Pte 26080 George Arthur Hamer

• Age: 23
• From: Prescot, Lancs
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• D.O.W Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Peronne Rd Cem Maricourt
  Panel Ref: IV.I.28

26080 Private George Arthur HAMER, 18^th Battalion KLR.

George was born in the first quarter of 1893 in Prescot, the second child born to Joseph Hamer, an iron turner born in Bury, and his wife Mary (nee Battarbee), born in Liverpool. They married on the 30^th March 1889 at St Michael's Church, Toxteth, Joseph was a 22 year old engineer of Stopford Street, father Samuel, whilst Mary was aged 21 of Cullen Street, father George. He was baptised on the 23^rd February 1893 at All Hallows Church, Allerton, his parents address then being 7 Carlton Street, Prescot. 

In 1901 the family lived at 30 Briarwood Road, Wavertree, Liverpool. George is 8 years of age, his father is 34 and his mother is 33. He has two siblings; Joseph H. aged 10 and Violet E. aged 2 both of whom were born in Liverpool.   

In 1911 they lived at 42 Teilo Street, Toxteth, George Arthur is an 18 year old  grocer’s assistant. Both parents are present in the household, his father, Joseph, aged 44, is said to be an iron turner with a ship repairer, his mother Mary is aged 43. George has three siblings;  his elder brother, Joseph Henry aged 20 years is a chauffeur’s apprentice; Violet Elsie is 12 and Mabel Evelyn is 5 years old having been born in Liverpool. His parents advised that they had been married for 22 years and four of their six children had survived.   

George enlisted in Liverpool on 11th April 1915, joining the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 26080.

He crossed to France with the 18^th Battalion on the 07th November 1915 on board the SS Invicta. His Memorial Scroll indicates he was serving with 15 Platoon, 4 Coy. 

CWGC shows that George died of wounds on 01^st July 1916 aged 23. However, as he was originally buried in a cemetery not far from the battlefield it is highly probable that he was fatally wounded during the assault at Montauban.

18^th Battalion Diary

At 6.30am the artillery commenced an intensive bombardment of the enemy’s trenches. Zero Hour – 7.30 am – the battalion commenced to leave their trenches and the attack commenced. The attack was pressed with great spirit and determination in spite of heavy shelling and machine gun enfilade fire which caused casualties amounting to 2/3rds of the strength of the Battalion in action. The whole system of German trenches including the Glatz Redoubt was captured without any deviation from the scheduled programme. Consolidated positions and made strong points for defence against possible counter attacks.

Graham Maddocks provides more detail concerning the events of the day:

As the first three waves began to move forward towards the German reserve line, known as Alt Trench and then on to the Glatz Redoubt itself, they suddenly came under enfilading fire from the left. This was from a machine gun which the Germans had sited at a strong point in Alt Trench. The gun itself was protected by a party of snipers and bombers, who, hidden in a rough hedge, were dug into a position in Alt Trench, at its junction with a communication trench known as Alt Alley. These bombers and snipers were themselves protected by rifle fire from another communication trench, Train Alley which snaked back up the high ground and into Montauban itself. The machine gun fire was devastating and it is certain that nearly of the Battalion’s casualties that day were caused by that one gun.  

Lieutenant Colonel Edward Henry Trotter  wrote in the conclusion of his account of the days action:

I cannot speak to highly of the gallantry of the Officers and men. The men amply repaid the care and kindness of their Company Officers, who have always tried to lead and not to drive. As laid down in my first lecture to the Battalion when formed, in the words of Prince Kraft:

“Men follow their Officers not from fear, but from love of the Regiment where everything had always and at all times gone well with them”.    

Joe Devereux in his book A Singular Day on the Somme gives the Casualty Breakdown for the 18^th Battalion as Killed in Action 7 Officers and 165 men and of those who died in consequence of the wounds 3 Officers and 19 men a total of 194 out of a total loss for the four Liverpool Pals Battalions of 257.  

He now rests at Peronne Road Cemetery near Maricourt. (Plot IV Row 1 Grave 28) where his headstone bears the epitaph:

LOVED BY ALL

Maricourt was, at the beginning of the Battles of the Somme 1916, the point of junction of the British and French forces, and within a very short distance of the front line; it was lost in the German advance of March 1918, and recaptured at the end of the following August.

The Cemetery, originally known as Maricourt Military Cemetery No.3, was begun by fighting units and Field Ambulances in the Battles of the Somme 1916, and used until August 1917; a few graves were added later in the War, and at the Armistice it consisted of 175 graves which now form almost the whole of Plot I. It was completed after the Armistice by the concentration of graves from the battlefields in the immediate neighbourhood and from certain smaller burial grounds.

There are now 1348, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, 366 are unidentified and special memorials are erected to 26 soldiers from the United Kingdom known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of three soldiers from the United Kingdom, buried in other cemeteries, whose graves could not be found.

The cemetery covers an area of 3,787 square metres and is enclosed on three sides by a low red brick wall.

On 28th July 1916 his sweetheart Annie Cordelia “Cora” Kinley placed an” In Memoriam” in the Liverpool Echo.

Notices were also placed in the Liverpool Echo on the first anniversary of George's death:

HAMER - Private George Hamer ("Pals") killed in action July 1st 1916. (Ever fondly remembered by Mr and Mrs C. P. Kinley and Cora).

HAMER - In loving memory of George (our George) killed in action July 1 1916, loved son of Mr and Mrs J. Hamer, 34 Garswood Street, Dingle. 

The shock was great, the blow severe,

We little thought that death was near,

Only those who have lost one, are able to tell,

The pain that is felt by not saying farewell.

From all at home

George was also remembered by Cora again in the Liverpool Echo on 02^nd July 1918: 

George’s medal card shows that he served in France from 14^th March 1916, earning the BWM and VM. It also shows that after George’s death, Mr J. H. Hamer (either his father or his elder brother) applied for George’s 1915/15 Star only to be told that he was not entitled to it as he had not served abroad before the end of 1915. 

George is also commemorated on the following Memorials:

Hall of Remebrance, Liverpool Town Hall, Panel 55 Left

St Cleopas Day School which is preserved in St Cleopas Parish Church, Beresford Road, Toxteth, Liverpool.

His father died, aged 85, in the March quarter of 1952.