Pte 52797 Robert Emery

• Age: 27
• From: Widnes
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Thursday 12th October 1916
• Commemorated at: Warlencourt Brit Cem
  Panel Ref: V.C.13

Robert Emery was born in October 1889 in Widnes and was the son of John Emery and his wife Eliza Jane (nee Bowen) who were married on the 05th December 1874 in Manchester Cathedral (formerly Manchester Collegiate Church). 

The 1891 Census shows the family living at New Road, Ditton, Widnes. His father, John, is aged 37, born in in Trent Vale, Staffordshire in 1854 is a bricklayer, his mother, Eliza Jane, is aged 40, born 1851 in Devon and has no occupation listed. They have six children at the time of the Census; Thomas aged 14, born 1877 in Patricroft, Manchester, John aged 13, born 1878, Albert aged 8, born 1883 and Clara aged 6, born 1885 are all at school and were born in Widnes, Alice aged 4, born 1887 and Robert aged 1, born 1890 were also born in Widnes. Also living with them was a visitor George Bowen (Eliza Jane’s father) aged 77, born 1848 in Devon and he was a shoemaker. 

The 1901 Census shows the family now living at 5, Sumner Street, Liverpool. Robert's  father ,John, is now aged 46, and is a brick setter,  his mother, Eliza Jane, is aged 48, (year of birth now showing as 1853) and has no occupation listed. They have six children at the time of the Census; Thomas aged 25 and Albert aged 19 are both chemical labourers, Clara aged 17 is a domestic servant, Alice is aged 15, Robert aged 12 and Eliza aged 7. They also have a lodger Thomas Moone aged 18, born 1883 in Ireland and he is employed as a chemical labourer.

He enlisted in Bootle, Liverpool and was serving in the 17th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 52797 when he was killed in action on the 12th October 1916 aged 27 during the Battle of the Transloy Ridges which was part of the ongoing Somme Offensive. He was killed just 2 weeks after his 27th birthday.

17^th Battalion War Diary:  Battle of Transloy Ridge –                                               

11-10-16 - Gird Trench/Gird Support – Battalion in front line and support trenches. British bombardment of enemy front line system commenced about midday.  Hostile shelling was intermittent throughout the day.

12-10-16  - Our bombardment continued. Enemy reply weak.  2.5 p.m. Zero hour. Attack on German front line system commenced.  Enemy wire was found to be uncut and attack was unsuccessful.  Hostile machine gun fire was very heavy and caused many casualties. Battalion H.Q. and Support Trench were heavily shelled throughout afternoon and evening. […] During this action all communication had to be carried out by runners and carrier pigeons as all wires were being continually cut by enemy shelling.

Casualties: 5 officers killed,  5 officers wounded, 38 OR killed, about 225 OR wounded/missing etc.

Graham Maddocks, in “Liverpool Pals” p.140, adds:

“As the whistle blew, the 17^th Battalion left its trenches to move forward.  […]  As soon as the attacking waves left their trenches the enemy artillery began to register on them, and at the same time, the defending infantry commenced a murderous rain of fire.  […]  Although their numbers had been depleted by the British bombardment, they were trained and experienced soldiers, well dug in on high ground, and for the most part, looking out on uncut wire.  As such, it was virtually impossible for them to miss the City Battalion men struggling to advance in the mud towards them.   The 17^th Battalion, on the left, was particularly badly hit, as its portion of No Man’s Land contained a slight rise in the ground, and as the troops emerged onto it they were silhouetted against the sky and became easy targets.  Those on the left of the attack, who managed to avoid the hail of bullets and make it to the German wire, then found that it was totally uncut, and thus trapped, they too became easy targets, to be picked off almost at the enemy’s will.  It was hardly surprising that, seeing the first waves being wiped out, some of the following waves turned back and made for their start lines. These lines were now packed with other waves of troops, however, and the fleeing men added to the congestion already there, and became easy prey for the German gunners.  There is some evidence also, to suggest that at this stage, the British trenches were also being hit by their own heavy artillery shells which were falling short.”

He was reported killed in the Liverpool Daily Post on 20th November 1916.

King’s (Liverpool Regiment) - Emery, 52797, R; 

Robert now rests Warlencourt British Cemetery, France.

Warlencourt Cemetery is entirely a concentration cemetery, begun late in 1919 when graves were brought in from small cemeteries and the battlefields of Warlencourt and Le Sars.  The Graves Registration form shows graves from “Le Sars 6/1, 6/2, Hexham Road, Seven Elms”.

Graves were brought in from the original cemeteries at Hexham Road (Le Sars), and Seven Elms (Flers), as well as over 3,000 British graves due to the fighting which took place around the Butte de Warlencourt from the autumn of 1916 to the spring of 1917, and again in the German advance and retreat of 1918.   The cemetery now contains 3,505 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War, 1,823 of which are unidentified.

His widow Elizabeth, at 37 Garibaldi Street, received his effects, including a War Gratuity of £9-10s, and pension of 18/9d a week for herself and child.

His father died, aged 70, in the June quarter of 1924.

His mother aged 71 in the December quarter of 1926. 

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