Pte 29123 James Hunt

• Age: 27
• From: Liverpool
• 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.

James Hunt was born on the 03rd June 1889 in Liverpool the son of Henry William (Harry) Hunt and his wife Elizabeth (née Williams) of 19 Harewood Street, Everton, Liverpool who married at St Clement's Church, Toxteth on the 03rd August 1874. Henry was a 22 year old painter of 32 Embledon Street, father James a brass finisher, whilst Elizabeth was aged 22, same address, father Richard a joiner.

James was baptised on 19th June 1889 at St Saviour's Church, Everton, his father was a painter of 51 Stonehill Street. 

James was the youngest of seven children;  he had sisters Mary Emma, Elizabeth, and Edith Margaret, and brothers Henry Milburn, Alfred, and Charles. 

In 1891 the Census records one year old James as having six older siblings: Mary E. aged 15 a general servant, Elizabeth 14 a general servant, Edith M. 11 at school, Henry 9 at school, Alfred 7 at school, and Charles aged 4. Their mother Elizabeth was born in Liverpool and was 38 and their father Henry was 39 and a house painter born in Ireland. The family’s address was 15 Winchester Road, Liverpool.     

James’s brother Henry died at the age of 15, in 1896.

By the time of the 1901 Census the family lived at 4 Venus Street, James is 11 and lives with his parents and siblings. His mother, Elizabeth, is aged 49, his father, Henry, is aged 49, and is still working as a house decorator, as are sons Alfred 17, and Charles, 15. Elizabeth, is aged 23, and working as a domestic cook. Edith is away working as one of three servants at the home of a borax manufacturer in Bankfield Road, West Derby. It is not known where James’s other sibling Mary is at this time. 

James’s father Henry died in 1902 at the age of 51. 

Edith married in October 1902, Mary Emma in 1903, and Alfred and Charles in 1906.  

The 1911 census shows 21 year old James working as a house painter, living with his widowed mother, now aged 60, at 19 Harewood Street. They also have two boarders. 

James enlisted in the 19th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 29123 in about May 1915, and likely went to France in early 1916. 

His brother Alfred enlisted alongside him as Private 29122 but he was posted to the 20th Battalion K.L.R.

James was killed in action on the 30th July 1916, aged 27, 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.    

James was originally posted as Missing and it wasn't until the following July that official notification was received. We can only imagine the distress of his family during this period of uncertainty. his death was presumed, for official purposes, as having occurred on or since 30th July 1916.

He was declared as Missing in the Liverpool Daily Post on the 18th Sept 1916:.  

King’s(Liverpool Regiment) - Hunt, 29123, J.;

James earned his two medals. 

His death was reported in the Liverpool Weekly Courier on Saturday 21 July 1917:  

FALLEN HEROES.

Private James Hunt, K.L.R., who has been missing since July 30th, 1916 is now officially reported killed. He was the younger brother of Private Alf Hunt, who was killed in action on September 15th, 1916 and resided with his widowed mother Mrs Hunt, 19 Harewood Street, Everton. 

His body was not recovered 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.”

His Army pay and a War Gratuity of £4-10s went to his mother, who was awarded a pension of 15/- a week from May 1917.

James is also remembered in the Hall of Remembrance at Liverpool Town Hall at Panel 56.

His brother Alfred had married Esther Moses in the winter of 1906, at St. John The Evangelist Church, Walton. In the following few years they had five children, two daughters and three sons. Alfred enlisted in the 20th Battalion The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private number 29122. At some point he transferred to the 20th County of London Battalion (Blackheath and Woolwich) as Private 6239.

Alfred was killed in action, just months after James, on 15th September 1916 and like his brother he is also commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme and remembered in the Hall of Remembrance at Liverpool Town Hall Panel 55 Left. He was 32 years of age.

Their brother Charles died in the County Asylum in Whittingham, a psychiatric hospital near Preston, and was buried in Walton Park Cemetery in Liverpool on 11th November 1916. Charles was the father of two daughters and was 29 years of age.

In less than four months, Elizabeth lost her three sons.

Two notices were published in the Liverpool Echo on 14th July 1917:

Missing now Killed – Private James Hunt K.L.R. who has been missing since 30th July 1916 is now officially reported killed on that date. He was the younger brother of Private Alfred Hunt, killed in action on September 15th 1916, and resided with his mother Mrs Hunt at 19 Harewood Street, Liverpool.

Hunt – July 30th 1916, reported missing, now presumed killed on that date, aged 27 years Private James Hunt, K.L.R. (19th Pals), the dearly loved youngest son of the late Henry Hunt and of Elizabeth Hunt, 19 Harewood Street, Everton. Sadly missed and fondly remembered by his mother and sisters.

The Commonwealth War Graves site gives the following information about James: Son of Mrs. Elizabeth Hunt, of 19, Harewood St., Everton, Liverpool.

Further tragedy befell the family when his sister lost her husband in a tragic accident details of which are featured in the article below which appeared in the Liverpool Echo on Tuesday 04 September 1917: 

NEARLY £180. 

ECHO READERS AND THE FUND FOR MRS. BELL.  

The right spirit continues to be shown by "Echo" readers, and our fund on behalf of Mrs. Bell, the widow of the heroic railwayman who lost his life in trying to save a girl, and thereby leaving a widow and five young children at a time when the widow had already lost three soldier brothers, has now risen to £178 15s 1d, this being a jump of £41 odd since yesterday. Mrs. Hunt, of 19, Harewood-street. Anfield, mother of Mrs. Bell, writes: I feel it incumbent upon to thank you for the kindly interest you have shown towards her and the children. Not forgetting those who have so generously responded to your appeal, it does my heart good as the mother of three sons who have bravely fought and died for their country, and son-in-law who unselfishly gave his life for another, to see that the public appreciate heroism, and have a thought for the wife and little ones left behind to mourn the loss of an heroic father.—Gratefully yours, Mrs. Hunt. 

In 1939 his mother was still living at 19 Harewood Street. 

She died on the 26th January 1941, aged 88. 

Her death featured in the Liverpool Echo on Thursday 30 January 1941: 

HUNT— Jan. 26. in hospital, aged 88 years, ELIZABETH, of 19 Harewood Street, widow of Harry Hunt and dear mother of Lil Roberts, 528 Utting Avenue, Liverpool 4, and Edie Brice, 2 Eccleshill Road, Liverpool 13. (At rest.) Private family funeral, Walton Park Cemetery to-day (Thursday) (All please accept this—the only—intimation.) 

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