Pte 17416 Thomas William Little

• Age: 23
• 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.

Thomas William Little was born on the 12th February 1893 at Birkenhead and was baptised on 19th April 1893 at St John the Evangelist Church, in Birkenhead. He was the son of Thomas George Little and his wife Elizabeth Jane (nee Hadden). His parents married on the 29th July 1891 at St Saviour's Church, Everton. Thomas was a 27 year old stoker of 180 Salisbury Road, father John Edward a labourer, whilst Elizabeth was aged 27, of the same address, father William a moulder. Thomas was the eldest of their five children. His siblings were John, Albert Edward (who died in infancy), Doris, and Herbert.

At the time of the 1901 Census the family is living at 15 Vincent Street in Birkenhead.  His father is aged 37, a barge fireman born in Birkenhead, mother Elizabeth is aged 36, born in LiverpooL. They have three children in the household; Thomas is 7, John 6, and Doris one year old. 

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 14 Windsor Street, Birkenhead. His father, Thomas, is shown as being aged 47, born in Birkenhead in 1864 with his occupation recorded as a marine engineer on Woodside Ferry boats. His mother, Elizabeth Jane, is aged 46 and born in 1865 in Liverpool. They have been married for nineteen years and have had five children one of whom had sadly died. Those recorded at the property are shown as; Thomas William aged 18, born 1893 is a solicitors clerk and John Percival aged 16, born 1895 is a clerk in an estate agents office, Doris aged 11, born 1900 is at school and Herbert Sidney is aged 3, born 1908. Their children were all born in Birkenhead. 

Thomas enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool on 02nd September 1914 joining the 19th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 17416. He gives his age as 21 years and 272 days, and his occupation as clerk. He was described as being 5’ 5” tall, weighing 129 lbs, 35” chest with a dark complexion, grey eyes and brown hair, and has scars around his neck. He stated his religion as Church of England and his next of kin was his father, Thomas of 14 Windsor Street, Birkenhead. 

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. 

Whilst at Belton Park, on 21st June 1915 he was awarded 7 days Field Punishment No.2 and forfeited 2 days pay for being absent from 11:55 p.m. on the 20th until 6:45 a.m. the next day.

On 12th October 1915 at Larkhill he was charged with not complying with an order (safety catch off on parade), but the charge was dismissed on the 15th.

He arrived in France with his battalion, disembarking at Boulogne on 07th November 1915.

Thomas was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 23, 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.    

Before the Guillemont casualties were known, the local paper on 05th August 1916 ran profiles of local men serving under the header, 

“Our Patriots”, 

“Private Thomas William Little, whose home address is 14, Windsor Street, is with the 19th Liverpool “Pals”.  He is 23 years of age and was educated at the Higher Elementary School.  Before joining the army Pte. Little was employed by the Vesta Cake Co., Liverpool.”

He was reported Missing in the Birkenhead newspaper on 09th September 1916, his parents appealing for information.

He was also reported Missing in the Liverpool Daily Post on Monday 18 September 1916; 

His parents were not officially notified until fourteen months later, reported in the Birkenhead News on 26th September 1917:

“News has been received to the effect that Pte. T. W. Little, 14, Windsor Street, previously reported missing since 30th July, 1916, is now presumed killed in action. […]. His younger brother, who was serving in the Navy, was killed in the Jutland battle.”

Thomas' 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.”

Thomas earned his three medals.

The family had already had to endure the loss of a son, when his brother, John Percival was killed, aged 21, on 31st May 1916, just two months before Thomas was killed. He had joined the Navy before the war in 1913 when he was 18.  At Jutland, H.M.S. Defence was fired upon by one German battlecruiser and four dreadnoughts as she attempted to engage a disabled German light cruiser. She was struck by two salvoes from the German ships that detonated her aft magazine. The fire from that explosion spread to the secondary magazines and the ship exploded with the loss of all hands.  Between 893 and 903 men were killed.

Pension cards exist in the name of their mother for both sons, amount not specified. Thomas’ Army pay and a War Gratuity of £8-10s went to his father.

In 1919 Doris, 19, and Herbert, 12, were living at home with their parents at 14 Windsor Street.

Doris married but in another blow for the parents, she died at age 33 in 1933.

In 1939 his parents live at “Ingledene”, Irby Road.  His father is a retired engine driver.

His father died on the 11th November 1948, aged 83.

Thomas and John are both commemorated on the Men of Birkenhead Cenotaph.

Thomas is also commemorated on the Higher Elementary School Memorial, Birkenhead.

John is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial.

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