L/Cpl 31025 James Herbert Hilton

• Age: 23
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: Addenda

31025 L/Corporal James Herbert HILTON, 18^th Battalion KLR.

James Herbert was born in Liverpool on the 05th June 1892 the son of Arthur James Hilton, a house painter born in Tasmania, and his wife Mary Susannah (nee Pye) who were married in 1886. James was baptised at St Silas' Church, Pembroke Hill, Liverpool, on the 04th August 1896 along with his brother Ernest William who was born 08th May 1894, their father was a painter of 28 Highgate Street, Edge Hill, Liverpool. 

His father is picked up on the 1881 census at 11 Harper Street, Liverpool. He is an 18 year old railway servant living with his mother Lucy Hilton (nee Day) aged 64, a dressmaker born in Surrey. A Tasmanian newspaper, the Launceston Examiner, dated the 18th August 1876 sees Lucy Ann and Richard Hilton obtaining some land in Peppermint Bay.  

IAt the time of the 1901 Census, the family lived at 4 Back Mason Street, Liverpool. James is 8 years of age and is living with his parents and five siblings. His father is a 38 year old house painter, whilst his mother is 35 and was born in Liverpool. His siblings are listed as; Arthur aged 14 and a grocer's shop boy, Alfred aged 12, John aged 10, Ernest aged 6 and Dorothy aged 4.  

 The 1911 Census shows that the family had moved around the corner and were living at 56 Highgate Street. Both parents are listed in the household, father Alfred James aged 48, still a painter, mother Mary is aged 44, and James is 18 and listed as a labourer. Two of his siblings are listed in the property; John aged 20 is a sugar boiler and Ernest now 16 is a general labourer. His parents advise that they have been married for 25 years and have had seven children of which two had sadly died.   

His father died, aged 49, in 1912. 

James enlisted in Liverpool on 04th August 1915 joining the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 31025 at which time he was employed as a traveller for Messrs Spiers, drapers of 24 Kensington, Liverpool. James Herbert’s service record has not survived but his Medal Card shows that he served in France from 23^rd December 1915, thereby earning his three medals.

James was killed in action during the attack at Montauban on the 01^st July 1916. He was 23 years of age and had reached the rank of Lance Corporal.

18^th Battalion Diary

At 6.30am the artillery commenced an intensive bombardment of the enemy’s trenches. Zero Hour – 7.30 am – the battalion commenced to leave their trenches and the attack commenced. The attack was pressed with great spirit and determination in spite of heavy shelling and machine gun enfilade fire which caused casualties amounting to 2/3rds of the strength of the Battalion in action. The whole system of German trenches including the Glatz Redoubt was captured without any deviation from the scheduled programme. Consolidated positions and made strong points for defence against possible counter attacks.

Graham Maddocks provides more detail concerning the events of the day:

As the first three waves began to move forward towards the German reserve line, known as Alt Trench and then on to the Glatz Redoubt itself, they suddenly came under enfilading fire from the left. This was from a machine gun which the Germans had sited at a strong point in Alt Trench. The gun itself was protected by a party of snipers and bombers, who, hidden in a rough hedge, were dug into a position in Alt Trench, at its junction with a communication trench known as Alt Alley. These bombers and snipers were themselves protected by rifle fire from another communication trench, Train Alley which snaked back up the high ground and into Montauban itself. The machine gun fire was devastating and it is certain that nearly of the Battalion’s casualties that day were caused by that one gun.  

Lieutenant Colonel Edward Henry Trotter  wrote in the conclusion of his account of the days action:

I cannot speak to highly of the gallantry of the Officers and men. The men amply repaid the care and kindness of their Company Officers, who have always tried to lead and not to drive. As laid down in my first lecture to the Battalion when formed, in the words of Prince Kraft:

“Men follow their Officers not from fear, but from love of the Regiment where everything had always and at all times gone well with them”.    

Joe Devereux in his book A Singular Day on the Somme gives the Casualty Breakdown for the 18^th Battalion as Killed in Action 7 Officers and 165 men and of those who died in consequence of the wounds 3 Officers and 19 men a total of 194 out of a total loss for the four Liverpool Pals Battalions of 257.

His death was reported in the Liverpool Daily Post on the 07th August 1916: 

Killed. 

King’s (Liverpool Regt.) - Hilton, 31025, Lce-Corpl. J. H. (Liverpool); 

The local press also reported his death

Lance Corporal James. H. Hilton, King's (Liverpool Regiment), of 56 Highgate-street, killed on July 1. He was formerley a traveller with Messrs. Spiers, Kensington.

James' 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.”

Soldiers Effects and Pension to mother Mary. 

He was only commemorated by CWGC on the 29th October 2009 following the direct involvement of the In From The Cold Project. 

He is also remembered on the war memorial in the Parish church of St Mary’s, Towerlands Street, Edge-Hill, Liverpool.

His mother, Mary, date of birth 04th October 1863, appears on the 1939 register at 3 Wavertree Vale with widowed son Arthur and daughter Mary.

She died aged 77 in 1941. 

We currently have no further information on James Herbert Hilton, if you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.