Pte 17602 William Alfred Hollis

• Age: 19
• From: Eastham, Cheshire
• 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 on the 17th June 1897 in Eastham, Cheshire the son of William Hollis and his wife Mary Ann (nee Leedham) who were married in 1895 at St Peter's Church, Yoxall. He was baptised on the 12th AUgust 1897 in Yoxhall, Staffordshire.

1901 Census  -  Lock Cottages, Eastham  -  William and Mary A with children William A and John H. (William Senior is a Lock Gateman). 

1911 Census  -  The Green, Eastham  -  William Alfred is with Louisa Hollis and her sister Mary Hollis, he is their nephew. 

1911 Census  -  Eastham Lock Cottages  -  Parents Willam and Mary Ann with children John Hector, Mary Gertrude and Florence Josephine.   

William enlisted in Liverpool joining the 19th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 17602.

Formed on 07^th September 1914 the 19^th Battalion trained locally at Sefton Park and remained living at home or in rented accommodation until November 1914. They then moved to the hutted accommodation 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.

At some point he was transferred to the 18th Battalion and was killed in action on 23rd April 1917, aged 19.

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's body was not recovered from the battlefield or 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). 

He is also commemorated on the Eastham War Memorial.
 
His parents were living in Hadley End, Yoxall, Burton on Trent when they registered their details with the CWGC.

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