Pte 108580 William Graham

• Age: 19
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Friday 7th February 1919
• Commemorated at: Archangel Allied Memorial

William was born on 19^th March 1899 in Toxteth, the 4^th of 5 survivIng children born to Alexander Graham and his wife Elizabeth (nee Latham). His parents married in Wigan district in 1891 (Elizabeth being illiterate signed with a X). Their first two children were born in Hindley, outside Wigan, where his father worked as a collier. Sarah Ellen died in infancy, and after the birth of James, by 1895, the family had moved to Liverpool, where Ellen, Alexander, William, Mary (who also died in infancy), and Henry were born.

In 1901 the family lived at 22 Fair View Place, Toxteth Park, Liverpool which was close to where Admiral Street Police Station now is. William is 2 years of age and lives with his parents and three siblings. His father is a 34 year old dock labourer born in Liverpool, whilst his mother is also 34 and was born in Wigan. William's siblings are listed as; James aged 8 born in Wigan, Ellen aged 6 and Alexander aged 3 were born in Liverpool. There is also a boarder living at the property.

On 2^nd September 1903, William was baptised at St Paul’s, Princes Park, with his infant brother Henry, when his parents gave their address as 305 Park Road, Liverpool.

The 1911 Census shows the family still living at 305 (or 305a) Park Road. Both parents are present in the household, his father is still recorded as a dock labourer. They have been married for 19 years and have had seven children five of whom survived. William is aged 12 and is shown as both at school and also a chandler's errand boy. His siblings are listed as James now 18 and a grocers’ errand boy, Ellen aged 16 and a student, Alexander is 13 and still attending school as well as being a grocer's errand boy. Henry is 7 years of age.

William’s Medal Card shows that he was awarded only the BWM and VM. Based on the amount of the War Gratuity, William had served a maximum of one year before he was killed, enlisting or being conscripted in 1918.  He was serving in the 17th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 108580 when he was killed in action.

Soldiers Died in the Great War state that William was killed on 07^th February 1917 but this is no doubt a transcription error as CWGC shows his date of death as 07th February 1919.

On 4^th February 1919 the Bolsheviks captured Tarassova and that same day 23 other ranks from A Company, led by Second Lieutenant E A Stephenson who was on attachment from the Yorkshire Regiment arrived at Mejonovsky, near Seletskoe, as reinforcements and on 7^th February “B” Company, including these reinforcements, and accompanied by a French Company and an American Trench Mortar unit made a joint attack on the Bolshevik forces in the nearby town of Avda. They quickly took the nearby small town of Kodish but enemy resistance was so strong that the attack had to be called off. When the Allies returned to their previous positions it was found that Second Lieutenant Stephenson had been wounded and failed to join them at base. He was never seen again and presumably either died of his wounds or was killed by the enemy. In the same action Private William Graham was also killed and four other ranks wounded.

William’s body was not recovered and he is commemorated on the Archangel Memorial to the Russian Missing.

During both world wars, Archangel was one of the ports through which the Allies assisted Russia with supplies and munitions. The cemetery was begun immediately after the occupation of the town in August 1918 by the Allied force sent to support the Soviet Russian Government against potential threat from German occupied Finland and other local sources. It was used by No.85 General Hospital, No.53 Stationary Hospital, No.82 Casualty Clearing Station, HM Hospital Ship 'Kalyan' and other Allied hospitals. 

ARCHANGEL ALLIED CEMETERY contains 224 burials and commemorations of the First World War, including special memorials to 140 officers and men with known burials in cemeteries elsewhere in northern Russia. Two of the burials are unidentified. The cemetery also contains 7 Second World War burials. The ARCHANGEL MEMORIAL, which consists of panels fixed into the east wall of the cemetery, commemorates 219 British officers and men who died during the north Russian campaign and whose graves are not known.

His outstanding Army pay and a War Gratuity of £5 went to his father Alexander. His mother, living at 10 Thornton Place, was awarded a pension of 12 shillings a week from August 1919.

His brother James attested in December 1915 in the Black Watch but was not mobilised until January 1917 when he was posted to the R.A.M.C. He served on hospital ships from February 1918 until being transferred to the Reserve in November 1919.

In 1939 his parents lived at 23 Thornton Place, with married daughter Ellen and her children. His father, 73, worked as a wharf watchman, his mother was 74.

His mother died in 1942 aged 76 and his father two years later, at the age of 78.

Sadly, William has not been found on any Liverpool Memorial.

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