Pte 26195 William Barrett

• Age: 25
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Thursday 12th October 1916
• Commemorated at: Warlencourt Brit Cem
  Panel Ref: III.C.10

William Barrett was born on  the 06th February 1891 in Liverpool, the son of Frederick William Barrett and his wife Esther Jane (née Dickson) who were married on the 25th November 1889 at St Peter's Church, Liverpool. William snr was a 19 year old labourer of Birket Street, father William a mariner, whilst Esther was aged 21 also of Birket Street, father James a plasterer. He was baptised on 15th February 1891 at Holy Trinity Church, Liverpool, parents address 1 Court 11 House, Birkett Street. 
 
William is recorded as a new born baby on the 1891 Census. The family are living at 1 Court, Birkett Street, Liverpool. His father is recorded as William a 21 year old dock labourer born in Liverpool, whilst his mother, shown as Hester is 23 years of age and was also born in Liverpool.  They have another son one year old James E. Also present is Esther's brother Thomas Dickson a 20 year old engraver. 

The 1901 Census finds the family living at 76 Foley Street, with five children and a domestic servant. His father is aged 30, a dock porter, mother, Esther, is aged 29, children are recorded as Edmund J. 12, William 10, Maggie 8, Esther Jane 4, Frederick 2, and servant Sarah Johnson 15. 

The 1911 Census finds the family still living at 76 Foley Street, Liverpool. William is 20 years of age and a dock labourer. He lives with his parents and seven siblings. His parents advised that they had been married for 22 years and had ten children of whom eight have survived. William's seven siblings recorded in the household are: Edmund James a 21 year old dock labourer, Margaret an 18 year old composite box maker, Esther Jane a 14 year old home servant, Frederick a 12 year old scholar, Emily aged 9 and a scholar, Agnes aged 7 also a scholar and George aged 4.  

Prior to enlisting William had been employed by the North Dingle Tannery, Liverpool.

He enlisted in Prescot and the amount of the War Gratuity suggests that he enlisted in Spring 1915, arriving in France in 1916.

He married Cecilia Dawson at St Cuthbert's Church in Everton on 06th February 1916. William was a 25 year old tanner of 16 Vienna Street, father Frederick a dock labourer, whilst Cecilia was aged 26 of 9 Venmore Street, father John Moore a carter. His brother Edmund James was his best man. 

William was serving in the 17th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 26195 when he was killed in action on the 12th October 1916, during the Battle of the Transloy Ridges which was part of the ongoing Somme Offensive.

17^th Bn War Diary:  Battle of Transloy Ridge –                                               

11-10-16 - Gird Trench/Gird Support – Battalion in front line and support trenches. British bombardment of enemy front line system commenced about midday.  Hostile shelling was intermittent throughout the day.

12-10-16  - Our bombardment continued. Enemy reply weak.  2.5 p.m. Zero hour. Attack on German front line system commenced.  Enemy wire was found to be uncut and attack was unsuccessful.  Hostile machine gun fire was very heavy and caused many casualties. Battalion H.Q. and Support Trench were heavily shelled throughout afternoon and evening. […] During this action all communication had to be carried out by runners and carrier pigeons as all wires were being continually cut by enemy shelling.

Casualties: 5 officers killed,  5 officers wounded, 38 OR killed, about 225 OR wounded/missing etc.

Graham Maddocks, in “Liverpool Pals” p.140, adds:

“As the whistle blew, the 17^th Battalion left its trenches to move forward.  […]  As soon as the attacking waves left their trenches the enemy artillery began to register on them, and at the same time, the defending infantry commenced a murderous rain of fire.  […]  Although their numbers had been depleted by the British bombardment, they were trained and experienced soldiers, well dug in on high ground, and for the most part, looking out on uncut wire.  As such, it was virtually impossible for them to miss the City Battalion men struggling to advance in the mud towards them.   The 17^th Battalion, on the left, was particularly badly hit, as its portion of No Man’s Land contained a slight rise in the ground, and as the troops emerged onto it they were silhouetted against the sky and became easy targets.  Those on the left of the attack, who managed to avoid the hail of bullets and make it to the German wire, then found that it was totally uncut, and thus trapped, they too became easy targets, to be picked off almost at the enemy’s will.  It was hardly surprising that, seeing the first waves being wiped out, some of the following waves turned back and made for their start lines. These lines were now packed with other waves of troops, however, and the fleeing men added to the congestion already there, and became easy prey for the German gunners.  There is some evidence also, to suggest that at this stage, the British trenches were also being hit by their own heavy artillery shells which were falling short.”

His name appeared in the list of The Kings Liverpool Regiment "Missing" published in the Liverpool Post & Mercury on 16th November 1916. 

Warlencourt Cemetery is entirely a concentration cemetery, begun late in 1919 when graves were brought in from small cemeteries and the battlefields of Warlencourt and Le Sars.  The Graves Registration form shows graves from “Le Sars 6/1, 6/2, Hexham Road, Seven Elms”.

Graves were brought in from the original cemeteries at Hexham Road (Le Sars), and Seven Elms (Flers), as well as over 3,000 British graves due to the fighting which took place around the Butte de Warlencourt from the autumn of 1916 to the spring of 1917, and again in the German advance and retreat of 1918.   The cemetery now contains 3,505 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War, 1,823 of which are unidentified.

Warlencourt, the Butte de Warlencourt and Eaucourt-L'Abbaye were the scene of very fierce fighting in 1916. Eaucourt was taken by the 47th (London) Division early in October. The Butte (a Roman mound of excavated chalk, about 17 metres high, once covered with pines) was attacked by that and other divisions, but it was not relinquished by the Germans until the following 26 February, when they withdrew to the Hindenburg Line.

The 51st (Highland) Division fought a delaying action here on 25 March 1918 during the great German advance, and the 42nd (East Lancashire) Division recaptured the ground on 25 August 1918.

The cemetery was made late in 1919 when graves were brought in from small cemeteries and the battlefields of Warlencourt and Le Sars.

Cecilia received William’s Army pay and a War Gratuity of £5-10s, and was awarded a pension of 13/9d a week from June 1917, address shown as 28 Crete Street, Walton.

William was remembered by his wife in the Liverpool Evening Express on 13th October 1919: 

ROLL OF HONOUR. 

BARRETT - In ever loving memory of Private William Barrett, 17th K.L.R.(late Pals), killed in action, October 12, 1916. (Ever remembered by his loving wife, Ciss.)  

Dear to memory than words can tell 

Are thoughts of him I love so well. 

His mother died, in 1920, aged 51. 

Cecilia remarried in 1930 to his younger brother Frederick.

In 1939 Cecilia 49, and Frederick, 40, a discharged soldier, are living at 32 Crete Street.  His father, William F., 67, a retired dock labourer, is living at 34 Butterfield Street with son George.

His father died in 1950 aged 79. 

Cecilia appears to have died in 1979, aged 90.

Sadly, William has not been found on any memorial.

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