Pte 16951 Clifford William Bales

• Age: 21
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Danzig Alley Cem, Mametz
  Panel Ref: VIII.U.4

16951 Private Clifford William BALES, 18^th Battalion, KLR.

Clifford was born at 51 Avondale Road, Liverpool on 23rd September 1894 the son of William Ellis Bales and his wife Alice Anne (nee Oakden) who were married in 1890 in Chesterfield. He was baptised on the 30th September 1894 at St Bede’s Church, Toxteth Park, Liverpool.

The 1901 Census shows the family living at Altys Lane, Bickerstaffe. Clifford is aged 6 and is living with his parents and sister. His father William is a 42 year old commercial traveller born in Liverpool, whilst his mother is 38 years of age and was born in Manchester. His sister Constance Oakden Bale is seven years of age and was born in Liverpool. 

By 1911 the family were living at "Rockville" on Altys Lane, Clifford is now 16 years of age and a junior bank clerk. Both parents are present in the household, his father William Ellis is aged 52, a commercial traveller in tinned goods, mother Alice Ann is aged 48. They declare that they have been married for 20 years and two of their three children have survived. His sister, Constance, is now a 17 year old student. 

Clifford was educated at Ormskirk Grammar School, was also a patrol leader in the 1^st Ormskirk Troop of Boy Scouts. He was a keen cricketer. 

Clifford enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool on 31^st August 1914 joining the 18th Battalion as Private 16951. He was aged 20 years and working as a clerk having served a four year apprenticeship with the District Bank in Liverpool which was due to end in December 1914. He gave his father and mother as his next of kin. He was described as being 5'8 and a half inches tall, weighed 120lbs, with a sallow complexion, black hair and hazel eyes. He stated his religion as Church of England. 

From the 23^rd September 1914 he was billeted at Hooton Park Race Course and remained there until 03^rd December 1914 when they moved into the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 18th 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 7^th November 1915. 

In the attack at Montauban on the 01st July 1916, Clifford was just short of the German line when he was wounded by rifle fire and fell to the ground. Unfortunately, before he could be rescued he was caught in a shrapnel bombardment and killed. 

The Battalion diary outlines the action: 

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.

His death was confirmed in the Liverpool Echo on 20th July 1916: 

Regarding Private Clifford Bales, of the “Pals,” son of Mr. and Mrs. Bales, of Alty's-lane, Ormskirk, and of whose death we have announced, his captain writes :- “He was one of my most reliable boys. He knew his duty and did it bravely.” Private Bales , who was only twenty- one was educated at the Ormskirk Grammar School and had begun a very useful career. 

Clifford now rests at Dantzig Alley British Cemetery Grave Plot  VIII U 4.

The village of Mametz was carried by the 7th Division on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, after very hard fighting at Dantzig Alley (a German trench) and other points. The cemetery was begun later in the same month and was used by field ambulances and fighting units until the following November. The ground was lost during the great German advance in March 1918 but regained in August, and a few graves were added to the cemetery in August and September 1918. At the Armistice, the cemetery consisted of 183 graves, now in Plot I, but it was then very greatly increased by graves (almost all of 1916) brought in from the battlefields north and east of Mametz and from certain smaller burial grounds.

Dantzig Alley British Cemetery now contains 2,053 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 518 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 17 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 71 casualties buried in other cemeteries, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.

He served in France from 7^th November 1915, thereby earning his three medals.

Clifford is commemorated on the following Memorials:

Civic War Memorial, Granville Park, Aughton, Ormskirk

SS Peter & Paul, Church Street, Ormskirk 

also on the family headstone at Toxteth Park Cemetery:

In loving memory of William Ellis Bales died 13th June 1940 aged 81 years
Also Alice Anne wife of above died 15th March 1949 aged 86 years
"Till he come"

On the back of the headstone:
Daisy infant daughter of the above died 12th April 1892
Clifford William son of the above killed in action in France 1st July 1916 

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