L/Cpl 21446 George Arthur Bebbington

George Arthur Bebbington was born on 09th August 1883 at Bexton Road, Knutsford, Cheshire to Weaverham born Professor of Music George William Bebbington and his Liverpool born wife Alice Sarah (nee Prowse). They married on 31st December 1879 at St. Andrews Church, Liverpool, Alice's hometown. George was a teacher of music of Weaverham, father Bayley a builder, whilst Alice was of 40 Mount Pleasant, father William Henry a shopkeeper. They then went to live in Weaverham, Cheshire at Grange View where her husband George was a Music Teacher.

 

In 1880 their first child Edith M. was born. They had a total of six children, three daughters and three sons. George was their third child and their first son. He was baptised on 14th October 1883 at St. Paul's Church, Knutsford. 

 

The Census of April 1891 shows George as a 7 year old scholar living at Bexton Road with his parents and four siblings; Edith M aged 10, Margaret A. aged 9, Lillian A. aged 6 and Bailey aged 5. There is also a servant declared in the household, employed by the family. 

 

George attended Egerton School and is taught by Mr Todd.

 

On 04th April 1895 he and younger brother Bailey were enrolled at Weaverham School leaving the area later that year.

 

On 20th May 1892 when aged just 9 his mother Alice aged 38 died tragically giving birth to his baby brother Charles.

 

George subsequently attended Knutsford Grammar School and taught by the Rev. J T Evans.

 

On leaving school he enters into an apprenticeship as a bank clerk at Parr's Bank, Northwich. He later transfers to the Sandbach branch and becomes a member of Sandbach Cricket and Tennis Clubs and regularly played for both.

 

The April 1901 Census shows the family are all still at Bexton Road Knutsford. George A. is now a 17 year old bank clerk, living with his 46 year old widowed father who is described as an Organist and Music Teacher. Also recorded are three sisters; Edith M. aged 20 and an assistant school mistress, Margaret A. aged 19 a pupil teacher and Lillian A. aged 16. His two brothers are listed as; Bailey aged 15 and Charles aged 8.   Also present is his aunt (his father's sister) Amy D. aged 39. 

 

After passing a bank examination he transfers to the Parr's Bank branch in Garston, Liverpool. 

 

The April 1911 Census shows George, aged 27, a bank clerk and a boarder now living at 10 Island Road, Garston with his 61 year old widowed landlady. His father is at the same address with his five siblings. He is 57, teaching music. Also in the household is his grandmother Hannah Bebbington, 84, his aunt Amy Dorothy Bebbington, and a visitor, William Edward Womersley, 24, a Cambridge undergraduate.

 

George became treasurer of Garston Cricket and Lawn Tennis Clubs, Captain of the 2nd XI and a prominent player for the club at Aigburth. He also becomes a member of the choir at St. Mary's Church, Grassendale.

 

On 04th May 1914 he, like his father, becomes a Freemason of the De Tabley Lodge in Knutsford. 

 

On 05th August 1914 his youngest brother Charles, a Private 250104 in the Territorial Force since 1912 is called up into the 6th Manchesters Corp. On 09th September 1914 Charles, after training in Chesham Fold Camp, Bury, is sent to Egypt with the 1/10th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment.

 

On 11th September 1914, aged 31 years and 33 days, George Arthur enlisted as Private 21446 into the 19th Battalion (Pals) of The King's Liverpool Regiment. He was described as being 5 foot 5 and a half inches in height, weighed 155 lbs with a 39 and a half inch chest . He had grey eyes and brown hair and his religion was stated as Church of England. His father, George William Bebbington, at 26 Bexton Road, Knutsford is named as his next of kin. He made a soldier's will naming his bank manager Ernest Harold Sheldon at Parr's Garston Branch as his Executor. 

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. 

On 28th October 1914 he is made "Unpaid" - L/Cpl for nearly 2 years

 

On 05th November 1914 Britain and France declare War on the Ottoman Empire. On 05th May 1915 his younger Brother L/Cpl 250104 Charles Bebbington of the 1/10th Manchesters is sent to Gallipoli, to join the April 1915 initial Allied landings.

 

23rd July 1915 George Arthur hears his younger brother Charles has been wounded at Gallipoli Turkey. 

 

After training at home in the UK for 1 year 56 days George Arthur and the 19th Pals are sent to France on 07th November 1915 for the next 266 days of his life.

 

On 23rd December 1915 his other younger brother Sergeant 3361 Bailey Bebbington of the Royal Field Artillery is also sent to France.

 

On 28th December 1915 they hear that their brother Charles and the 1/10th Manchesters have all been evacuated from Gallipoli back to Egypt.

 

On 04th March 1916 George Arthur is hospitalised in a Field Hospital in France suffering from influenza.After 6 days he rejoins his 19th Pals at the Front.

 

13 July 1916 George is finally promoted to "Paid" Lance Corporal. 

 

Just two weeks later on 30th July 1916 George is killed in action, aged 32, during the attack on the village of Guillemont, during the Somme battles.

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.          

