Pte 52291 James Hircock

• Age: 26
• From: Ayston, Rutland
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• D.O.W Tuesday 31st July 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

James Hircock was born on 13th April 1891 in Ayston, Rutland the son of John Thomas Hircock and his wife Emma (nee Munton) who were married as in 1887 in Stamford, Northants. The first child George died in infancy in 1888.

17^th Battalion

On that day, the 89th Brigade was to follow up the attacks of the 21st and 90th Brigades and once their objectives had been taken, to go through them and secure a line of strong points on the German third line. The 89th Brigade line of attack was from the South West corner of Polygon Wood, to the Menin Road. The 17th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment was on the left of the attack, and the 20th to the right, with the 19th Battalion and the 2nd Battalion, The Bedfordshire Regiment, in Divisional Reserve.

The Battalion moved into assembly positions east of Maple Copse between 05.00 and 05.20am, they were heavily shelled and suffered many casualties. At 07.50 they began to advance with the 17^th Battalion on the left, and the 20^th on the right, the whole time under heavy shell fire. On reaching their position which was the Blue Line , troops of both the 21^st and 90^th Brigades were still pinned down  and thus any attempt at further progress were futile.

Despite this they pushed on until their flank was just touching Clapham Junction. They then dug in and awaited the inevitable bombardment which hit them soon after. Despite this, they held onto the ground.  

During the action and their time in the line the 17^th Battalion lost three officers and 79 men killed or died of wounds and four officers and 198 men wounded. They were eventually relieved on the night of 3^rd -4^th August.   

The battalion war diary records at 7.50am: "Battalion moved forward in artillery formation...with orders to halt at Stirling Castle." But there was confusion about where the battalion in front of the King's had got to and so the Commanding Officer decided to push on. "The information as to the leading troops was erroneous and in crossing the crest of the Stirling Castle Ridge, it was discovered that no British troops were in front of this Battalion...the Battalion pushed forward until the left Company rested on Clapham Junction. There the advance was stopped. The Battalion dug itself in and held on to the ground gained in spite of very severe shelling from Field Guns and 5.9" Howitzers." The diary records two Officers and 35 Other Ranks were killed in the day's operations. James would have been one of these and he was presumably buried on the battlefield.

 The manager of the factory where he worked before the war sent his parents a photograph of a memorial placed in the front office to his memory, as "a token of the respect and esteem in which he was held by the Directors and his fellow workmen."  as well as on Ayston's war memorial inside the church. 

He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Belgium.

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

He is also commemorated on the Ayston War Memorial. 

His mother died, aged 70, in the March quarter of 1921. Her death was registered in Uppingham.

His father died, aged 80, in the September quarter of 1922.

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