L/Cpl 52954 Stanley Percy Hayden

• Age: 27
• From: Queendon, Essex
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Thursday 12th October 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Stanley Percy Hayden was born in 1889 in Quendon, Essex and resided in Newport, Essex. He was the son of Owen Charles Harry and Sarah Bathiah(nee Percy) Hayden of 3 Red Cottages, Quendon, Newport, Essex. They were married on the 24^th Dec 1881 in Saffron Walden. 

The 1901 Census shows the family living in Quendon Street, Rickling, Saffron Walden.

His father Charles Owen is aged 44, born 1857 and occupation Blacksmith and Beer Seller and born in Newport, Essex. His wife Sarah is aged 45, born 1856 in Wimborne, Dorset. They have two sons, both born in Rickling, Essex. Harold is aged 14, born 1887 and occupation Journeyman Baker and Stanley aged 11. 

On the 1911 Census Stanley was boarding with the Barnes family at 25a Golden Noble Hill, Colchester. He was a 21 year old grocers assistant, born in Quendon, Essex. His parents and brother Harold Owen were living at 3 Red Cottages, Quendon. 

He enlisted in Saffron Walden, Essex and was formerly 26229, Essex Regiment and was serving in the 17th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Lance Corporal No 52954 when he was killed in action on the 12th October 1916 aged 27 during the Battle of the Transloy Ridges which was part of the ongoing Somme Offensive.

17^th Bn War Diary:  Battle of Transloy Ridge –                                               

11-10-16 - Gird Trench/Gird Support – Battalion in front line and support trenches. British bombardment of enemy front line system commenced about midday.  Hostile shelling was intermittent throughout the day.

12-10-16  - Our bombardment continued. Enemy reply weak.  2.5 p.m. Zero hour. Attack on German front line system commenced.  Enemy wire was found to be uncut and attack was unsuccessful.  Hostile machine gun fire was very heavy and caused many casualties. Battalion H.Q. and Support Trench were heavily shelled throughout afternoon and evening. […] During this action all communication had to be carried out by runners and carrier pigeons as all wires were being continually cut by enemy shelling.

Casualties: 5 officers killed,  5 officers wounded, 38 OR killed, about 225 OR wounded/missing etc.

Graham Maddocks, in “Liverpool Pals” p.140, adds: “As the whistle blew, the 17^th Battalion left its trenches to move forward.  […]  As soon as the attacking waves left their trenches the enemy artillery began to register on them, and at the same time, the defending infantry commenced a murderous rain of fire.  […]  Although their numbers had been depleted by the British bombardment, they were trained and experienced soldiers, well dug in on high ground, and for the most part, looking out on uncut wire.  As such, it was virtually impossible for them to miss the City Battalion men struggling to advance in the mud towards them.   The 17^th Battalion, on the left, was particularly badly hit, as its portion of No Man’s Land contained a slight rise in the ground, and as the troops emerged onto it they were silhouetted against the sky and became easy targets.  Those on the left of the attack, who managed to avoid the hail of bullets and make it to the German wire, then found that it was totally uncut, and thus trapped, they too became easy targets, to be picked off almost at the enemy’s will.  It was hardly surprising that, seeing the first waves being wiped out, some of the following waves turned back and made for their start lines. These lines were now packed with other waves of troops, however, and the fleeing men added to the congestion already there, and became easy prey for the German gunners.  There is some evidence also, to suggest that at this stage, the British trenches were also being hit by their own heavy artillery shells which were falling short.”

Stanley Percy has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, France.

The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916.

On 01st August 1932 the Prince of Wales and the President of France inaugurated the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy. The inscription reads: “Here are recorded the names of officers and men of the British Armies who fell on the Somme battlefields between July 1915 and March 1918 but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.”

Reported wounded in the Western Mail on the 26^th Nov 1916 (incorrectly with the Welsh casualties because it was Newport).   

King’s Liverpool Regiment - Hayden, 52954, S.P.(Newport); 

Essex Newsman 28^th April 1917 

Mr. Owen Hayden, Rickling is officially informed that his youngest son. L.-Cpl. S. P. Hayden, King's Liverpool Regt., was killed action last October. 

Brother Harold, serving as Pte Harold Hayden 12706 1/Irish Guards was killed on the 27^th Aug 1918 and is commemorated at Vis-En-Artois Memorial. 

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/1743501/harold-hayden/ 

Soldiers Effect to father Owen, the Pensions of Harold and Stanley to mother Sarah.  

Mother died aged 72 in 1926, she was buried on the 20th March 1926 at St Simon And St Jude, Quendon. The father died aged 70 in 1927, he was buried on the 23^rd Aug 1927 at St Simon And St Jude, Quendon. 

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