Pte 35762 Thomas Bantoft

Born and registered in the December quarter of 1888 as Tom Bantoft, not Thomas, to unknown father and unmarried 19 year old mother Sarah Jane Bantoft, who was living at home with her widower father Thomas Bantoft at Bell House, 279 Edge Lane, Droylsden, Manchester. He was baptised on the 30th January 1889 at St Cross, Clayton and due to unmarried mothers being frowned up his grandparents Thomas and Margaret Bantoft were declared on the record.  

The 1891 Census shows 3 year old grandson Tom at the same address 279 Edge Lane, Droylsden with his mother, aged 21, and grandfather Thomas, aged 58, the beer house keeper. 

In the March quarter of 1892 Tom's mother Sarah died aged 22, when he was only 4 years old. His mother's elder sister, Ruth Hannah Hopwood, (nee Bantoft) took him into her family at 289 Edge Lane, Droylsden.  

 

In the June quarter 1898 when Tom is aged 10 his grandfather Thomas died aged 66.

The 1901 Census for 289 Edge Lane, Droylsden shows 12 year old scholar Tom as the nephew of James and Ruth Hannah Hopwood. 

The 1911 Census shows 22 year old single boarder Tom as a cotton spinner living with widow Lucy Heywood at 394 Manchester Road, Droylsden.  

Prior to enlisting he worked for Lloyds Packing Warehouse at Clayton. 

 

In 1915 he enlisted in Ashton-under-Lyne into the 20th (Pals) Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 35762 Thomas (not Tom) Bantoft.  

In the March quarter of 1916 he married Elizabeth Binns at St Mary, Droylsden and they moved into 139 Manchester Road, Droylsden.  

 

He was posted to France in the spring of 1916 and on 30th July, 1916, he was killed in action during the Liverpool Pals ill fated attack on the German stronghold of Guillemont, he was 27 years of age.

30th 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.

He now rests at Delville Wood Cemetery, Longueval , Somme, France. 

Delville Wood was a tract of woodland, nearly 1 kilometre square, the western edge of which touched the village of Longueval in the Somme. On 14 July 1916 the greater part of Longueval village was taken by the 9th (Scottish) Division and on the 15th, the South African Brigade of that Division captured most of Delville Wood. The wood now formed a salient in the line, with Waterlot Farm and Mons Wood on the south flank still in German hands, and, owing to the height of the trees, no close artillery support was possible for defence.

The three South African battalions fought continuously for six days and suffered heavy casualties. On 18 July, they were forced back and on the evening of the 20th the survivors, a mere handful of men, were relieved. On 27 July, the 2nd Division retook the wood and held it until 4 August when the 17th Division took it over. On 18 and 25 August it was finally cleared of all German resistance by the 14th (Light) Division. The wood was then held until the end of April 1918 when it was lost during the German advance, but was retaken by the 38th (Welsh) Division on the following 28 August.

DELVILLE WOOD CEMETERY was made after the Armistice, when graves were brought in from a few small cemeteries and isolated sites, and from the battlefields. Almost all of the burials date from July, August and September 1916.

There are now 5,523 burials and commemorations of the First World War in this cemetery. 3,593 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 27 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of three soldiers buried in Courcelette Communal Cemetery German Extension, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker

Some CWGC records reflect 16th Kings and others the 20th King's.

His death was reported in the Manchester Evening News on 21st August 1916.

Private T. BANTOFT (26), Liverpool Regiment, killed July 30. Previous the war was employed at the Lloyd's Packing Warehouse, Clayton, and lived at 139, Manchester Road, Droylsden. He went the front on July 3. 

BANTOFT - Private Tom, killed in action, July 30th 1916, aged 26 years, Kings Liverpool Regiment, 139 Manchester Road, Droylsden, from his loving wife LIZZIE

Sweet be your rest my husband dear,

Too sweet to breathe your name,

In life I loved you very dear,

In death I do the same.

 

One year later on 30th July 1917 his widow "Lizzie" , father in law and mother in law, brothers in law Private Walter Binns  and Private Peter Binns both in France and Matt and Polly Binns placed a memorial notice in the Manchester Evening News:  

THE SOMME ANNIVERSARY. 

BANTOFT - In loving memory of Pte. TOM BANTOFT, King's Liverpools, 35762, killed in action, July 30th, 1916.  

 

"However long my Life may be, 

Whatever land I view, 

Whatever grief or joy be mine, 

I will always think of you."  

 

His Army pay owing of £2:5s:4d was sent to his widow Elizabeth at 139 Manchester Road, Droylsden on 14th November 1916 and also a War Gratuity of £3 on 13th August 1919. She was awarded a Dependents Pension on 07th February 1917 which was paid until she remarried at St Mary, Gorton on 30 October 1920 to a Frederick Hesmondhalgh and had sons Frederick(late 1921), Ronald(1929) and a daughter Mary(1927). 

 

On the 1921 census they are living at 45 Kershaw St, Droylsden, Fred was aged 27, a loco tube cutter born Blackburn, Elizabeth was aged 29, a cotton weaver born Manchester. 

 

Elizabeth, dob 6th Sept 1891, died aged 72 in Blackpool in 1963.