Pte 17601 Albert Edward Hughes

• Age: 28
• From: Birkenhead, Cheshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Albert Edward Hughes was born in Eastham, Birkenhead on the 04th November 1887, the son of Samuel Hughes who was also born in Eastham, and his wife Emma (nee Boughey) who was born in Nantwich. The couple married on the 29th  August 1870 in St Nicholas' Church, Liverpool. Samuel was a gardener of Old Post Office Place, father Samuel a joiner, whilst Emma was also of Old Post Office Place, father Richard a timber merchant. Albert was baptised on 26th February 1888 at St Mary, Eastham. He was the ninth of eleven children.  He had older siblings Hannah, Samuel Robert, John, Thomas Edwin, Alice, Mabel, and William Ernest.  Albert Edward was given the same name as a brother who had been born the year before but had died in infancy.  He had younger siblings Harold and Ethel. 

The family lived in Eastham Village in 1891 when Albert was 3 years old. Samuel was 48 and a railway signal man, Emma was 41. The couple had 8 other children in the household at this time – 20 year old Hannah was working away as a housemaid in the household of a cotton broker in Bebington, and living at home were Samuel 18 years old and a coachman, 16 year old John was a postman, Thomas 14 was an errand boy, and at home were Alice 11, Mabel 9, William 7 and Harold aged 1.

Still living in Eastham at the time of the 1901 census, 13 year old Albert had 5 siblings living at home – Thomas who was a clerk on the Manchester Ship Canal, Alice who was a housemaid, and William who was a gardener as well as Harold, and Ethel who had been born in 1892.

By the time of the 1911 census, the family’s address is Rose Cottage, Eastham. Albert’s father, aged 67, is now a retired railwayman, his mother is 63. Four of the couple’s unmarried children are living at home, all in their 20s – Mabel is 29, William 27 and Albert 23 are both gardeners and Harold 21 who is a telephone clerk for the Manchester Ship Canal.

Of Albert’s other siblings not living at home at the 1911 census, records show that Samuel is married and living in Wavertree, Liverpool, he is a bedroom steward on ships, John is a gardener and part time postman, he’s married with 5 children and still living in Eastham. Thomas is married and living in Caversham, he’s a foreman of works for Thames Conservancy. Alice was one of 8 servants in the house of a cotton merchant in Eastham. Ethel was a servant in the Settle Union Workhouse in Giggleswick, Yorkshire.

Prior to the outbreak of war Albert was employed as a chauffeur to Mr A Read, “Plymyard” Eastham. Alfred Henry Read was a shipowner who lived in Plymyard Avenue in Eastham, who had five live-in servants in 1911.

Albert enlisted on the 11th September 1914 at Liverpool, joining the 19th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 17601. His brother William enlisted in the same battalion on the same day, regimental number 17607.  The brothers trained together and went to France together. Albert gave his age as 26 years and 323 days and his occupation as a clerk. He was described as being five feet six and three quarter inches tall, weighed 128lb, fresh complexion, blue eyes, light brown hair and gave his religion as Church of England. Further army documentation Form B. 121 lists his occupation as a motor driver.

Formed on 7^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. 

On 07th November 1915 both Albert and William embarked for France with his battalion.

Albert was killed in action on the 30th July 1916, aged 28, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive.

19^th Battalion Diary 30^th July 1916

MALTZ HORN FARM

BATTLE begun. ZERO hour 4:45 am. The Battalion reached its objective, but suffered heavy losses, and had to evacuate its position owing to no reinforcements.

Everard Wyrall gives details of the attack in his book The History of The King’s Regiment; 

"The 2nd Attack on Guillemont- 29th July 1916 the 89th Brigade the 20th King's were to attack on the right and the 19th on the left. During the evening of the 29th the night was dark and foggy when the Battalions moved off and the 19th with Lt Col G Rollo commanding, when passing the South east of the Briqueterie they were heavily shelled first with H E and then with a new kind of asphyxiating Gas shell which had curious results, at first it had no nasty effect but about 8 hrs later men began to fall sick with violent headaches and pains in the stomach. All ranks had to wear gas masks which in the darkness and mist made the going terribly difficult. It was indeed wonderful that they were able to reach their Assembly point at all. But they did and by 2.45 a.m. on the 30th July 1916 the Btn was assembled having suffered about 30 Casualties on the way up ready for the Zero hour at 4.45 a.m.

It is known that the two left Companies of the 19th under Capt. Dodd and Capt. Nicholson advanced in touch with the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on their left although they suffered many casualties from Machine gun Fire did not encounter many Germans and reached their final objective about the time allocated, beginning at once to dig in south of the orchard on the South east corner of Guillemont.  

On the left of the 19th the Scots Fusiliers most gallantly forced their way through Guillemont to the eastern side of the village but were soon overwhelmed by the enemy and few returned. 

At 8 a.m. finding that the village was not held the two left Companies of the 19th received no word from the rear or either flank believed themselves to be totally isolated so were forced to fall back and dig in, their position being untenable.

At midday the effective fighting strength of the 19th Btn was just 7 Officers and 43 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.

Casualties in the 19^th Battalion were 11 Officers and 435 Other Ranks 

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.       

His body was not recovered from the battlefield or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme.

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.”

Albert was listed in the Roll of Honour (killed) in the Liverpool Echo on 30th August:

"Private Albert Edward Hughes, K.L.R. Son of Mrs. Hughes, Eastham. Prior to the war was employed as a chauffeur."

His death was reported in the Birkenhead News on 02nd September 1916:

"Official information has been received by Mr. and Mrs. S. Hughes, of Eastham, that their son, Pte. Albert Edward Hughes, was killed on July 30th. He was attached to a Liverpool Regiment. He was well known and liked in the village, his sunny disposition earning him the nickname 'Smiler'."

Albert earned his three medals, which his father signed for.

His Army pay and a War Gratuity of £8-10s went to his father. The pension card in the name of his father shows that he was awarded a pension of 5/- a week.  It also notes as beneficiary "Living soldier W.E. Hughes 17607".

William was posted to 12th Bn. K.L.R. at some point, and suffered a gunshot wound to the right arm with damage to the ulnar nerve.  He was discharged as Acting Corporal on 1st August 1917 as permanently physically unfit, with a Silver War Badge and a 60% disability pension.

On the first anniversary of his death his parents placed an In Memoriam notice in the Birkenhead News:

"In loving memory of Private Albert E. Hughes (Crick) Liverpool Pals, killed in Battle of Guillemont, July, 1916. - Never forgotten by all at home, Rose Cottages Eastham."

Albert Edward Hughes is remembered on the following Memorials:

Eastham War Memorial, Eastham, Cheshire 

Hall of Remembrance, Liverpool Town Hall Panel 55 Left 

and on the family gravestone in St. Mary's Churchyard, Eastham -

                     In Loving Memory
            ALSO OF ALBERT EDWARD
WHO WAS KILLED IN ACTION IN FRANCE
                    JULY 30TH 1916
                    AGED 28 YEARS

In 1919 his parents still lived in Rose Cottages. All five of his brothers and four sisters were still living, but no ages or addresses given.

His father died in 1923 aged 79, and his mother at 77 in 1926.

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