Pte 27376 Edward Courtliff

• Age: 27
• From: 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.

27376 Private Edward COURTLIFF, 18^th Battalion, KLR.

Edward was born on 25th April 1889 at 21a Bidder Street, in Liverpool, the elder of two sons born to Robert Courtliff and his wife Mary. He was baptised on 12th June 1889 at St Timothy's Church, Everton. 

The 1891 Census finds the family are still living at 21a Bidder Street. Both parents are present with Edward and his sister Anne who is shown as 5 years of age. 

The 1901 Census finds 16 year old Edward living with his parents, uncle and younger brother at 26 Birchfield Street, Liverpool. His father is a 42 year old plasterer's labourer born in Liverpool whilst his mother is also 42 and was also born in Liverpool. His Uncle Edward is a 44 year old tobacco shifter. His younger brother Robert is 3 years of age.

He married Mary Madeline Galasso on the 13th September 1908 at St Simon's Church in Liverpool. Edward was a 20 years old plasterer of 7 Bolton Street, whilst Mary was the 20 years old daughter of an Italian immigrant Nicholas, born in Birmingham, address illegible 5 T? St. 

The 1911 Census shows Edward aged 22 and a plasterer living with his wife and two children at his parents house 7 Margaret Street, Everton. His parents state that they have been married for years and have had 10 children, sadly only two have survived. His brother Robert is now 13. Edward and Mary Madeline have been married for two years and have two children. Robert aged 12 months and Ann aged 3 months. It appears that Edward and his family are living in two rooms whilst his parents and brother have three room at the property. 

They had 2 more children, Edward in 1913 and John in 1915. 

Edward’s enlisted in Liverpool on 20th May 1915 joining the 18th Battalion as Private 27376. He arrived in France after 31st December 1915 as part of a reinforcement draft.

Edward was killed in action during the attack on 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. 

Edward's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the 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 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.”

Soldiers Effects and Pension to widow Mary M., 7 Margaret Street, Everton. 

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