Pte 33247 Samuel Johnson

• Age: 24
• From: St Helens, Lancs
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Samuel Johnson was born in Sutton Bank, St Helens in 1891, the son of Samuel Johnson and his wife Clara (nee Tonks) who were married on 04th April 1891 at St Nicholas' Church, Sutton. Samuel was a 22 year old labourer of Sutton, father Isaac, whilst Clara was aged 19 of Sutton, father Frederick.

Samuel was baptised on the 01st November 1891.  

The 1901 Census finds the family living at Halton Common, Halton. Samuel is 9 years of age and lives with his parents and two siblings. His father Samuel is a 31 year old saw yard labourer born in Norton, Cheshire, whilst his mother is 29 years of age and was born in Ashted Nechells, Birmingham. His siblings are listed as; Lily aged 8 born in St Helens and Gilbert aged 4 months and born in Halton. Also present is Harriet Tonks a 72 year old, described as grandmother, and who was born in Ashted Nechells, Birmingham. 

By 1911 the family address is recorded as Halton, Runcorn. Samuel is aged 19 and described as a grocer's assistant. He lives with his parents, father Samuel aged 41, and mother Clara aged 39 who advise that they have been married for 19 years and three of their four children have survived. His siblings declared in the household are; Lily aged 18 and Gilbert aged 10.   

Samuel was an enthusiastic participant of Runcorn Boating Club and was also a member of Halton Sons of Temperance. In his youth he was a member of the Halton Boys Brigade and was an old choir boy of Halton Church but at the time of the war he was associated with St Michael's Church, Runcorn where he was a member of the Bible Class.

At the time he enlisted in Liverpool in late November 1915 joining the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment, Samuel was employed as a grocer's assistant by Mr E Monks of Bridge Street, Runcorn.

He crossed to France as part of a reinforcement draft on 21st April 1916.

Samuel was killed in action during the attack at Montauban on the 01st July 1916, aged 24.

18^th Battalion Diary

At 6.30am the artillery commenced an intensive bombardment of the enemy’s trenches. Zero Hour – 7.30 am – the battalion commenced to leave their trenches and the attack commenced. The attack was pressed with great spirit and determination in spite of heavy shelling and machine gun enfilade fire which caused casualties amounting to 2/3rds of the strength of the Battalion in action. The whole system of German trenches including the Glatz Redoubt was captured without any deviation from the scheduled programme. Consolidated positions and made strong points for defence against possible counter attacks.

Graham Maddocks provides more detail concerning the events of the day:

As the first three waves began to move forward towards the German reserve line, known as Alt Trench and then on to the Glatz Redoubt itself, they suddenly came under enfilading fire from the left. This was from a machine gun which the Germans had sited at a strong point in Alt Trench. The gun itself was protected by a party of snipers and bombers, who, hidden in a rough hedge, were dug into a position in Alt Trench, at its junction with a communication trench known as Alt Alley. These bombers and snipers were themselves protected by rifle fire from another communication trench, Train Alley which snaked back up the high ground and into Montauban itself. The machine gun fire was devastating and it is certain that nearly of the Battalion’s casualties that day were caused by that one gun.  

Lieutenant Colonel Edward Henry Trotter  wrote in the conclusion of his account of the days action:

I cannot speak to highly of the gallantry of the Officers and men. The men amply repaid the care and kindness of their Company Officers, who have always tried to lead and not to drive. As laid down in my first lecture to the Battalion when formed, in the words of Prince Kraft:

“Men follow their Officers not from fear, but from love of the Regiment where everything had always and at all times gone well with them”.    

Joe Devereux in his book A Singular Day on the Somme gives the Casualty Breakdown for the 18^th Battalion as Killed in Action 7 Officers and 165 men and of those who died in consequence of the wounds 3 Officers and 19 men a total of 194 out of a total loss for the four Liverpool Pals Battalions of 257. 

Samuel's body was not recovered from the battlefield or was subsequently lost as he 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.”