Pte 17325 Frank Edwards

• Age: 22
• From: West Derby, Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Guillemont Rd Cem
  Panel Ref: XI.L.4

Frank Edwards was born 20th April 1894 at West Derby, Liverpool and baptised 20th May 1894 at St Mary's Church of England, West Derby. He was the only son of Sydney Edwards and his wife Catherine (known as Kate, and born Barton). His parents married on the 15th Aug 1889 at St Peter, Heswall. Sydney was aged 30 of Heswall, father William, whilst Catherine was also aged 30 of Heswall, father John. Frank was the second of their three children; sadly his elder brother Fred, born in 1891, died at 16 months, and younger sister Ethel, born in 1899, died at 7 months, leaving Frank as their only surviving child.

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 35 Deysbrook Lane, West Derby, Liverpool. His father, Sydney, is aged 40, born in Liverpool in 1861 occupation recorded as a joiner, his mother, Kate, is aged 40, born in Derbyshire in 1861 and has no occupation listed. They have one son Frank who is aged 6, born 1895 in West Derby. 

The Lister Drive Council School register shows that Frank was admitted and withdrew in 1909, as overage.

They are still at the same address in 1911. His parents are both 50 and have been married for 21 years, his father still working as a house joiner. Frank, 16, is an apprentice salesman in the drapery trade.

Prior to the outbreak of the war he was employed as a salesman at Pioneer (furnishings), Bold Street, Liverpool. 

He enlisted on the 02nd September 1914 at St George's Hall, Liverpool joining the 19^th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 17325. He gave his age as 20 years and 150 days and gave his occupation as a clerk. He was apprenticed to Waring & Gillow* for four years. He was described as being five feet six inches tall, weighed 133lbs, 36” chest, fresh complexion, blue eyes, brown hair and gave his religion as Church of England. His record notes that his teeth were slightly defective, but not enough to disqualify him from service.  He gave his father as next of kin.

*Waring & Gillow were a firm of furniture makers, with a reputation for outfitting luxury yachts and liners, including the "Lusitania".  During the First World War the Lancaster factory was turned over to war production, making ammunition chests for the Navy and propellers for De Havilland DH9 aircraft and during World War II produced parts for gliders and the Mosquito aircraft, while kit-bags, tents and camouflage nets were made by the upholstery department. 

Formed on 7^th September 1914 the 19^th Battalion trained locally at Sefton Park and remained living at home or in rented accommodation until November 1914. They then moved to the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 19th 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. 

07.11.15: Embarked for France from Folkestone with his battalion. 

02.01.16: To Div Grenade School.

10.01.16: Rejoined battalion. 

He was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 22, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive. 

19^th Battalion Diary 

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.     

An entry on his Casualty Form dated 05th August 1916 notes, Missing, and his name appeared in the list of local casualties Missing on 06th September 1916 in the Liverpool Echo: 

"Private Frank Edwards, K.L.R., only son of Mr. and Mrs. Sydney Edwards, of 35 Deysbrook Lane, West Derby. He was last seen bandaging his wounded officer under heavy fire."

It was not until nearly nine months later that he was officially declared Killed in Action, his parents posting a notice on 17th April 1917:

"Reported missing, now reported killed in action, July 30, 1916, Frank Edwards, only son of Mr. and Mrs. Sydney Edwards, 35 Deysbrook Lane, West Derby. (Sadly missed.)"

Frank was buried close to where he fell and after the war, when graves were concentrated, his body was removed and reinterred in Guillemont Road Cemetery where he now rests. 

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.

His headstone bears the epitaph:

"AT REST"

He earned his three medals.

Frank's outstanding Army pay of £3 9s 5d and a War Gratuity of £8-10s went to his father. His mother was awarded a pension of 5/- a week from May 1917. 

On the first anniversary of his death his parents and sweetheart paid tribute to Frank in the Liverpool Echo, on 30th July 1917 under the heading Lost At The Battle of Guillemont. 

“In loving memory of Private Frank Edwards, 19th K.L.R. (3rd Pals), only son of Kate and Sydney Edwards, 35 Deysbrook Lane, West Derby, reported missing July 30, 1916, now presumed killed in action. (Sadly missed by his Parents.)”

“In sad but loving memory of Private Frank Edwards, K.L.R., killed in action July 30, 1916. (Ever remembered by his sweetheart Peggy. Sans changer.)

Lips need not speak when the heart mourns sincerely,

And thoughts often dwell where they seldom are seen.”  

He was also remembered on the second anniversary of his death in 1918: 

"In affectionate memory of Private F. Edwards, killed in action, July 30, 1916. - Sadly missed by Peggy."

"In sad and loving memory of Private Frank Edwards, 3rd Pals, killed in action, July 30, 1916. 

   Gone from our home,

   But not from our hearts.

Sadly missed by mother and father, 35 Deysbrook Lane, West Derby"

Frank is commemorated on the following Memorials:

St. Mary the Virgin Church, West Derby,

West Derby Village Memorial

Hall of Remembrance in Liverpool Town Hall at Panel 2. 

His father died at 73 in 1933 having worked for 45 years on the Croxteth Hall Estate, and his mother died at the age of 77 in 1935. 

Liverpool Daily Post - Monday 20 November 1933 

EDWARDS - November 14, suddenly aged 73 years, SYDNEY EDWARDS, P.P.G.M., I.O.O.F., M.U., F.S., dearly-beloved husband of Kate Edwards, 35 Deysbrook-lane, West Derby. Service at West Derby Church tomorrow (Friday) at 1.15 p.m.; interment at West Derby Cemetery at 2 p.m. (Oddfellows and friends please accept this - the only – intimation.) 

The Family headstone in West Derby Cemetery reads:- 

In Remembrance Of 

FRED, 

The beloved son of SYDNEY and KATE EDWARDS, 

Who departed this life 21st April 1893 aged 16 months. 

“suffer little children to come on to me.”  

Also ETHEL, 

Who departed this life 31st August 1899 aged 7 months,  

Also Private FRANK EDWARDS,  

19th King’s Liverpool, 3rd Pals, 

Brother of the above,  

Who was killed in action in France  

July 30th 1916 aged 22 years. 

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.  

Also SYDNEY,  

Father of the above,  

Who died 14th November 1933 aged 73 years.  

Also KATE,  

Beloved Wife of the above SYDNEY EDWARDS,  

Who died 26th September 1935 aged 77.   

ALL REUNITED. 

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