Cpl 23945 Thomas Patrick Harrington

• Age: 24
• From: Bootle, Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• K.I.A Tuesday 31st July 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

Thomas Patrick Harrington was born in Bootle on the 13^th Oct 1892 and was the only son of Thomas Harrington and his wife Alice (nee Mallon) who were married on the 26^th Nov 1890 at St. James' Church, Bootle. Thomas was of 7 Seaforth St(father Patrick), Alice was of 16 Conway St(father Thomas). He was baptised on the 20^th Oct 1892 also at St James as were his siblings Thomas, Bridget, Kathleen and Elizabeth Winifred.

On the 1901 Census the family are living at 21 Audley Street, Bootle cum Linacre. His father, Thomas, is aged 38, a mariner born in Ireland, his mother, Alice, is aged 34 also born in Ireland. They have four children, all born in Bootle; Tommy 8, Annie 6, Kathleen 3 and Lizzie 1. Also present is Alice's brother John Mallon aged 36, a coal heaver b.Ireland.

His father, Thomas, died between the Census', there are no civil or deaths at sea.

On the 1911 Census the family have moved to 11 Boswell Street, Bootle. His widowed mother, Alice, is aged 42, now showing as born in Newry, Ireland. She advised that she had been married  for 20 years with 4 children born. All of the children are in the household; Thomas 18 a shopman, Annie 16 a seamstress, Kathleen 13 at school, Elizabeth 11 at school. Also present are Alice's two brothers Felize Mallon aged 38 and John Mallon 15, both coal porters.

He enlisted in Liverpool and was serving in the 20th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Corporal 23945 when he was killed in action on the 31st July 1917, aged 24, during the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele). 

20^th Battalion

On that day, the 89th Brigade was to follow up the attacks of the 21st and 90th Brigades and once their objectives had been taken, to go through them and secure a line of strong points on the German third line. The 89th Brigade line of attack was from the South West corner of Polygon Wood, to the Menin Road. The 17th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment was on the left of the attack, and the 20th to the right, with the 19th Battalion and the 2nd Battalion The Bedfordshire Regiment, in Divisional Reserve.

On that day, the 89th Brigade was to follow up the attacks of the 21st and 90th Brigades and once their objectives had been taken, to go through them and secure a line of strong points on the German third line. The 89th Brigade line of attack was from the South West corner of Polygon Wood, to the Menin Road. The 17th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment was on the left of the attack, and the 20th to the right, with the 19th Battalion and the 2nd Battalion, The Bedfordshire Regiment, in Divisional Reserve.

The Battalion moved into assembly positions east of Maple Copse between 05.00 and 05.20am, they were heavily shelled and suffered many casualties. At 07.50 they began to advance with the 17^th Battalion on the left, and the 20^th on the right, the whole time under heavy shell fire. On reaching their position which was the Blue Line , troops of both the 21^st and 90^th Brigades were still pinned down  and thus any attempt at further progress were futile.

At this point a message was sent to Brigade HQ advising that Companies were digging in on and consolidating a line running south from Stirling Castle.

The 20^th Battalion was relieved on the night of 03^rd – 04^th August. During this time the Battalion lost one officer 2^nd Lieutenant G.G. Nickel and 42 men killed or died of wounds with six officers and 149 men wounded. 

Thomas' body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Belgium.

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

He was reported killed in the Liverpool Daily Post on the 14^th September 1917:

KILLED

King's (Liverpool Regiment) - Harrington Actg. Cpl. T. (Bootle);

A more detailed report of Thomas' death appeared in the Bootle Times on 09th November 1917:

ST.JAMES' "OLD BOY."

BOOTLE CORPORAL KILLED IN ACTION.

Mrs. Harrington, 11, Boswell-street, Bootle, had been officially informed that her only son, Corporal Thomas Harrington, King's Liverpool

Regiment, was killed in action on July 31st. Corporal Harrington was among the first to respond to Lord Derby's call on the formation of the "Pals,"

and was subsequently attached to a machine gun section. He was well known and very popular in Bootle, being an "old boy" of St.James', and prior to

the outbreak of war was employed at the "Jolly Farmers" Hotel, Marsh-lane, of which his uncle, Mr.Patrick Harrington, is licensee. Much sympathy is

felt with Corporal Harrington's widowed mother, sisters, and other relatives. 

Thomas is commemorated on the following local memorials:

Bootle Civic Memorial

St James RC Church, Bootle. 

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