-Lieutenant Standring was the only son of Mr Robert Standring, Conservative Agent for the Southport Division. He was educated at the Rochdale Secondary School, and Merchant Taylor's School. He was a popular playing member of Southport Rugby Football Club, and a former member of the Merchant Taylor's Rugby Football and Cricket clubs. Sec-Lieutenant Standring was mobilised at the outbreak of war as a member of the West Lancashire A.S.C., in which he was a Corporal. He received his commission in the 14th King's Liverpool Regiment in June 1915. In June 1916 he was transferred to the East Lancashire Regiment, and on arrival at the front, was attached to another battalion of the King's. Before he went to the front he performed valuable service as an instructor at various camps.A letter received by Mr Standring from Major J Peck of the King's, in August 1916 stated " I am very sorry indeed that I am unable to give you any definite information about your son, Sec-Lieutenant W S Standring. He was wounded(slightly I believe) on 30th July, about 08.00 a whilst trying to reach Battalion Headquarters to report the situation of his company. He was at that time in company with two orderlies. One orderlie was wounded at the same time, the other returned to his Company and reported that Standring was wounded. At that moment the Company was being attacked, but at 10.30am, an Officer of his Company went and searched the ground where your son fell, but could not find him and concluded that he had gone back to dressing station. I can learn nothing from the dressing station and fear that he cannot have reached it. “

In April 1917, the War Office accepted that his death had occurred on or after 30th July 1916, as his body had not been found. However, eight months later 13th December 1917 it was discovered on the old battlefield, recovered and buried. Today it is to found in Guillemont Road Cemetery, in Plot 13, Row D, Grave 4. The headstone bears the private Inscription:

E’EN AS HE TROD THAT DAY TO GOD SO WALKED HE FROM HIS BIRTH IN HONOUR AND CLEAN MIRTH.

Guillemont was an important point in the German defences at the beginning of the Battle of the Somme in July 1916. It was taken by the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on 30 July but the battalion was obliged to fall back, and it was again entered for a short time by the 55th (West Lancashire) Division on 8 August. On 18 August, the village was reached by the 2nd Division, and on 3 September (in the Battle of Guillemont) it was captured and cleared by the 20th (Light) and part of the 16th (Irish) Divisions. It was lost in March 1918 during the German advance, but retaken on 29 August by the 18th and 38th (Welsh) Divisions.

The cemetery was begun by fighting units (mainly of the Guards Division) and field ambulances after the Battle of Guillemont, and was closed in March 1917, when it contained 121 burials. It was greatly increased after the Armistice when graves (almost all of July-September 1916) were brought in from the battlefields immediately surrounding the village and certain smaller cemeteries, including:-

HARDECOURT FRENCH MILITARY CEMETERY. The village of Hardecourt-au-Bois was captured by French troops on the 8th July 1916, and again by the 58th (London) and 12th (Eastern) Divisions on 28 August 1918. Five British Artillerymen were buried by their unit in the French Military Cemetery, in the middle of the village, in September 1916; and in 1918 the 12th Division buried in the same cemetery 14 men of the 9th Royal Fusiliers and two of the 7th Royal Sussex.

Guillemont Road Cemetery now contains 2,263 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 1,523 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to eight casualties known or believed to be buried among them.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.

Information taken from the Southport Visitor 29th December 1917.

“Sir, I am directed to I form you that it has been reported by the Officer Commanding a Graves Regulation Unit working in France, that the Grave of Second-Lieutenant Standring, the 12th Battalion East Lancashire Regiment, has been located some 2000 yards south of Guillemont. The report, it will be seen, definitely confirms the conclusion that the Army Council had already come, as notified to you I the letter of 1st April 1917. I am again to express their sympathy with you, and say that should you do desire, the Officers name can now be inserted in the official casualty lists. I am to ask you to be good enough to communicate your wishes in this respect. “ 

Although a photograph exists of him wearing the Uniform of the King’s Liverpool Regiment his transfer could not have been completed by the time of his death, as both Officers Died in the Great War, and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, list his unit at death as the 12th Battalion East Lancashire Regiment.

He is also remembered on the follwoing Memorials:

Municipal Memorial in Southport

St. Clement's Church Memorial, Spotland, Greater Manchester.


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