Pte 52398 Saville Lyne

• Age: 20
• From: Aldingham
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Tuesday 31st July 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

Saville Line/Lyne was born in October 1896 in the village of Aldingham, Lancashire the son of George, an iron ore miner born in Crook, Westmorland, and Ann Line (nee Remington) who were married on the 4th December 1875 at the Parish Church, Ulverston. George was a farmer, father George, Ann was just 17, father Robert. He was baptised on the 10th January 1897 at St Cuthbert, Aldingham.

The 1901 Census shows the Line family living at Scales, Aldingham. Father George is aged 47, an iron ore miner b.Crook, Westmoreland, mother Ann aged 45, b.Ulverston, children b.Aldingham, George 24 an iron ore miner, May 19 a domestic servant, William 11, Maggie 8, and Saville aged 5.

Lakes Herald 20th April 1906

HAWKSHEAD HILL TEAPARTY.

The annual teaparty was held at the Hawkshead Hill Baptist Chapel on Good Friday, when shout 130 partook of tea. After tea the usual meeting followed and the room was uncomfortably packed. The chair was taken by Mr. N. Garnett, Hawkshead, and Miss Garnett presided at the harmonium. The Sunday School children were again presented with oranges, sweets and nuts by Messrs. Garnett and Irving, and the Sunday School prizes were also distributed. Tho lengthy programme consisted of recitations by Harriet  Wearing, Saville Lyne, ..... The usual votes of thanks were given at the conclusion and the proceedings terminated.

Mother Ann died in between censuses.

The 1911 Census shows the family have moved to Eller How, Lindale, Grange Over Sands. Widowed father George is aged 56, a coachman, children Saville aged 14, employed as an assistant gardener, and May aged 28, a housekeeper.  

Saville enlisted in the Border Regiment as Private 17281 giving his place of birth as Ulverston. He was subsequently transferred to the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 52398.

18^th Battalion

On this day, before Zero Hour, the 18^th Battalion was part of 21^st Brigade and was to form up for the attack from trenches from the area of Sanctuary Wood to Observatory Ridge but it was dark and continually falling rain gave very poor visibility. The departure of the 21^st Brigade was delayed by heavy shelling.

The 18^th King’s began to move forward in the rear of the 2^nd Battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment who had been detailed as the left attacking battalion of the 21^st Brigade.

No’s 1 and 3 Companies of the King’s led the way followed by No’s 2 and 4. In Sanctuary Wood there was considerable confusion, as a result No.2 and No.4 Companies became separated from the others, and were moved over to the left flank towards positions known as Surbiton Villas and Clapham Junction in the direction of the 90^th Brigade.

No.1 and 3 Companies were soon in action with the enemy, and were for a time, held up against an enemy strong point. They pushed forward with their right on a trench known as Jar Row and their left on the tramway south of Stirling Castle. Advance along Jar Row was held up by the Germans who put up a fierce resistance and the party was forced to withdraw.

Another group of men from No.1 and No.3 Companies led by 2^nd Lieutenant Graham were being held up by another strongpoint which was south of Stirling Castle, which was eventually stormed and taken.  Not far away from this action,  an attempt, by other men of No.1 and No.3 companies, was made to penetrate a broad belt of uncut wire, but this was covered by Machine-guns which killed almost every man attempting to pass through the two gaps that were discovered.

The situation was similar with No.2 and 4 Companies, who had attacked along the wrong axis. Their advance was met with fierce opposition, and once all the experienced officer’s had been killed or wounded, all cohesion was lost, although some men did reach and cross the Menin Road at Clapham Junction.

By that time, the situation had become extremely confused, and the whereabouts of all four companies being unknown to Battalion Headquarters, urgent attempts were made to discover their locations. Eventually by mid- afternoon, it was established that the bulk of the companies, although all mixed together, were dug in the vicinity of Stirling Castle and by mid evening, the Battalion Headquarters moved forward to meet them.

During its time in the line the 18^th Battalion lost 7 officers and 76 men killed or died of wounds and 7 officers and 177 men wounded. They were relieved on the 2^nd August.
The Barrow News report of 14/10/1916 indicates that he was wounded on 14/09/1916. This is confirmed by the 18th Battalion diary for 14/09 which clearly states: "S Lyne shell shock". This came after a prolonged Artillery bombardment by the British guns on enemy positions which provoked the usual response from the enemy of retaliation. It is probably this that led to Saville having to be taken out of the line. He was justv19 years of age at the time. 

Saville was killed in action on 31st July 1917 aged 20,  during an attack on Pilckem Ridge during the Third Battle of Ypres more commomly known as the Battle of Passchendaele.

He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial in Belgium.

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

He is also commemorated on the following Memorials:

Urswick, Stainton and Ardgarley WW1 Roll of Honour 

Urswick and Stainton War Memorial.

Soldiers Effects and Pension to father George.

The father died aged 76 in 1933.

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