Cpl 16815 Charles Horace Gastrell

• Age: 26
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Danzig Alley Cem, Mametz
  Panel Ref: Mem.3

16815 Corporal Charles Horace GASTRELL 18^th Battalion KLR.

Charles Horace was born in Cumming Street, Liverpool on the 04th April 1890, the only child of Charles Edwin Gastrell, a licensed victualler born in Leeds, and his wife Susannah (nee Woods) of Warrington. They were married on the 18th July 1887 at St Paul, Liverpool, Charles was a 25 year old publican of 93 Great George St, father James, whilst Susannah was aged 21 of 36 Hatfield Street, father Albert. He was baptised on the 11th May 1890 at St James, Toxteth, parents address 12 Cumming Street.   

In 1891 Charles, aged 29, Susannah 24, Horace 1 and Susannah’s sister, Esther, live at 1 Cornwallis Street, Liverpool. There is also a servant present in the property, Hettie Fleming aged 13. 

In 1897, his father, Charles Edwin, died aged just 35 

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 13 North Hill Street, and have a second son, Richard Grice aged just one week. Richard Grice Senior is shown as a 28 year old dock labourer, born in Liverpool and his wife Susannah is aged 33, and Horace is aged 11. There is also a servant declared in the household Ellen Cullen aged 14.

The 1911 Census shows the family now living at 20 High Park Street, Dingle. Horace is a 22 year old cotton clerk. Richard is a 37 year old dock labourer, and Susannah is 44 having been married for 11 years now have four children of their own, all born in Liverpool; Richard aged 10, Rene aged 8, Elizabeth aged 5 and Samuel aged 4. They also have the Healin family as boarders. 

Horace enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool on 01^st September 1914, joining the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment giving his age as 24 years 150 days, his occupation as a clerk in the cotton trade and his next of kin as his mother. He is described as being 5' 11" tall, weight 135lbs, 37” chest with a sallow complexion, brown eyes and black hair. His religion is stated as Church of England. 

From the 23^rd September 1914 he was billeted at Hooton Park Race Course and remained there until 03^rd December 1914 when they moved into the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 10^th April 1915 he was appointed Unpaid L/Corporal. On 30th April 1915 the 18th 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. Just prior to his departure to France, Horace was confirmed as a paid Lance Corporal on 06^th November 1915.

On 7^th November 1915 he sailed to France on board the SS Invicta. On 09^th February 1916 HE was promoted to Corporal. He was off duty between 12^th and 22^nd February 1916 due to a sprained ankle and between 01^st and 08^th April was attached to the 2^nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Between 08^th and 28^th May he was attached to 30^th Division School.

He was killed in action during the attack at Montauban on 01^st July 1916, aged 26.

18^th Battalion

At 6.30am the artillery commenced an intensive bombardment of the enemy’s trenches. Zero Hour – 7.30 am – the battalion commenced to leave their trenches and the attack commenced. The attack was pressed with great spirit and determination in spite of heavy shelling and machine gun enfilade fire which caused casualties amounting to 2/3rds of the strength of the Battalion in action. The whole system of German trenches including the Glatz Redoubt was captured without any deviation from the scheduled programme. Consolidated positions and made strong points for defence against possible counter attacks. 

Graham Maddocks provides more detail concerning the events of the day:

As the first three waves began to move forward towards the German reserve line, known as Alt Trench and then on to the Glatz Redoubt itself, they suddenly came under enfilading fire from the left. This was from a machine gun which the Germans had sited at a strong point in Alt Trench. The gun itself was protected by a party of snipers and bombers, who, hidden in a rough hedge, were dug into a position in Alt Trench, at its junction with a communication trench known as Alt Alley. These bombers and snipers were themselves protected by rifle fire from another communication trench, Train Alley which snaked back up the high ground and into Montauban itself. The machine gun fire was devastating and it is certain that nearly of the Battalion’s casualties that day were caused by that one gun. 

Lieutenant Colonel Edward Henry Trotter  wrote in the conclusion of his account of the days action:

I cannot speak to highly of the gallantry of the Officers and men. The men amply repaid the care and kindness of their Company Officers, who have always tried to lead and not to drive. As laid down in my first lecture to the Battalion when formed, in the words of Prince Kraft:

“Men follow their Officers not from fear, but from love of the Regiment where everything had always and at all times gone well with them”.    

Joe Devereux in his book A Singular Day on the Somme gives the Casualty Breakdown for the 18^th Battalion as Killed in Action 7 Officers and 165 men and of those who died in consequence of the wounds 3 Officers and 19 men a total of 194 out of a total loss for the four Liverpool Pals Battalions of 257. 

He was originally buried in Vernon Street Cemetery, Carnoy but the location of his remains was lost probably due to enemy shelling.

He has no known grave and is commemorated on the memorial in Dantzig Alley British Cemetery, France.

The village of Mametz was carried by the 7th Division on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, after very hard fighting at Dantzig Alley (a German trench) and other points. The cemetery was begun later in the same month and was used by field ambulances and fighting units until the following November. The ground was lost during the great German advance in March 1918 but regained in August, and a few graves were added to the cemetery in August and September 1918. At the Armistice, the cemetery consisted of 183 graves, now in Plot I, but it was then very greatly increased by graves (almost all of 1916) brought in from the battlefields north and east of Mametz and from certain smaller burial grounds, including:-

VERNON STREET CEMETERY, CARNOY, in the valley between Carnoy and Maricourt, at a place called "Squeak Forward Position". 110 soldiers who died in July-October 1916 were buried here by the 21st Infantry Brigade and other units.

Dantzig Alley British Cemetery now contains 2,053 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 518 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 17 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 71 casualties buried in other cemeteries, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.

He was reported as killed in the Liverpool Echo on 12th July 1916 

KILLED. 

King’s(Liverpool Regt.) - Gastrell, C. H. (Liverpool); 

His death was reported alongside other Pals in the Liverpool Evening Express on 18th July 1916: 

Local Pals Killed.  

The flag of the Liverpool Cotton Association is flying half mast in memory of Corporal A. H. Gastrell and Lance Corporal R. K. Williams of the Pals’ Battalion, King’s Liverpool Regiment, killed in action, who were formerly with Messrs. Milligan and MackIntosh, and of Private A. William Wright, a Liverpool Pal, formally with Messrs. R. and C. Gill. Other Liverpool Pals killed are Private Sydney Harris and Lance Corporal James Wood, both formerly with Messrs. Gruming and Co., Albany. Private Roderic Dexter Sharpe, aged 19, son of Mr A. Sharpe of 30 Great George Street, who had many friends in the South End. 

His death was also reported in the Liverpool Evening Express on 31st July 1916:

Private C. H. Gastrell, of the Pals, killed on July 1st. He lived with his mother at 25, Park-street, Dingle.  

Horace earned his 3 medals.  A family tree states that Horace had a brother, William, born in 1892 but in a sworn declaration dated 22^nd April 1919 his mother names only a half-brother and 2 half-sisters. 

He is also remembered on the war memorial of the Cotton exchange Association Ltd, 620 Cotton Building, Edmund Street, Liverpool.

Soldiers Effects and Pension to mother Susannah, 26 High Park St. 

His mother died, aged 72, on the 16th January 1939. 

We currently have no further information on Charles Horace Gastrell, if you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.