Pte 56724 William Alfred Hignett

• Age: 30
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Monday 23rd April 1917
• Commemorated at: Arras Memorial
  Panel Ref: Bay 3

William Alfred was born in Liverpool in the December quarter of 1886, the son of John Hignett and his wife Martha Newton (nee Allmark) who were married 4/11/1883 at St Simon’s, Liverpool.

1891 Census  -  5 Celt Street, West Derby  -  Parents with children Margaret and William A. 

1901 Census  -  15 Thomson Street, Everton  -  Parents with Margaret and William A (plumber)

William Alfred married Mary Mernock on 01st May 1910 at St Crysostum Church, Everton when he was 23 years old and living at 84 Kilshaw Street.

By the time of the 1911 Census William was living with his wife and new born daughter Margaret at 47 Cambria Street, Liverpool. He was employed as a dock man for a fruit merchant. The couple went on to have two sons, William and John. 

He enlisted in the City, and was serving with the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 56724 when he was killed in action, aged 30. 

On that day the Battalion had occupied old German Trenches at Henniel on the Arras sector of the front. In the evening, it moved to a sunken road to support an attack by the 18th and 19th Battalion’s of the Manchester Regiment. Elements of the Pals were to provide mopping up parties for both the Manchester Battalions, who were to move forward at 18.00pm. However, as the orders were not received until 17.45pm,it proved impossible to join the Manchester’s in time for their attack and the mopping up parties followed from where they presumed that the assaulting waves had left.

By this time, the German retaliatory barrage had begun, and the British Front Line was so heavily shelled, that the Battalion took up position in the shell holes in front. As the situation was chaotic, some troops on the right flank had begun to pullback, it was decided to withdraw to the British front line under cover of darkness to consolidate. Eventually, by morning the position became clearer, and the Battalion was able to move forward to occupy the old front line which had been vacated by the Germans, who had retired over the next crest.

Altogether the Battalion’s losses were four officers and one hundred and one other ranks, killed, wounded or missing.

William was one of those killed. His body was not recovered from the battlefield or his grave was subsequently lost as his name is recorded on the  Arras Memorial in France.

The ARRAS MEMORIAL commemorates almost 35,000 servicemen from the United Kingdom, South Africa and New Zealand who died in the Arras sector between the spring of 1916 and 7 August 1918, the eve of the Advance to Victory, and have no known grave. The most conspicuous events of this period were the Arras offensive of April-May 1917, and the German attack in the spring of 1918. Canadian and Australian servicemen killed in these operations are commemorated by memorials at Vimy and Villers-Bretonneux. A separate memorial remembers those killed in the Battle of Cambrai in 1917. Both cemetery and memorial were designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, with sculpture by Sir William Reid Dick. The memorial was unveiled by Lord Trenchard, Marshal of the Royal Air Force on the 31 July 1932 (originally it had been scheduled for 15 May, but due to the sudden death of French President Doumer, as a mark of respect, the ceremony was postponed until July).

His children were aged 7, 4 and 2 years of age when William was killed.

William is commemorated in the Hall of Remembrance in Liverpool Town Hall at Panel 59.

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