Pte 24583 Peter Gerrard

• Age: 22
• From: Walton, Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

24583 Private Peter GERRARD 18^th Battalion KLR.

Peter Gerrard was born in Walton, Liverpool in 1894, and was the second of five children and the elder of two sons born to Peter Gerrard and his wife Elizabeth Ellen (nee Pinnington), who married in 1891.

In 1901 the family lived at 66 Melrose Road, Kirkdale and Peter senior, is a 31 year old born in Liverpool and was employed as a cargo checker. His mother, Elizabeth Ellen, is 30 years of age and was also born in Liverpool. Peter is 7 years of age and has two siblings: Ellen, 9 years and William, 5 years.

In 1911 the family have moved and are at 4 Ferndale Road, Waterloo, when Peter senior, is now 41 years of age and is a dock clerk for a steamship company and his mother, Elizabeth Ellen, is aged 39, they have been married for 20 years, and have had 7 children of which two had died. Peter junior is an 18 year old butcher’s shop assistant. His siblings are now shown as; Ellen Robinson aged 19 a greengrocer's shop assistant, William  aged 15 is a grocer’s shop assistant, Lillian is 9 and James is 5 and both are at school.

Peter and William enlisted together in Liverpool on the 04th January 1915, Peter as Private 24583 and William as Private 24582, joining the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment. 

Both Peter and William were initially based the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. 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. 

Peter sailed with his Battalion to France on board the SS Invicta on 07th November 1915, arriving at Boulogne. 

For reasons unknown, William did not arrive until the 29th December 1915.

Peter was killed in action during the attack at Montauban on 01^st July 1916 and his brother William was wounded.

18^th Battalion Diary

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. 

His death was reported in the local press on 16th August 1916:

"Private Peter Gerrard is reported killed on July 1st while serving in the Liverpool Pals. He was the eldest son of Mr and Mrs P Gerrard, 15 Ince Avenue, and was formerly employed at Cain's butchers, Bridge Road, Linacre. His brother William was wounded on the same date, and is now lying in hospital in Kersal, Manchester".   

Also in the Liverpool Evening Express on 17th August 1916: 

"Private Peter Gerrard, Liverpool Pals, reported killed on July 1st. He is the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. P. Gerrard, 15 Ince Avenue, Linacre. His brother, of the same company, was wounded on the same day."  

Peter 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.”

Soldiers Effects and Pension to mother Elizabeth Ellen, 15 Ince Ave, Litherland. 

Peter is also remembered on the following Memorials:

Litherland War Memorial, located in front of Litherland Town Hall

Linacre Methodist Mission, Linacre Road, Litherland, Liverpool.

His mother died, aged 47, on the 24th June 1918. 

Her death was reported in the Liverpool Echo on the evening of the same day, the 24th June 1918: 

GERRARD - June 24, at 15 Ince Avenue, Litherland, aged 47 years, Elizabeth Allen, the beloved wife of Peter Gerrard. Funeral arrangements later. 

His father died, aged 88, in 1958. 

His brother William survived the war. 

CWGC records show that the Gerrard family later lived at 105 Rawson Road, Seaforth.

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