Pte 23949 Rowland Hedley

• Age: 21
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Rowland Hedley was born in Liverpool on 10th April 1895 and was the son of Felix Creswell Hedley and his wife Mary Anne (nee Airey) who were married on the 11th September 1880 at St John the Divine Church, Fairfield. Felix was a 34 year old manufacturer of Freehold Street, father Anthony a cashier, whilst Mary was aged 26 of Anfield Road, father William a builder. Felix was born in Liverpool in 1846 and Mary Anne in Southport in 1854. Rowland was the youngest of seven children, they had five other sons and one daughter: John, Felix Creswell, Mary, William Sidney, Richardson, and Harold. 

His father Felix had taken over the chicory and cocoa business he had run with his uncle in 1878 and took in a partner. The partnership was dissolved in 1887, and he entered the employ of Crosfield's, a soap manufacturer.  He went bankrupt in 1890 with liabilities of £774 (worth about £127,000 today).  He admitted being "irregular" in his accounts and attributed his position to "extravagances in living and to heavy expenses owing to sickness in his family." Felix is found on the 1891 census as a 44-year old commercial traveller with his wife and five children in Everton.

Felix died in October 1894, aged 48, when his wife was pregnant so he did not even meet Rowland. He was buried on the 20th October 1894 at Necropolis (Low Hill Cemetery), his address 51 Woodchurch Road, Birkenhead.

Rowland also served with the Board of Trade in Liverpool. 

He enlisted in Liverpool and was serving in the 20^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 23949. The amount of the War Gratuity suggests that he volunteered in about December 1914.

Formed in November 1914 the 20^th Battalion were originally billeted at Tournament Hall, Knotty Ash before on 29^th January 1915 they moved to the hutted accommodation purposely built at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 19th 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. 

Rowland was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 21, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive. 

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.  

Rowland's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. 

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.”

He earned his three medals (his 1914-15 Star was issued in the name of Roland Headley and returned for adjustment).

His Army pay was shared between his mother, sister Mary, brothers John and Harold, and Miss Annie Eichler (who was the sister of Richardson's wife, Mary Eichler), perhaps a good friend or sweetheart. (She married in 1917.)

One of his fellow Pals paid tribute to Rowland in the Liverpool Echo on 30th July 1917, under the heading, “Lost at Battle of Guillemont”:

“To the sad but glorious memory of Roland Hedley, 20th King’s Regiment, who was killed near Guillemont (Somme), July 30, 1916. (To the cherished memories of other days. Never forgotten by his chum, Dick Graham, 20th K.L.R.). - 378 Hawthorne Road, Bootle.” (this was Pte. Richard Graham 20th Bn., of Bootle, discharged with sickness (heart) on 25/08/1917.)

Another bereaved family remembered him with their son Harold Swift in the Liverpool Echo on 12th October 1917:

Swift-Hedley : In memory of Private Harold Swift (KLR) killed in action 12th October 1916 the truest pal of the late Rowland Hedley (KLR) killed at Guillemont July 30th 1916 (United, Sans Changer).

His mother was awarded a pension of 15/- a week from June 1918.

Rowland was remembered on the second anniversary of his death in 1918:

"Hedley - To the memory of Rob (20th Kings), killed near Guillemont, July 30, 1916. - Never forgotten by his chum Dick (late 23940)." 

This was Private Richard Graham of the 20th Battalion KLR, of Bootle, he was discharged with sickness (heart) on 25th August 1917.

The War Gratuity of £7 was disbursed in 1920 to his sister Mary, and brothers Felix, Richard, and Harold, and John's widow Violet.

Rowland's loss was the first but sadly not the only loss to bear for the family. His elder brother Corporal William Hedley enlisted on 28th August 1914 joining the R.A.M.C (31245). He was wounded on 30th November 1917, and died in No.26 General Hospital, Etaples on 15th December 1917 of wounds received in action at the Battle of Cambrai. He was aged 30. His commanding officer Lieut-Colonel Osburn wrote to his mother:

“Corporal Headley had won my esteem and been a pattern to all those about him of courage, sobriety and cheerful hard work, and all the officers and the 240 N.C.O.s and men join with me in their sympathy to you and sorrow for a brave comrade, whom they liked and respected. Your son thought little of his own safety, and might have escaped being wounded, but would not leave when orders to evacuate the dressing station were given”
 
William now rests at Etaples Military Cemetery where his headstone bears the epitaph:.

"SOME WE LOVE HAVE DRUNK THEIR CUP AND CREPT SILENTLY TO REST"

Rowland is also commemorated on the Memorial to Staff of the Board of Trade which is currently in the Department of International Trade Offices, Whitehall Place in London. 

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