Pte 17411 Harry Lockhart

• Age: 29
• From: Glasgow
• 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.

Henry (Harry) Lockhart was born in Glasgow on 20th March 1887 the son of Henry Lockhart and his wife Helen (née McNab). His parents were both born in Stirlingshire, Scotland, in St. Ninian’s, near Bannockburn. They married in about 1876 and had seven children, one of whom died young. Of the six surviving children found on censuses, Harry had older siblings John, born in about 1878, Alice Oldroyd 1879, Isabella McGregor about 1881, Janet McNab about 1886, all born in Anderston, Glasgow, and James 1891, born in Liverpool.

Some time between Henry’s birth in 1887 and 1891, the family moved to Liverpool, where James was born after the census that year.

Prior to the war he was employed by Messrs L Connolly and Co Fruit Brokers. 

He was the goalkeeper for Old Xaverians who won the Liverpool Amateur Cup in 1912. 

He enlisted in Liverpool on the 11th September 1914 joining the 19^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 17411. He gave his age as 27 years and 150 days and his occupation as a Clerk. He is described as being 5ft 9 inches tall, weighing 150lbs with a 40 inch chest, grey eyes and brown hair. His religion is stated as Presbyterian and he gave his next of kin as his father, of 16 Langdale Road. 

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 16th April 1915 whilst at Knowsley he received a punishment of 2 days confined to barracks for creating a disturbance after 11pm. 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. On 04th May 1915 just after his arrival at Grantham he received 3 days confined to barracks for hesitating to carry out an order. They remained at Belton Park until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. He arrived in France on 07^th November 1915. 

Whilst in France he was treated at a Field Ambulance from 28th April - 08th May 1916 suffering from Influenza. 

He was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 29, 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.   

Harry's body was not recovered from the battlefield or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. 

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 CWGC record gives his age as 28 but based on his birthdate he would have been 29 years old.

His death was reported in the local press with the Liverpool Express reporting:

"Private Harry Lockhart, of the Pals (King's Liverpool Regiment) who has been killed at the front, was a member of the Old Xaverians football club and kept goal for that club when they won the Liverpool Amateur Cup 1912"

The Liverpool Echo reported on 14th August 1916 under the header: 

ANOTHER SEFTON PARK "PAL.

"Private Harry Lockhart (29), second son of Mr. Mrs. Henry Lockhart, 16, Langdale-road, Sefton Park, Liverpool, was killed in action on the 1st inst. Educated at Sefton Park and Holt schools, and the Liverpool Institute, he was member of the staff of Messrs. L. Connolly and Co., fruit brokers, Liverpool. He joined the "Pals" in August 1914, and became attached the machine-gun section. Along with a large number of friends, in civil life and in the ranks, Harry Lockhart was always a prime favourite". 

The newspaper added his name the next week (23rd August 1916) to the Old Xaverian casualties:  9 killed to date, including four Pals (the others being Sgt. B.J. Fleming, Pte. George McGuinness, and Pte. J.H. Range).

His Army pay and a War Gratuity of £8-10s went to his father Henry. No pension card has been found, suggesting that his parents did not apply for a pension, as on enlistment Harry stated that he had not lived out of his parents’ home for three or more years.

His father, in a sworn declaration signed on 10th May 1919, advised that Harry's living relatives were: his father Harry, his mother Helen, brothers John and James and sisters Alice, Isabell and Janet. 

His family received his three medals and his small book.. 

His father died in 1922 aged 72.

In 1939 his widowed mother, now 85, is living on private means at “Vaynor”, High Street, New Quay, Cardiganshire, on the Welsh coast, with her sister Alison McNab, 69, and daughter Alice, 60.

His mother died in early 1945 at the age of 91.

His brother James served in the King’s Liverpool Territorial Force and volunteered for overseas service.  He enlisted or was mobilised on 26th November 1915 and arrived in France with the 1/10th Bn (Liverpool Scottish) on 11th April 1916.  He survived the war and was demobbed in March 1919.

Harry is commemorated on

The Scottish National War Memorial

Liverpool’s Hall of Remembrance, Panel 65 Right 

Liverpool Institute 

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