Pte 21551 Frederick Charles Lowe

• Age: 22
• From: Ashton in Makerfield
• 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.

Frederick Charles Lowe was born in Ashton-In-Makerfield in the fourth quarter of 1893, the son of William Lowe and his wife Alice (nee Hughes).

The 1901 Census shows Frederick, aged 7, living at 40 Spindle Hillock, Ashton-in-Makerfield. His parents are both present in the household, his father William is aged 50 is shown as a Hinge Works Management Secretary born in Lancashire. His mother, Alice is 48 years of age and was born in Pemberton. His siblings are shown as Arthur (27), William (20), Beatrice (15), Harold (12), Hetty (10) and Edith (5).

His mother Alice died, aged 57, in the September quarter of 1910. 

The 1911 Census shows the family living at Garswood View, 40 Spindle Hillock, Ashton in Makerfield. His father William is now aged 60, a widower and is shown as Secretary and Manager of a Co-operative Society. Frederick is now 17 and shown as at school. His siblings are recorded as; Beatrice Emily a 25 year old certified elementary school mistress, Harold Stanley a 22 year old bank clerk and Edith 15 years of age.   

Frederick enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool on 04th September 1914 joining the 19^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 21551. Although his original number of 18152 has been struck through. He gave his age as 20 years and 340 days upon attestation and advised that he was a student at Liverpool University. He is described as being 5' 9 inches tall, weighing 135 lbs with a 35 inch chest. He has a fresh complexion with blue eyes and brown hair. He stated his religion as Church of England and next of kin as his father William, of Garswood View, later Thornhill, Prescot. 

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 Larkhill Frederick was admonished for having dirty kit on inspection. He arrived in France on 7^th November 1915. 

He was attached to the RAMC for Guard duties at Chipilly from 14th January 1916 - 09th March 1916. He returned to the 19th battalion and was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 22, 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.   

Frederick's body was not recovered 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 death was reported in the Ormskirk Advertiser on Thursday 30 August 1917:

UNIVERSITY GRADUATE KILLED.

SON OF NORTH ASHTON RESIDENT.

PRIVATE F. C. LOWE.

Mr and Mrs Lowe of Garswood View, North Ashton, has received the sad news that their son, Private F. C. Lowe, 28551, King's Liverpool Regiment, has been killed in action. A highly promising career has just been fatally terminated, and the sympathy of all will go out to the bereaved family. He was 23 years of age and enlisted as early as September 3rd 1914. In the scholastic profession he had been eminently successful. He graduated at Liverpool University and earned his B.Sc in June before enlisting. In athletics he also gained some celebrity. He won the Cup for jumping at Liverpool in 1913, and at the time of his death was the holder of the Inter-Varsity Cup for jumping gained at the sports at Manchester. He was the holder of the double colours for sports and football. Another brother is is at the front.

Soldiers Effects to father William, no Pension record found. 

In a sworn declaration on 21st August 1919 his father William, living at Thornhill, Warrington Road, Prescot advised that Frederick's survivng relatives were; his brother Harold, and his sisters Alice Gertrude Ratcliffe, Beatrice Emily Pigot and Edith Lowe. 

Frederick earned his three medals, the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.

Frederick is commemorated on the following memorials -

Liverpool University

Holy Trinity, Ashton-in-Makerfield

North Ashton Soldiers and Sailors.

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