Pte 300259 Alfred Gibbons

• Age: 32
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Thursday 28th March 1918
• Commemorated at: Pozieres Memorial
  Panel Ref: P21-23

Alfred Gibbons was born in Liverpool in the December quarter of 1885, the son of James Gibbons and his wife Elizabeth (née Ord). His mother married James Gibbons at St Simon, Liverpool in 1872. They had three children, Amnon, John, and Margaret, before James died in 1879 aged 28.

In 1881 his mother, a widow, is living in Holmes Lane, Litherland. She is 31, working as a charwoman, Amnon is 8, Martha (Margaret?) is 2. Also in the household is a boarder Joseph Gibbons, 27, who is almost certainly James’ younger brother (they are found together in the family home on the 1871 census).

No marriage for Joseph and Elizabeth has been found, but birth records for Gibbons children with mother’s maiden name Ord show Joseph, born in 1881, William, 1883, Alfred 1885, and Thomas 1887.

The eldest (half) brother Amnon died in 1896, aged 22.

In 1891 his mother, aged 40, married, is living at 16 Prince Edwin Lane, Everton, with five children. Alfred is 5.  There is no father in the household.  Another son, Richard, was born later that year, but died in infancy.

Joseph appears to have died between the censuses.

By 1901 Alfred is living at 37 Waterhouse Street, Everton, with his widowed mother, 50, a charwoman, 19 a carter, and William 17, a shop assistant.  Alfred is 15, an ironmonger’s shop lad, and Thomas, 13, is a shop lad for a grocer.

The 1911 census finds Alfred at 57a Langsdale Street with his mother, 60, and brother William, 27, a sawyer. Alfred is 25, a dairyman for a milk purveyor.

He enlisted in Liverpool as Trooper 250700, in the 1/1st Lancashire Hussars Yeomanry. The amount of the War Gratuity suggests that he served for 34 months, enlisting in about May 1915. Alfred was transferred to the 18th Battalion King's Liverpool. Regiment as Private 300259, and served in 2nd Company, 6th Platoon in the 18^th Battalion when he was killed in action on the 28^th March 1918 aged 32, during the German Spring Offensive. 

The Battalion Diary gives an insight into the chaotic events of the day

28^th March

At about 6am the enemy commenced to shell heavily the whole of the forward line and brought Trench Mortars and MACHINE Guns into action.

FOLIES was shelled and the area in the rear of the village as far back as LE QUESNEL.

Rations were received at dawn and parties were organised to carry them to the Companies on the right. Owing to the heavy fire, however, it was not possible to get them up.

Heavy fighting was in progress on the right from soon after dawn and at 8am the enemy was reported to be in possession of BOUCHOIR and progressing towards the BEETROOT FACTORY. About 10am  the 59^th Infy Brigade was notified that it was relieved by the French and the Battalions of that Brigade were at once withdrawn in the direction of LE QUESNEL.

At noon the enemy was bombarding the village and vicinity heavily and reports were received that he was in occupation of WARVILLERS on the left and ARVILLERS on the right.

The front line East of FOLIES continued to resist until about 2pm when the order was received from the 89^th Infy Brigade to the effect that the Battalions were relieved by the French and would withdraw at once to MEZIERES, where the men would be fed. Companies withdrew under some shelling and very heavy M.G. and rifle fire from the left , through K10 -K3 – North side LE QUESNEL to the main ROYE road and reorganised about D.29 c. The march from this point was conducted in good order despite the congested roads.

At MEZIERES it was decided to continue a rearward movement and the march was resumed via VILLERS-MOREUIL – MORISEL – ROUVREL, which village was reached about 7pm and the Battalion billeted. The men had marched 13 miles from the left position in good order and with practically no straggling. They were exhausted on arrival at ROUVREL, but in good heart.

Echelon ‘A’ of the Transport joined the Battalion at this village and the men were fed immediately on arrival. The night passed without incident.

Alfred was initially declared Missing during the German Spring Offensive. Mr. R. Clensy, of 26 Spencer Street, Everton Road, Liverpool, contacted the International Red Cross requesting information on Alfred, missing since March 1918, but was notified in a reply dated 17th January 1919 that they held no information.  The 1911 census and later electoral rolls show Richard Worsley Clensy at 26 Spencer Street. He had served, like Alfred, in the Lancashire Hussars Yeomanry from 1915.  (He was discharged from the Yorks & Lancs Reg’t in Feb 1919, no longer physically fit, due to malaria and other ailments.) 

Alfred’s death was later presumed, for official purposes, as having occurred on or since 28th March 1918. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial.

The POZIERES MEMORIAL relates to the period of crisis in March and April 1918 when the Allied Fifth Army was driven back by overwhelming numbers across the former Somme battlefields, and the months that followed before the Advance to Victory, which began on 8 August 1918. The Memorial commemorates over 14,000 casualties of the United Kingdom and 300 of the South African Forces who have no known grave and who died on the Somme from 21 March to 7 August 1918.

The cemetery and memorial were designed by W.H. Cowlishaw, with sculpture by Laurence A. Turner. The memorial was unveiled by Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien on 4 August 1930.

His mother Elizabeth received Alfred’s Army effects and a War Gratuity of £16.

The pension card in the name of his mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Gibbons, at 42 Northumberland Terrace, appears to show that a pension was refused.  The address is crossed out, and replaced with 10 Valentine Grove, Larch Lea.

His mother died in October 1921 aged 69, living at 10 Valentine Grove.

Sadly, Alfred has not been found on any memorial.

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