Pte 22400 Henry Hayden

• Age: 33
• From: Rawalpindi, India
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Guillemont Rd Cem
  Panel Ref: IV.D.4

Henry (Harry) Hayden was born in Rawalpindi, India in early June 1883 to William Hayden and his wife Margaret (nee Corbett).  Margaret was 19 years younger than William and may have been his second wife. His father was a professional soldier.  His parents were both born in Ireland and had married in about 1874.  There were six children in the family, two of whom died.  He had older brothers Joseph and William who, like Henry were born in India, and younger siblings Mary, John, and Annie who were born in Liverpool.  Based on the birth dates of the children, the family returned to England in about 1885. 

In 1891 the family, with five children, is in court housing at 2 house 6 court, Rathbone Street. His father, aged 55, is an Army pensioner, mother Margaret is aged 38, children Joseph and William are 15, both messengers, Mary A. 4, Harry is 8 and John 1.  

In 1901, William and Margaret, with two of their children, are at 18 James Street, Toxteth Park. His father, William, is aged 66, an Army pensioner, his mother, Margaret, is aged 47, Harry is 18, and employed as a labourer in a corrugated iron works. His sister Annie is 8, and his married brother William lives next door with his family. 

Harry married Jessie Gunning on 23^rd October 1904 when he was 22 years old, in St. Peter’s Church, Liverpool, giving his address as Blake Street, and his occupation as labourer.

In 1911 Harry and Jessie are living at 84 Arison Street, Toxteth Park, with their three sons, William Henry 5, Leonard John 4, and Joseph Edward 2.  Harry is 28, a plater’s helper in a structural ironworks.  Shortly after the census, in June 1911, a daughter, Emily Jane, was born.  

His parents were living at 1 House in 1 Court, Jenner Street, off South Chester Street, Liverpool. His father, William, was aged 76, an Army Pensioner born in Newcastle, Tipperary, his mother Margaret was aged 54. They advised that they had been married for 36 years, and have had 6 children, 3 of whom have survived. 

Another son, Albert Arthur, was born in 1913, but sadly died at 12 months old, and was buried on 04^th October 1914.  

Henry enlisted in Liverpool, on 06^th November 1914, as Private 22400,  joining the 20^th (Pals) Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment. He gave his age as 32 years and 155 days and his occupation as plater’s helper. He is described as being 5’6” tall and weighing 120lbs, 35" chest with blue eyes and dark brown hair. He stated his religion as Roman Catholic, and his next of kin as his wife Jessie, of 13 Gaskell Street.

The battalion did their initial training at Tournament Hall, Knotty Ash before transferring to Lord Derby's estate at Knowsley, near Liverpool.  On 28^th March 1915 Harry was admonished and forfeited pay for being absent for two days.  All four Liverpool Pals battalions moved on 30th April 1915 to Belton Park in Lincolnshire for further training. Whilst there, Harry was confined to barracks for three days and forfeited pay for being absent without leave on 05^th May 1915.  Another son, Thomas, was born in August 1915, whilst Harry was at Belton Park.  

By early September, the battalion had moved to Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain for final infantry training. Harry shipped to France with his battalion, disembarking at Boulogne on 07^th November 1915.  In the new year the Pals battalions take up position in the south of the Somme line, near Carnoy.  In late May they come out of the line for specialist training at Abbeville for the ‘Big Push’.  The Battle of the Somme begins on 1^st July 1916.  This was the deadliest day in British military history.  The 20th Bn suffers casualties of 100 of all ranks, but takes its objectives.   On the 8^th, his son Thomas dies of measles and broncho-pneumonia at 11 months old.  

On the 29^th the battalion moves to take up its positions for the attack on Guillemont the next day.  This was to be the blackest day for the city of Liverpool, with the Pals battalions suffering losses of approaching 500 killed.

Harry was declared Missing, and his death later assumed for official purposes, in action or from wounds, on 30^th July 1916.  

The 20^th King’s Battalion Diary records:

“At 4.45am prompt the attack was launched. Unfortunately, a thick mist prevailed and it was impossible to see more than 10 yards ahead. This continued until about 6 o’clock when it lifted slightly, but it was still too hazy and impossible to see what was happening 100 yards ahead. This being so, it was not surprising to find that the attacking waves were experiencing great difficulty in maintaining connection.”

At 6am, Lt. RE Melly, No.1 Company, reported that his men had taken the German Maltz Horn trench.

