Pte 59579 William Forrest

• Age: 34
• From: Salford
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Tuesday 31st July 1917
• Commemorated at: Ypres Reservoir Cem
  Panel Ref: X.D.17

William Forrest was born in 1883 in Salford, the son of David and Mary Ellen Greenhalgh who were married in Manchester Cathedral in June 1875.

In 1891, the Census shows the family living at 71 West Craven Street, Salford. David and Mary Ellen who are both 40 years old have seven children – Elizabeth aged 15 who is working as a tenter (stretching cloth in a textile factory), Sarah 13, Henry 12, Annie 10, William 8, David 2 and Mary Ellen aged 1. Their father is working as a lorryman.

William’s brother Henry married in July 1898, and his sister Sarah in December 1898.

His sister Annie sadly died in 1900.

By the time of the 1901 Census the rest of the family are living at the same address. Their father David is shown as working as a railway carter, Mary Ellen is at home and four of their children are living at home – Elizabeth, 25,  is a cotton weaver, William is 18 and an apprentice organ builder, David 12 and Mary Ellen 11 are at school.

William married Annie Maria Wadsworth in 1908 in Leicester, and at the time of the 1911 census the couple lived at 7 Gosford Street, Liverpool. William aged 28 is recorded as being a church organ builder, Annie is 32 born in Coventry.

The 1911 census shows William’s parents are living at 100 Fitzwarren Street, Pendleton. Their children Elizabeth, David and Mary Ellen are unmarried and living at home. Staying with them is a granddaughter Lily aged 12 who is Henry’s child. William’s parents have been married 36 years and Mary Ellen has borne 8 children, two of which have died.

In November 1914 they had a son who they named Ernest William. 

William enlisted in Liverpool and was serving in the 17th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 59579 when he was killed in action on the 31st July 1917, aged 34, on the first day of the Third Battle of Ypres, better known as Passchendaele.

On that day, the 89th Brigade was to follow up the attacks of the 21st and 90th Brigades and once their objectives had been taken, to go through them and secure a line of strong points on the German third line. The 89th Brigade line of attack was from the South West corner of Polygon Wood, to the Menin Road. The 17th Battalion The King’s Liverpool Regiment was on the left of the attack, and the 20th to the right, with the 19th Battalion and the 2nd Battalion The Bedfordshire Regiment, in Divisional Reserve.

The Battalion moved into assembly positions east of Maple Copse between 05.00 and 05.20am, they were heavily shelled and suffered many casualties. At 07.50 they began to advance with the 17th Battalion on the left, and the 20th on the right, the whole time under heavy shell fire. On reaching their position which was the Blue Line , troops of both the 21st and 90th Brigades were still pinned down and thus any attempt at further progress were futile.

Despite this they pushed on until their flank was just touching Clapham Junction. They then dug in and awaited the inevitable bombardment which hit them soon after. Despite this, they held onto the ground.

During the action and their time in the line the 17th Battalion lost three officers and 79 men killed or died of wounds, and four officers and 198 men wounded. They were eventually relieved on the night of 3rd -4th August. 

William now rests at Ypres Reservoir Cemetery, Ypres, Belgium, where his headstone bears the poignant epitaph:

“WE WHO LOVED YOU SADLY MISS YOU FROM LOVING WIFE & SON”

The cemetery was at first called the "Cemetery North of the Prison," later "Ypres Reservoir North Cemetery”, and now Ypres Reservoir Cemetery.  It was begun in October 1915 and used by fighting units and field ambulances until after the Armistice, when it contained 1,099 graves. The cemetery was later enlarged when graves were brought in from the battlefields of the salient and smaller burial grounds.  There are now 2,613 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in the cemetery. 1,034 of whom are unidentified. Six of the identified burials are Liverpool Pals.

We currently have no further information on William Forrest, If you have or know someone who may be able help to add to William's biography please contact us. 

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