Pte 21735 Arthur Hunt

• Age: 26
• From: Everton, Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• D.O.W Thursday 3rd August 1916
• Commemorated at: Corbie Cc Ext
  Panel Ref: II.A.32

Arthur Hunt was born on the 29^th January, 1890 in Everton, Liverpool and was baptised on the 22^nd June, 1890 at St Benedict C. of E. Church, Everton. He was the son of James and Rosa Ann Hunt of 23 Higher Lane, Fazakerley, Liverpool.

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 23, Higher Lane, Fazakerley, Liverpool.  His father, James, is aged 57, bornin Dublin, Ireland, in 1854 occupation house painter, his mother,  Rosa Ann, is aged 57, born in Manchester in 1854 and has no occupation listed. They have been married for 29 years and have had 5 children of which two died. They have two children in the household; Arthur aged 21, born 1890 is also house painter like his father, Rosa Evelyn aged 26, born 1885 is an upholsteress and both were born in Liverpool. Their other son Frederick born in 1884 had left the household by the time of the Census. They also had a boarder living with John William Nixon aged 26, born 1885 in Cumberland who was a police constable.

He enlisted on the 14^th November 1914 in Liverpool, joining the 19th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 21735. he gave his age as 24 years and 270 days and his occupation as a painter. He was described as being 5 feet six and half inches tall, weighed 120lbs, had a fresh complexion, grey eyes and dark brown hair. He stated his religion as Church of England.

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. 

07.11.15: Embarked to France with his battalion.

26.01.16: Field Punishment No2 for seven days for having a dirty rifle.

30.07.16: Wounded shell shock and gunshot wound to the head.

He was wounded on 30th July 1916 during the attack at Guillemont.

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. 

Arthur was taken to number 5 Casualty Clearing Station and died of wounds on 03rd August 1916, aged 26.

A report in the Evening Express dated 16th August 1916:

A LITHERLAND BANDSMAN.

News has this week been received that Pte. Arthur Hunt, of the Liverpool "Pals," who resided at Higher-lane, Fazakerley, was killed in action on August 3rd. He was a member of Litherland Prize Band, was well-known in the district, and was very popular with his colleagues of the band.

His death was also reported in the Bootle Times on the 18th August 1916.

He now lies in Corbie Communal Cemetery Extension, France, where his headstone bears the epitaph:

“HE DIED THAT WE MIGHT LIVE NEVER FORGOTTEN AT HOME”

Corbie was about 20 kilometres behind the front when Commonwealth forces took over the line from Berles-au-Bois southward to the Somme in July 1915. The town immediately became a medical centre, with Nos 5 and 21 Casualty Clearing Stations based at La Neuville (the suburb across the Ancre) until October 1916 and April 1917 respectively. In November 1916 the front moved east, but the German advance in the Spring of 1918 came within 10 kilometres of the town and brought with it field ambulances of the 47th Division and the 12th Australian Field Ambulance. The communal cemetery was used for burials until May 1916, when the plot set aside was filled and the extension opened. The majority of the graves in the extension are of officers and men who died of wounds in the 1916 Battle of the Somme. The remainder relate to the fighting of 1918. The communal cemetery contains 249 First World War burials, the extension 918. The extension was designed by Charles Holden.

He is also commemorated on the following Memorials:

Hall of Remembrance, Liverpool Town Hall, Panel 55 Left

Emmanuel C. of E. Church, Fazakerley

Liverpool Prestbytery (Trinity, Walton)

Also on the family headstone at Kirkdake Cemetery. 

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