Pte 34816 John Edward Dickinson

• Age: 20
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

John Edward Dickinson was born in Everton, Liverpool on the 16th November 1895 the son of George Dickinson and his wife Amelia Anne (nee Clough). George, from Liverpool, and Amelia, from Manchester, married on the 21st October 1890 in St Peter's Church, Everton. George was a 26 year old clerk of 22 Cochrane Street, father Robert a police sergeant, whilst Amelia was aged 29 of 23 Cochrane Street, father Richard a traveller. They had four children. John had elder brothers Robert Henry and George Edward (who died in infancy), and a younger brother William Leonard.

John Edward was baptised at St Benedict's Church on the 23rd December 1903 along with his brother William Leonard who was born on the 28th April 1898. The family were recorded as living at 22 Cochrane Street, a street where George had lived his whole life. 

At the time of the 1901 Census the family were still at 22 Cochrane Street, they had three sons in the household– Robert aged 9, John 5 and William 2. Their father, George, aged 36, is working as an agent and collector for a clothing club, his mother Amelia is aged 38. 

In 1911, the family are still living in the same house. His father, now aged 46 is still working as an agent and collector for a clothing club, his mother is aged 51. They advised that they had been married for 20 years, and had 4 children, 3 of whom have survived. There are three children declared in the home; Robert, now 19, is a junior clerk at a tannery, John aged 15 is an office boy in a cotton merchants and William is 12. 

John enlisted in Liverpool as Private 34816, joining the 4th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment in1915 and shipped overseas in 1916. At some point he was posted to the 20th Battalion of the K.L.R. 

He was killed in action on the 30th July 1916, aged 20, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive.

The 20^th King’s Battalion Diary records:

“At 4.45am prompt the attack was launched. Unfortunately, a thick mist prevailed and it was impossible to see more than 10 yards ahead. This continued until about 6 o’clock when it lifted slightly, but it was still too hazy and impossible to see what was happening 100 yards ahead. This being so, it was not surprising to find that the attacking waves were experiencing great difficulty in maintaining connection.”

At 6am, Lt. RE Melly, No.1 Company, reported that his men had taken the German Maltz Horn trench.

At 6.30am, 2/Lt. CP Moore reported that he had 150 men, 4 Stokes Mortars and 2 Lewis Guns, but he was the only officer. He also said that due to the fog, both his “flanks were in the air” i.e. he was not in contact with neighbouring troops.

At 9.10am, Moore was still not in contact at his flanks, and now he had only 75 men, he had sent out 2 patrols and neither not returned. Later Moore established communication with the French on his right.

Around 10.00am, 2/Lt Musker reported that he had just over a company with him, but his left flank was suffering from German machine gun fire. Later he reported that he had over 30 casualties from the machine gun fire. His flanks were also “in the air”. No contact was made with this party until the remnants returned around 9.30pm, all runners sent were killed or missing. The War Diary states that this group had: ”held the ground won all day, and this permitted the consolidation of the ground won on the Maltz Horn ridge with little interference from the enemy”.

Relief for 20/Kings had been planned for 11.00pm, but it was 5.00am on the 31st July before it took place, ending a tragic day for the Liverpool Pals.

Casualties for 20^th Battalion were 16 Officers and 357 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. 

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. 

He was initially declared Missing, his name appearing among the long list of K.L.R. Missing published on 14th September 1916.

His death was officially accepted as having occurred on 30th July 1916.

A Family notice was placed in the local press on 13th September 1916:

Private John E. Dickinson (20),  K.L.R., He joined with this group and commenced his training on January 16. Prior to the war he was employed by Messrs. Muir, Duckworth and Co., cotton merchants of Liverpool and Manchester. His parents reside at 22 Cochrane Street, Everton, Liverpool.

Soldiers Effects including a War Gratuity of £3 to mother Amelia Anne and pension to Amelia and George Edward.

John'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.”

John’s brother Robert enlisted as a Liverpool Pal on 02nd September 1914 as Private 17116 of the 18th Battalion K.L.R. but was rejected on medical grounds. His brother William enlisted in the Army Service Corps at the age of 18 and served from June 1916 until demobilisation in January 1920.

John is also commemorated on the following memorials:

Liverpool Cotton Association Memorial

St Mary the Virgin Church, Liverpool.   

His mother died in 1927, aged 68.

In 1939 his father, 74, was living alone, still at 22 Cochrane Street, and working as a general clerk/bookkeeper. Robert, also a bookkeeper, was married and lived in Liverpool. William was a civil servant in London.

His father died at home on the 25th August 1940 at the age of 75. 

We currently have no further information on John Edward Dickinson, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier.