Pte 16960 William James Cornah

• Age: 21
• From: West Derby, Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

16960 Private William James CORNAH, 18^th Battalion, KLR.

William James was born in Liverpool on 05th January 1895 the son of Rowland Cornah and his wife Margaret (nee Allen) who were married in 1885. His father’s first marriage was to Isabella Hutton Smith in 1879 at St Mary, Edge Hill, and they had 2 children Thomas R. and Isabella. His wife, Isabella H. died, aged 27, in 1883.  

The 1901 Census shows 6 year old William living with his parents and 7 siblings at 97 Molyneux Road, Kensington, Liverpool. His father is a 42 year old, stable foreman born in Liverpool, whilst his mother is 35 years of age and was born in Garsdale, Yorkshire. His siblings, all born in Liverpool are shown as; Thomas R. aged 19 and an upholsterers apprentice, Allen aged 14 and a message boy, Mary E. aged 12, Margaret aged 11, John H. aged 8, Rowland W. aged 2 and Agnes aged 1.

His father died, aged 48, in 1907. 

By the time of the 1911 Census the family are living at 105 Hall Lane, Liverpool. William is now 16 and is employed as a junior clerk in a carpet warehouse. His father had died and his mother is shown as a 45 year old widow, working as a confectioner. She states that 9 of her 10 children have survived. Four siblings are listed as living in the household; John Henry aged 19 a journalist, Rowland Wesley 12 at school, Charles 9 at school and Ruth Katherine 6 at school. They also have a boarder Andrew Scott 57, a stonemason b.Glasgow. 

William enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool on 02^nd September 1914, joining the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 16960. He gave his age as 19 years 240 days, occupation clerk and next of kin as his mother, Margaret, 137 Kensington, Liverpool. He is described as being 5' 4", weight 120lbs, with a 33" chest, brown complexion, brown eyes and brown hair. His religion is stated as Wesleyan.

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. 

William crossed to France with his Battalion aboard the SS Invicta and served in France from 07^th November 1915.

He was killed in action during the attack at Montauban on 01^st July 1916.

18^th Battalion Diary

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 18^th 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. 

William's body was not recovered from the battlefield or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial in France.

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 01^st 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 death was reported in the Liverpool Echo on 24th July 1916:

Private William J. Cornah was killed in action on July 1, he resided with his mother at 103 Hall Lane, Liverpool and enlisted in the "PALS" in September 1914, being sent to the front in November last. He was on the office staff of the English Margarine Works, Broadgreen, and was an ardent worker at Brunswick Wesleyan Chapel, being a member of the choir and a teacher in the Sunday School.

Soldiers Effects and Pension to mother Margaret

His mother died, aged 67, in 1933.