Pte 29176 Charles Green

• Age: 21
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Guillemont Rd Cem
  Panel Ref: II.N.8

Charles Green was born in Liverpool on the 17th February 1895 and baptised on the 11th April 1895 at St Mary's Church, Kirkdale. He was the son of Charles Gatcliffe Green and his wife Margaret (nee McCreadie) who were married on the 19th July 1885 also at St Mary's Church, Kirkdale. Charles snr. was a 22 year old mariner of Kirkdale, father William Bowker a fisherman, whilst Maragret was aged 22 of Kirkdale, father John deceased. They had eight children, but sadly only four lived to adulthood. Their first three children all died young: Catherine died at 6 months, John at 11 months, and William died at Christmas 1892 when he was 2. Their next three children survived: Richard born in 1892, Charles 1895, and Albert 1897. Herbert was born in 1900 but died at 8 months old. The four children were buried in a private grave in Anfield Cemetery. 

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 23 Rubens Street, Liverpool. His father, Charles, is aged 38, born in Liverpool in 1863 and is a foreman cotton porter, his mother, Margaret also aged 38 has no occupation listed and was born in Liverpool as were their three children. Richard aged 8 born 1893, Charles aged 6, born 1895 and Albert aged 3, born 1898. Also at the address is a boarder Charles Littledale aged 25, born 1876 in Liverpool and he is a dock labourer, and his mother Catherine Littledale a widow aged 46, born 1855 and she is a ship's stewardess and is listed as a visitor.

Their last child, George, was born on 25th October 1901.

The boys mother Margaret died later in 1901 aged 38, just days after the birth of George (who was baptised four days after his mother's burial), leaving his father with three sons aged 9, 6, and 4, and a newborn baby.

His father Charles remarried Sarah Ann Scarisbrick a widow (nee Clayson) at St Paul's Church, Seacombe in 1904.

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 54 Venmore Street. Living with the couple are Charles son's; Richard, 18, who is now an apprentice lithographer, Charles now 16 and an apprentice printer, and Albert now 13. Sarah’s daughter 17 year old Mabel, and Sarah’s sister and brother in law and their five children are also living in the household.

Charles enlisted in Liverpool joining in the 19th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 29176. Based on the amount of the War Gratuity and his regimental number, Charles enlisted in about May 1915.

On 30th April 1915 the 19th 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 arrived in France on 29th December 1915.

Charles was killed in action on 30th July 1916, aged 21, at the village of Guillemont during the Battle of the Somme. 

19^th Battalion Diary 

MALTZ HORN FARM

BATTLE begun. ZERO hour 4:45 am. The Battalion reached its objective, but suffered heavy losses, and had to evacuate its position owing to no reinforcements.

Everard Wyrall gives details of the attack in his book The History of The King’s Regiment; 

"The 2nd Attack on Guillemont- 29th July 1916 the 89th Brigade the 20th King's were to attack on the right and the 19th on the left. During the evening of the 29th the night was dark and foggy when the Battalions moved off and the 19th with Lt Col G Rollo commanding, when passing the South east of the Briqueterie they were heavily shelled first with H E and then with a new kind of asphyxiating Gas shell which had curious results, at first it had no nasty effect but about 8 hrs later men began to fall sick with violent headaches and pains in the stomach. All ranks had to wear gas masks which in the darkness and mist made the going terribly difficult. It was indeed wonderful that they were able to reach their Assembly point at all. But they did and by 2.45 a.m. on the 30th July 1916 the Btn was assembled having suffered about 30 Casualties on the way up ready for the Zero hour at 4.45 a.m.

It is known that the two left Companies of the 19th under Capt. Dodd and Capt. Nicholson advanced in touch with the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on their left although they suffered many casualties from Machine gun Fire did not encounter many Germans and reached their final objective about the time allocated, beginning at once to dig in south of the orchard on the South east corner of Guillemont.  

On the left of the 19th the Scots Fusiliers most gallantly forced their way through Guillemont to the eastern side of the village but were soon overwhelmed by the enemy and few returned. 

At 8 a.m. finding that the village was not held the two left Companies of the 19th received no word from the rear or either flank believed themselves to be totally isolated so were forced to fall back and dig in, their position being untenable.

At midday the effective fighting strength of the 19th Btn was just 7 Officers and 43 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.

Casualties in the 19^th Battalion were 11 Officers and 435 Other Ranks 

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.   

He was originally posted as Missing and was reported as such in the Liverpool Echo on the 01st September 1916:

Private Charles Green K.L.R., his parents reside at 54 Venmore Street, Everton, Liverpool.:

His stepmother Sarah contacted the International Red Cross in hopes that he had been taken prisoner, but was notified on 14th December 1916 that they held no information on Charles.

Charles was buried close to where he fell and after the war, when graves were concentrated, his body was removed and reinterred in Guillemont Road Cemetery where he now rests. 

Guillemont was an important point in the German defences at the beginning of the Battle of the Somme in July 1916. It was taken by the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on 30 July but the battalion was obliged to fall back, and it was again entered for a short time by the 55th (West Lancashire) Division on 8 August. On 18 August, the village was reached by the 2nd Division, and on 3 September (in the Battle of Guillemont) it was captured and cleared by the 20th (Light) and part of the 16th (Irish) Divisions. It was lost in March 1918 during the German advance, but retaken on 29 August by the 18th and 38th (Welsh) Divisions.

The cemetery was begun by fighting units (mainly of the Guards Division) and field ambulances after the Battle of Guillemont, and was closed in March 1917, when it contained 121 burials. It was greatly increased after the Armistice when graves (almost all of July-September 1916) were brought in from the battlefields immediately surrounding the village.

Guillemont Road Cemetery now contains 2,263 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 1,523 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to eight casualties known or believed to be buried among them.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.

Charles' headstone bears the epitaph:

"HE DIED THAT WE MIGHT LIVE" 

Charles is also remembered in the Hall of Remembrance in Liverpool Town Hall at Panel 47 Left.

And on the family gravestone in Anfield Cemetery -

ALSO CHARLES GREEN, PTE. 19TH K.L.R. (PALS)
 SON OF ABOVE CHARLES G. & SARAH GREEN
KILLED IN ACTION AT GUILLEMONT 30 JULY 1916
                         AGED 21 YEARS
               AND WAS INTERRED THERE

He earned his three medals.

His outstanding Army pay and a War Gratuity of £4-10 went to Sarah, referred to as his mother.

His father was awarded a pension of 14/- a week from September 1917.

His father was widowed again in 1926 when Sarah died aged 57. 

Charles snr. died at home on the 04th May 1933, aged 71, and was buried on the 08th May at Anfield Cemetery. 

His death was reported in the Liverpool Evening Express on Friday 05 May 1933: 

GREEN - May 4 at 54 Venmore-street, Everton CHARLES, the dearly beloved husband of the late Sarah Green. Funeral at Anfield, Monday next, at 3-30 p.m. Friends please accept this, the only, intimation. 

NOTICE to Orangemen and Sisters.  

The funeral the late Bro Charles Green, H.D., G.M., P.M., L.O.L., 581, R.A.P.H., will take place on Monday, May 8, at Anfield Cemetery, 3-30 p.m. Cortege leaves 54 Venmore-street, Everton at 2.15 p.m. All sisters and brethren appear in regalia. Flute players invited— By order W.M.  G. FURSHAW, Sec. G. MOSS. 

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