Pte 22697 Reginald Dudley Goudie

• Age: 20
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Reginald Dudley Goudie was born in Liverpool in July 1896 the son of Charles Henry Goudie and his wife Margaret Nairn (nee Ross). They were married in September 1894. Reginald was the second of their four children, and the only son. Their first child May Ross was born in May 1895 but lived only 3 days. He had youngEr sisters Marguerite Mercia and Janet Doris.

At the time of the 1901 Census the family were living in Seacombe at 13 Palatine Road. Charles, born in Liverpool in 1871 was working as a bookkeeper for a flour miller, whilst his wife Margaret was born in Scotland in 1871. The 4 year old Reginald had two sisters Marguerite aged 2 and 5 month old Janet. Sadly little Janet died aged just 2 in 1902.

Reginald’s mother died in 1910 at the age of 40. After her death his father moved the family back to Liverpool.

The 1911 Census finds the widowed Charles aged 40, employed as a flour miller's bookkeeper. and his children Reginald aged 14 and an office boy in the Wine and Spirit trade and Marguerite 12 are recorded as visitors in the household of a John Evans at 33 Clovelly Road in Liverpool.

Reginald enlisted on the 09th November 1914 at Liverpool joining the 20th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 22697. He gave his age as 19 years and one month and his occupation as a clerk. He was described as being five feet nine inches tall, weighed 114lbs, 35" chest with a fresh complexion, brown eyes and black hair. He stated his religion as Church of England and gave as next of kin, his father Charles, at 105 Salisbury Road, Everton.

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. 

24.8.15: At Grantham: Fighting in Dining Hut and using obscene language. Five days confined to barracks. 

07.11.15: Embarked for France with his battalion.

21.4.16: In the Field: Awarded seven days Field Punishment No1 by OC for not complying with an order. 

He was killed in action on the 30th July 1916, aged 20, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive.

The 20^th King’s Battalion Diary records:

“At 4.45am prompt the attack was launched. Unfortunately, a thick mist prevailed and it was impossible to see more than 10 yards ahead. This continued until about 6 o’clock when it lifted slightly, but it was still too hazy and impossible to see what was happening 100 yards ahead. This being so, it was not surprising to find that the attacking waves were experiencing great difficulty in maintaining connection.”

At 6am, Lt. RE Melly, No.1 Company, reported that his men had taken the German Maltz Horn trench.

At 6.30am, 2/Lt. CP Moore reported that he had 150 men, 4 Stokes Mortars and 2 Lewis Guns, but he was the only officer. He also said that due to the fog, both his “flanks were in the air” i.e. he was not in contact with neighbouring troops.

At 9.10am, Moore was still not in contact at his flanks, and now he had only 75 men, he had sent out 2 patrols and neither not returned. Later Moore established communication with the French on his right.

Around 10.00am, 2/Lt Musker reported that he had just over a company with him, but his left flank was suffering from German machine gun fire. Later he reported that he had over 30 casualties from the machine gun fire. His flanks were also “in the air”. No contact was made with this party until the remnants returned around 9.30pm, all runners sent were killed or missing. The War Diary states that this group had: ”held the ground won all day, and this permitted the consolidation of the ground won on the Maltz Horn ridge with little interference from the enemy”.

Relief for 20/Kings had been planned for 11.00pm, but it was 5.00am on the 31st July before it took place, ending a tragic day for the Liverpool Pals.

Casualties for 20^th Battalion were 16 Officers and 357 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. 

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 dated 18th August 1916:

"Killed In Action"

GOUDIE - July 30, killed in action, in his 21st year, Private Reginald Dudley Goudie (Pals), only son of Charles H. and the late Margaret N. Goudie, 105, Salisbury-road, Wavertree (late of Seacombe).

Reginald'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 of £2 12s went to his father. The pension card in Charles' name shows a gratuity was paid in February 1917 in lieu of a pension.

Soldiers Effects to father Charles Henry and sister Mercia Marguerite.

After Charles' death the War Gratuity of £7-10s went to his sister Mercia.

In 1919 Mercia, 20, living at 201 North Hill Street in Liverpool, provided information on Reginald's extended family: She was his only living relative. (She later married and had a son she called Michael Reginald.)

He is also remembered in the Hall of Remembrance at Liverpool Town Hall, Panel 47 Right.

Reginald's father Charles died aged 47 in the third quarter of 1918. 

The funeral of his father was announced in the press on 18th September 1918:

GOUDIE - September 18, at 201 North Hill Street, CHARLES HENRY GOUDIE, funeral at Rake Lane Cemetery, tomorrow (Saturday) at 11:30 a.m.

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