Pte 22091 Arthur Wilfred Gilks

• Age: 24
• From: Harrow Weald, Middlesex
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• D.O.W Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

22091 Private Arthur Wilfred GILKS 20^th Battalion KLR.

Arthur Wilfred Gilks was born in Harrow Weald, Middlesex on 01st June 1892, the 5^th of 8 children and the 3^rd of 4 sons born to Wheeler John Gilks, a gardener born in Idlecote, Warwickshire, and his wife Elizabeth Ellen (nee Drake) who were married in 1882. He was baptised on the 17^th July 1892 at St Margaret’s, Barking, Essex. SDGW says Arthur was born in Harrow Weald, Middlesex but the 1901 Census shows him living with his family in Kingswinford, Staffordshire, and his place of birth is shown as Walthamstow, Essex.

The Census of 1901 records the family are living at 5 Oak Street, Kingswinford, Staffordshire. Arthur is 8 years of age  and lives with his parents and seven siblings. His father is now 42 years of age and his mother is 41 having been born in Barking, Essex. His siblings are listed as; Minnie F. 17, John F. 15 a gardener's boy, Joseph P. 12, Ada L. 10, Elizabeth E. 7, Charles H. 4 and Mabel C. 3. 

His mother died aged 43 in the December quarter of 1902.

In 1911, his widowed father lives with three of his children; Mabel, Charles and Minnie, in Oxhill Kineton, Warwickshire, while Arthur is shown as an 18 year old journeyman gardener boarding with a number of other journeyman gardeners at The Bothy, Madresfield Court Gardens, Malvern, Worcestershire, the home of a master gardener and probably employed on the estate of William Lygoe, 8^th Earl Beauchamp. His place of birth is again stated as Harrow Weald. 

Arthur enlisted at Liverpool on 05^th November 1914, joining the 20th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 22091. He was aged 22 years 150 days, giving his occupation as gardener and his father as his next of kin. He is described as being 5' 10" in height, weighing 132lbs, 36" chest, with a fresh complexion, brown hair and brown eyes. His religion is stated as Church of England. 

Formed in November 1914 the 20^th Battalion were originally billeted at Tournament Hall, Knotty Ash before on 29^th January 1915 they moved to the hutted accommodation purposely built at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 20th 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 served in France from 07^th November 1915, earning all 3 medals, before he was killed during the attack at Montauban on 01^st July 1916, aged 24.

20^th Battalion Diary

Maricourt

Zero Hour 7.30am. After 65 minutes intensive bombardment the Battalion advanced to the attack of the German trenches. The Battalion advanced in four lines each of the two leading Companies on a frontage of 2 platoons – No’s 1 & 2 Companies (in that order from the right) leading. No.3 Company in the 3^rd wave. No.4 Company in the 4^th wave. There being a distance of about 100 yards between each line. The lines advanced through the enemy’s artillery fire as though on parade in quick time. The leading waves went on without a pause to Alt Trench and Casement Trench which were secured at (time not stated) am. The casualties up to this being small. Our barrage lifting Dublin Trench (the 1^st Objective) was captured and consolidation immediately proceeded with. Captain Whiting with the 3^rd wave entrenching about 150 yards in the rear. Captain Robinson was wounded and No.2 Company was commanded during the day by Lt C P Moore. Casualties up to now were killed 2 officers – 1 wounded and 49 other ranks casualties killed and wounded. At 11.50 am orders were received for the assault of the Briqueterie. The Battalion operation orders for this were issued from NW of Germans Wood. Our barrage lifted at 12,30 pm and No. 4 Company under Captain E C Orford assisted by a section of bombers under 2^nd Lt Baker who went up Nord Alley and Chimney Trench to secure his left flank, who had got right forward under cover of the fire of our guns rushed it almost without opposition. On the far side a party of the enemy were found in deep dug-outs. They brough a machine gun into action and some close fighting ensued in which Lt Gooch and Lt Williams were wounded. Opposition was however speedily overcome and the garrison consisting of the H.Q. of a Regt, one Colonel and 4 other officers – 40 rank and file , 2 machine guns together with maps, orders, documents and material fell into our hands. Steps were immediately taken for consolidating the ground won, which however owing to the destruction wrought by our “heavies” was a matter of great difficulty, what had been trenches being almost unrecognisable as such and the earth so pulverised that cover could only be made by aid of sandbags. The garrison was heavily shelled through the afternoon and most of the night and casualties were many. Battalion H.Q. were at the junction of Glatz Alley and Casement Trench north west of Germans Wood and this together with Dublin Trench received considerable attention from enemy guns. Casualties during the day 2 officers killed (2^nd Lts F Barnes and JC Laughlin) and 3 wounded (Captain H H Robinson, Lt S Gooch and 2^nd Lt F J Williams). 75 other ranks killed and wounded.

His father wrote to the military seeking clarification as to whether his son had been killed or wounded, his letter saying that he had heard from a Private Campbell in the same Company that Arthur was killed on 01^st July although the War Office had apparently informed the family that Arthur had been wounded. His letter also explains why Arthur enlisted in Liverpool - he had been employed as a gardener with Lord Derby at Knowsley Hall when he enlisted.

In reply, the Army Records explained that Arthur had “at first been reported wounded but his body was afterwards found and buried by the party clearing the battlefield. A burial report had been forwarded to 3^rd Echelon and the date of his death recorded as 01^st July 1916.

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.”

Arthur is also remembered on the war memorial in St Mary’s Church, Tithebarn Lane, Knowsley Village.

Arthur’s father, completing a sworn declaration on 22^nd April 1919, stated that Arthur’s mother was deceased; that he lived at “Sunnyside”, Oxhill, Kineton, Warwickshire; that Arthur was survived by 2 brothers - Joseph Percy , 30 years, and Charles Herbert, 22 years - and 4 sisters and that another brother, John Frederick, had been killed on 12^th October 1916.

Arthur’s brother, John Frederick, was killed on 12^th October 1916. John Frederick had in fact enlisted in Tonbridge Wells as Private 30502 in the 1^st Battalion of the Essex Regiment and was killed in action on 12^th October 1916. His grave, IX J 3, is in Bancourt British Cemetery. He left a widow, Florence Rose Gilks, aged 35 and two children, John Henry Peel Gilks aged 6 and Mary Elizabeth Gilks aged 5. The family were living at 7 Fox Street, Great Gransden, Bedfordshire.  

Joseph Percy Gilks had enlisted in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers on 28^th September 1914 but during his training he aggravated flat feet and in March 1917 was posted to an Agricultural Company in the Labour Corps before being medically discharged in September 1918 as being permanently unfit to serve. There is a Charles H. Gilks in the Medal Cards who also served in the Labour Corps as Private 128321.