Pte 27329 William Henry Dick

• Age: 21
• From: Walton 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.

William Henry Dick was born in Walton, Liverpool, on 25th May 1895 and was baptised on 04th September 1895 at St Mary's Church, Walton-on-the-Hill, Liverpool. He was the son of William Henry Dick and his wife Ann Tatton (nee Parkington) who were married on the 14th Sept 1892 also at St Mary’s, Walton. His father was born in Liverpool and his mother in Manchester.
At the time of his baptism his parents lived at 101 Stuart Road, Walton, his father's occupation given as marine cook. William was the second of their three children. He had an elder brother John Partington, and a younger sister Gladys Tatton.

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 25 Hartwell Street, Litherland. His mother, Ann, is head of household, she is married and aged 41, born 1860 in Longsight, Manchester and has no occupation listed. She is living with her two sons John aged 7, born 1894 and William aged 5, born 1896. His father is not in the household, most likely being away at sea. He is found on crew lists as a cook on the Tauric and later the Cymric (both White Star Line), on the Liverpool to New York run.

His father died on the 20th April 1903 at the age of 39, when William was 7 years old. Although the family lived in the north end of Liverpool, his father was buried in Toxteth Park Cemetery, in the south of the city, his address on the burial record 173 Earle Road (Edge Hill).

Liverpool Weekly Courier - Saturday 25 April 1903 

DICK - April 20, at 173, Earle-road, aged 39 years, William Henry, the beloved husband of Anne Talton(sic) Dick, and eldest son of Margaret and the late William Dick. (I.O.F. brethren please note.) 

[I.O.F. - Independent Order of Foresters or the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, St Anne St, both very active at the time] 

Sadly, daughter Gladys died the following November, aged 14 months.  

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 12 Concord Place, Bootle.

William's mother, Ann, is now aged 51 and is working as a sewing machinist for a shipping firm and William aged 15 is employed as a railway clerk for L.N.R. (his name does not appear on the London and Northwestern Railway Memorial).

William enlisted in Liverpool, joining the 19th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 27329. The amount of the War Gratuity suggests that he enlisted in the spring of 1915.

William arrived in France on 15th December 1915, thereby earning his three medals.

He was killed in action on the 30th July 1916, aged 21, 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.    


His death was later presumed, for official purposes, as having occurred on or since 30th July 1916.

Willie's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.

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 to his mother Ann Tatton and brother John and pension to his mother. His outstanding Army pay was shared between his mother and brother John. The War Gratuity of £4-10s went to his mother, who was awarded a pension of 15/- a week from July 1917.

His name was among the K.L.R. Missing published in the local press on 18th September 1916.

King’s(Liverpool Regiment) - Dick, 27329, W. H.; 

His mother appealed for information in the Liverpool Daily Post - Saturday, 23 September 1916:  

"Private W.H. Dick, K.L.R., has been missing since July 30th. Information will be thankfully received by Mrs. Dick, 12, Concord Place, Strand Road, Bootle."

It was some 10 months later when a notice was posted by his mother in the Liverpool Daily Post on 31st May 1917:

“JuIy 30. 1916, reported missing, now reported dead. Private W. H. (Willie), K.L.R.. dearly-loved youngest son of A. T. and the late W. H. Dick. 12. Concord Place, Bootle., (In the bud of life duty claimed him)—Mother and Brother, in France.

William was remembered a year after his death in the Liverpool Echo on 30th July 1917, under the heading, “Lost at Battle of Guillemont”:

“In fond remembrance of Private W. H. Dick, missing since July 30, 1916.”

William has not been found on any local memorial, although he is commemorated on the Bootle's Fallen website. 

His mother died on the 25th Sept 1936 aged 76. 

Liverpool Daily Post - Tuesday 29 September 1936 

DICK— September 25 at 12 Concord-place, Bootle, aged 76 years, ANN TATTON, the beloved wife of the late William Henry Dick. Interment at Smithdown Road Cemetery, today (Tuesday) at 2.30 pm (Friends please accept this— the only— intimation.) 

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