Pte 22012 Thomas Boswell Beattie

• Age: 21
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• K.I.A Monday 10th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Born on 23rd May 1895, Thomas Boswell Beattie was the second eldest child of Thomas Boswell and his wife Mary (nee Wood). His parents married at St Philemon's Church, Toxteth Park in 1893. His father was born in 1862 in Liverpool, and was a policeman. He died in December quarter of 1899 aged 37. 

There were three other children - Florence Mary born 1894, George, born 1897 and Louisa Fanny, born 1899. Thomas was baptised at St Peter's Church, Liverpool on 10th June 1895.

In 1901 Mary and her two younger children are shown in the Census at 64 Asbridge Street, Liverpool 8.  Young Thomas is at the nearby home of his uncle, William Little and his wife Sandra (nee Wood), at 9 Vronhill Street. 

In 1911 the Census shows that the family are back together at 64 Asbridge Street, Lodge Lane. Mother is widowed (married 18 years ago having 4 children),  she is aged 47, born in Salcombe, Devon. Her children were all born Liverpool, Thomas Boswell aged 15  is a junior clerk with an export beer bottler, George 14 is at school, and Louisa Fanny 12 is also at school. Also there is Frank Lowrey, a boarder, aged 6. 

On 06^th November 1914, Thomas enlisted at Liverpool in the 20^th Battalion KLR as Private 22012, giving his age as 19 years 155 days and his occupation as clerk. He was described as being 5'6 3/4" inches in height, weight 131lbs, with a 36" chest, fresh complexion, brown eyes, and brown hair. His religion is stated as C. of E.

Formed in November 1914 the 20^th Battalion were originally billeted at Tournament Hall, Knotty Ash before on 29^th January 1915 they moved to the hutted accommodation purposely built at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 20th 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. He arrived in France on 7^th November 1915.

His service record shows that on 05^th April 1916 he was charged with “Leaving the ranks without permission” and “Making an improper reply to an NCO”.  He was sentenced to 4 days Field Punishment No.1 which meant that he could be restrained by fetters or handcuffs and fastened to an immovable object such as a wheel for up to 2 hours each day.

On 10^th July 1916, Thomas was killed in action, aged just 21 years, during the fighting for Trones Wood. He earned three medals including the 1914/15 Star.

The murderous fighting that went on inside Trones Wood rendered it impossible to put specific dates on some of the casualties. 

The conditions are best described in the following passage from Everard Wyrall’s book The History of The King’s Regiment (Liverpool) Volume II. 

The remembrance of Trones Wood in July 1916 to those who passed through it is of a noisome, horrible place, of a tangled mass of trees and undergrowth which had been tossed and flung about in frightful confusion by the shells of both sides. Of the ghastly dead which lay about in all directions, and of DEATH, lurking in every hole and corner with greedy hands ready to snatch the lives of the unwary.  The place was Death trap, and although the attacks were made with great determination,   the presence of snipers who could not be detected and often fired into the backs of our men made the clearing of the wood impossible.

His body was not recovered and Thomas 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 01^st 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.”