At 6.30am, 2/Lt. CP Moore reported that he had 150 men, 4 Stokes Mortars and 2 Lewis Guns, but he was the only officer. He also said that due to the fog, both his “flanks were in the air” i.e. he was not in contact with neighbouring troops.

At 9.10am, Moore was still not in contact at his flanks, and now he had only 75 men, he had sent out 2 patrols and neither not returned. Later Moore established communication with the French on his right.

Around 10.00am, 2/Lt Musker reported that he had just over a company with him, but his left flank was suffering from German machine gun fire. Later he reported that he had over 30 casualties from the machine gun fire. His flanks were also “in the air”. No contact was made with this party until the remnants returned around 9.30pm, all runners sent were killed or missing. The War Diary states that this group had: ”held the ground won all day, and this permitted the consolidation of the ground won on the Maltz Horn ridge with little interference from the enemy”.

Relief for 20/Kings had been planned for 11.00pm, but it was 5.00am on the 31st July before it took place, ending a tragic day for the Liverpool Pals.

Casualties for 20^th Battalion were 16 Officers and 357 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. 

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.       

Harry was declared Missing in the Liverpool Daily Post on 14th September 1916; 

Harry’s children were 11, 9, 7, and 5 years old when he died. Jessie, then living at 21 Sandys Street, off Hyslop Street, Liverpool, received a pension of 22/6d a week for herself and the four children.

Harry 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 and certain smaller cemeteries, including:-

HARDECOURT FRENCH MILITARY CEMETERY. The village of Hardecourt-au-Bois was captured by French troops on the 8th July 1916, and again by the 58th (London) and 12th (Eastern) Divisions on 28 August 1918. Five British Artillerymen were buried by their unit in the French Military Cemetery, in the middle of the village, in September 1916; and in 1918 the 12th Division buried in the same cemetery 14 men of the 9th Royal Fusiliers and two of the 7th Royal Sussex.

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. 

His death was reported in the Liverpool Daily Post on Tuesday 29 January 1918; 

In May 1919 the Army requested the names and addresses of living relatives of Pte 22400 Hayden. His widow, Jessie, informed them that his father was deceased, his mother Margaret was in Smithdown Road Workhouse Infirmary, his brother William’s and sister Annie’s whereabouts were not known. 

Shortly after, Jessie remarried to James Edward Lynam on the 28th August 1919 at St Dunstan’s Church, Edge Hill, Liverpool. James was a 31 year old marine fireman of 2 Webb Street, father John deceased. 

Harry’s eldest son, William Henry Hayden, wrote to the War Office on 25^th November 1924.  He gave his address as c/o Bungey Bros., Doris-dene, Cherryville, near Adelaide, South Australia.  - 

“Dear Sir, I am taking the pleasure of writing to you, and asking a request which I hope will be granted. I am an “English Boy” lately residing in “Liverpool” and now have taken up my abode in “Australia”.  My Father was killed in the “Great War” in July, 1916, and I have been informed that there should be Medals etc. also a special “Placque”  for men killed in “Action”, belonging to him, I would have wrote to you before but unfortunately did not have the address to write too, I gained it through the Medium of a “Sth. Australian” newspaper.  My Father’s credentials are Late Private Henry Hayden, 22400, 20^th Battalion, R.L.R.  I can honestly say that we received no Medals for him, but did receive the special Box and Bullets also Their Majesty’s sympathy.  My Mother is forwarding the latter too me and I have her permission too also ask for the other Medals.  I am the Eldest Son age 19 years and I trust that you will realise why I would very much like the other Decorations. Apart from Sentimental Value, they would always remember me of the Old Country. Trusting you will reply to this short Note I remain Yours Faithfully, William H. Hayden.  P.S.  If you desire too communicate with my mother her name and address are Mrs. Jessie Hayden, 25 Aberdeen Street, Dingle, Liverpool.”

William received his father’s British War and Victory medals. He and his brother Leonard John left for Australia in 1923; William died in Victoria in 1959. Leonard served in the Australian forces in WW2, and died in 1954. Son Joseph Edward remained in Liverpool and died in 1951.  In 1939 Jessie, again widowed, was living with daughter Emily Jane, in Huyton with Roby.  Emily Jane married in 1942, and died in 1974.  Jessie died of bronch-pneumonia around Christmas 1964, at age 79.  

Harry is commemorated in the Hall of Remembrance at Liverpool Town Hall on Panel 56.

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