Cpl 32335 Arthur Henry Ford

• Age: 25
• 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.

Arthur Ford was born in Liverpool on 21st June 1891, the son of William Henry (known as Henry) Ford and his wife Elizabeth (nee Garner). He was baptised in All Saints Church, Stoneycroft, on 08th July 1891, his parents then living at 13 Rock Mount South, and his father's occupation given as labourer. Henry and Elizabeth, both born in Liverpool, were married on the 28th March 1875 at St Peter's Church, Liverpool. Henry was a 21 year old labourer of Lambert Street, father Thomas a labourer, whilst Elizabeth was aged 21 also of Lambert Street, father John a coachman. They had at least 13 children, Arthur had older siblings Thomas Stafford, Margaret Ellen, John, Jane (who died at age 5), Richard, William Henry (known as Henry or Harry), George, Elizabeth, and Annie (who died in infancy), and a younger brother Alfred Joseph. Twins Frederick and Ada were born in 1895 but sadly Frederick died in infancy. 

At the time of the 1901 Census the family is still at 13 Rock Mount South, Stoneycroft, with eight children. His father Henry is aged 45, a labourer, mother Elizabeth is aged 44, his four older brothers John 22, Richard 19, Harry 16, George 15 are all general labourers, Margaret is 24, Arthur is 10 years old, Alfred 7, and Ada 5. 

His mother appears to have died in 1907 at the age of 51.  

In 1911 Arthur is found at 66 Lancaster Street, Walton, listed as an assistant to Charles Swift, a licensed victualler and hotel proprietor. He is 19, and employed as a barman, living on the premises.  This address, on the corner of Breeze Lane, in recent years is the location of The Breeze pub. 

His widowed father, now a wire rope maker, is still at 13 Rock Mount, with Alfred, 18, and Ada, 15.

Arthur married Annie Willis on 22nd July 1914 in All Saints, Stoneycroft, when he was 23 and Annie 26. The marriage certificate shows his address as 10 Montague Road, and his occupation as barman. (Henry Ford, his father or brother, lived at this address in 1918.) They had two sons: Leslie Robert, born on 02nd December 1914, and Arthur Henry, on 24th February 1916.

Arthur enlisted in Liverpool and was serving in the 20^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Corporal No 32335 when he was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 25, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive. The amount of the War Gratuity suggests that Arthur had served for about one year when he was killed, volunteering in about July 1915. He arrived in France in 1916. 

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.   

Arthur'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 01st 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.”

His name was published in the list of K.L.R. Killed on 09th September 1916.

His children were 19 months and five months old when Arthur was killed.

His outstanding Army pay and a War Gratuity of £4 went to his widow Annie, who was awarded a pension of 19/- a week from February 1917 for herself and two sons, living at the time at 41 Helena Street, Walton.

In 1939 Annie was living at 50 Breeze Lane, Walton, with sons Leslie, 24, a machinist in the Ford factory, and Arthur, 23, a street mason. 

Annie died in 1969, aged 81. Both of his sons married, and served in the Second World War. Leslie died in 1986, aged 71, and Arthur in 2004 at the age of 87. 

Arthur is commemorated on the following memorials - 

Liverpool's Hall of Remembrance, Panel 64

St. Anne's Church, Stanley, Liverpool

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