L/Cpl 21778 Albert Francis

The 1891 Census shows the family are living at Harland Road, Tranmere. His father is a 32 year old Architect and Surveyor born in Tranmere in 1849, whilst his mother is shown as having been born in Liverpool in 1853. Albert  aged 10, has 5 sisters living in the household; Ethel b.1876, Clara b.1877, Amy b. 1879, Nellie b.1885 and Alice M. b.1888 (all born in Tranmere). 

1901 finds the family living at 26 Harland Road, where his mother and father are still resident alongside Albert who is 20, an apprentice architect and his five sisters; Ethel 25, Clara 24, Amy 22 a schoolteacher, Nellie 16  and Alice M. 13. 

The 1911 Census shows the family are still at 26 Harland Road. Albert as a 29 year old Architect's assistant living with his parents and three sisters. His father, 64, is an architect and surveyor working on his own account at home, and his mother is 60. They advise that they have been married for 26 years and have had 6 children. His sisters are shown as; Amy is a 31 year old school teacher with the borough council, Alice, 23, is a clerk, and Clara, 33, has no occupation.

Albert enlisted in Liverpool on 12th November 1914, joining the 19^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private 21778. He served in No. 2 Company. His age was recorded as 30 years and 2 months (he would have been 34), and his occupation as grain weigher. He was described as being 5' 7" tall, weighing 146 lbs, 37" chest, with a fresh complexion, grey eyes and grey hair. He states his religion as Church of England and states previous service in the Volunteers, discharged in 1901.

A later newspaper article stated that Albert served with "The Greys". The 1st/4th battalion of the Cheshire Regiment, also known as the ‘Greys’. were Wirral’s main territorial battalion.

The Birkenhead News ran profiles on 13th February 1915 of "Our Local Patriots" serving:

"Mr. Albert Francis, son of Captain C. O. Francis V.D., 26, Harland Road, Higher Tranmere, has joined the 3rd Battalion of the "Comrades". Local footballer will remember him as goalkeeper in the old Melrose Football Club."

The secretary of Melrose, Dvr William Moore RFA, died of wounds in 1916.  

Formed on 07^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. He arrived in France on 7^th November 1915.

Whilst at Larkhill he was confined to barracks for 7 days and forfeited 2 days' pay for being absent without leave from 11:55 p.m. on 02nd October to 11:55 p.m. on 03rd October 1915.

Albert was appointed unpaid Lance Corporal on 14th May 1916.

 

He was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 36, 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.    

His death was reported in the Liverpool Echo on Monday 21 August 1916: 

Killed. 

Lance-corporal Albert Francis, "Pals." was the only son Captain C. 0. Francis V.D., and Mrs. Francis, 26, Harland-road, Higher Tranmere. 

His death was also reported in the Birkenhead News on 26th August 1916 under the heading:

 

"Higher Tranmere Soldier Falls"

"Official confirmation has now been received of the death of Lance-Corpl. Albert Francis of the [redacted], the only son of Captain C. O. Francis, V.D., and Mrs. Francis, of 26, Harland Road, Higher Tranmere. He was killed in a captured German trench, after the great assault on the enemy's position which took place on Sunday morning, 30th July, when the British took advantage of the heavy mist prevailing.

"Abs" Francis was well known in the district, where he had resided all his life. He was a popular member of the Gladstone Liberal Club, and a keen follower of football. Many will remember him as an old "Melrose" player. Having served some years as a Volunteer (in the "Greys") he answered the call shortly after the outbreak of war, joining the [...] soon after their formation, and speedily becoming a great favourite with his comrades, who in a message of condolence to his parents, describe him as "a splendid pal and one of the best". Much sympathy has been extended to Captain and Mrs. Francis in their loss."

Albert'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.”

He earned his three medals.

His outstanding Army pay and a War Gratuity of £7-10s went to his father. His mother was awarded a pension of 15/- a week from April 1917.

In 1919 his parents were still at 26 Harland Road with Clara, Amy, and Alice.  Ethel (now Lawson) lived in Woodchurch Road, Birkenhead, and Nellie (Green) in Heath Drive.

His father died in 1924 in his 78th year, his,middle name shown as OSBORNE. 

 

His mother died on the 22nd June 1936, aged 86. 

Her death was reported in the Liverpool Daily Post on Wednesday 24 June 1936: 

FRANCIS— June 22, ELLEN, the beloved wife of the Charles O. Francis, 26 Harland-road, Higher Tranmere. Interment at Bebington Cemetery, to-morrow (Thursday), at 2 p.m. 

Albert is also commemorated on the following Memorials;

Hall of Remembrance, Liverpool Town Hall, Panel 64

 

Men of Birkenhead Cenotaph

And on the family gravestone in Bebington Cemetery -

                      In Loving Memory of
                  ALSO ALBERT FRANCIS
               ONLY SON OF THE ABOVE
WHO WAS KILLED AT GUILLEMONT, FRANCE
           JULY 30TH 1916 AGED 36 YEARS