His death was reported in the Liverpool Echo on 12th August 1916:

"News has been received that Lance corporal George Arthur Bebbingon, of the "Pals," was killed in action on the 31st July. He was thirty three years of age, and came to the Garston branch of Parr's Bank in 1908 from Sandbach. He was a native of Knutsford, Cheshire and during his stay in Liverpool district he earned the esteem of many friends who will deeply regret his loss. Lance corporal Bebbington was a popular member of the Liverpool and Garston Cricket Clubs, and was the treasurer of the latter and captain of its second eleven. He was also with the Garston Lawn Tennis Club, and was a member of St.Mary's Church choir, Grassendale, and a Freemason of the Knutsford Lodge." 

 

His father wrote on Bebbington family headed notepaper on 18th August 1916 to the Officer in Charge of records to query reports of his son's death.

His death was also reported in the Runcorn Guardian on 24th August 1916

LANCE CORPORAL G. A. BEBBINGTON

Mr G.W. Bebbington of 26 Bexton Road, Knutsford, has received official notification that is elder son Lance Corporal G. Arthur Bebbington was killed in action on July 30th. He lived at Garston (Lancs) being on the staff of Parr's Bank in the in that town. joining the Liverpool Pals at the outbreak of war, was trained at Knowsley and Grantham, and went out to the front on at the beginning of October 1915 where he remained until his death. Born at Knutsford on the 9th of August 1883, he received his early training under Mr Todd at the Egerton Schools and later at the Knutsford Grammar School under the Rev. J. T. Evans. His apprenticeship to the banking profession was served in the Parr's Bank, Northwich, and soon after the completion of it he was transferred to Sandbach, and then about 8 years ago to Garston. He was a member by examination of the Bankers Institute at Garston. He was the treasurer of the Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club, captain of the second eleven, and a prominent and popular player for that, and the Liverpool club at Aigburth. He was a member of the choir at St Mary's, Grassendale, and also that of his home church (boy and man), frequently taking treble or tenor roll solos. Some 3 years ago he joined the "De Tabley," Knutsford Lodge Freemasons. Whilst in Cheshire, he was a member of the Knutsford and Sandbach cricket and tennis clubs, and played often for both. 

On 25th August 1916 the Nantwich Guardian on page 5 printed a photograph and short biography on the death of George Arthur Bebbington:

L\Cpl George Arthur Bebbington Killed. Served with Liverpool Pals Regiment. Father G. W. Bebbington of Bexton Road. Clerk at Parrs Bank.

George was buried close to where he fell and after the war when the graves were concentrated he was reburied and now rests at Guillemont Road Cemetery.

Guillemont was an important point in the German defences at the beginning of the Battle of the Somme in July 1916. It was taken by the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on 30 July but the battalion was obliged to fall back, and it was again entered for a short time by the 55th (West Lancashire) Division on 8 August. On 18 August, the village was reached by the 2nd Division, and on 3 September (in the Battle of Guillemont) it was captured and cleared by the 20th (Light) and part of the 16th (Irish) Divisions. It was lost in March 1918 during the German advance, but retaken on 29 August by the 18th and 38th (Welsh) Divisions.

The cemetery was begun by fighting units (mainly of the Guards Division) and field ambulances after the Battle of Guillemont, and was closed in March 1917, when it contained 121 burials. It was greatly increased after the Armistice when graves (almost all of July-September 1916) were brought in from the battlefields immediately surrounding the village and certain smaller cemeteries, including:-

HARDECOURT FRENCH MILITARY CEMETERY. The village of Hardecourt-au-Bois was captured by French troops on the 8th July 1916, and again by the 58th (London) and 12th (Eastern) Divisions on 28 August 1918. Five British Artillerymen were buried by their unit in the French Military Cemetery, in the middle of the village, in September 1916; and in 1918 the 12th Division buried in the same cemetery 14 men of the 9th Royal Fusiliers and two of the 7th Royal Sussex.

Guillemont Road Cemetery now contains 2,263 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 1,523 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to eight casualties known or believed to be buried among them.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.

Probate of George's estate (showing his address as Moss Street, Garston) was granted to Ernest Harold Sheldon, bank manager, effects £157-12s-7d.

A War Gratuity of £8:14s was also sent to Executor H Sheldon 22 September 1919 in respect of George Arthur. He also received George's personal effects: 1 safety razor, 1 strop & blades in case, 1 wallet, letters, photos & cards, 2 diaries, 1 prayer book, and 1 identity disc.

 

02nd January 1917 his younger brother Sergeant Bailey Bebbington of the R.F.A. was commissioned to 2nd Lieutenant. 

 

02nd March 1917 George's youngest brother Charles and the 1/10th Manchesters are sent from Egypt to France.

In June 1917 his brother 2nd Lt  Bailey Bebbington captured 4 German guns and was awarded the Military Cross. (London Gazette, 16th August 1917):

"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He extricated two captured enemy guns from a most difficult position in a very much shelled area, getting them to a road, from which he got them into our lines, and his gun teams up, in spite of heavy shelling."

On 03rd July 1917 Charles was tried by a Field General Court Martial for, "1) Conduct to the prejudice of good order and military discipline. When in command of a patrol leaving a wounded comrade in the face of the enemy, and 2) Losing his rifle."  Charles was sentenced to six months imprisonment with hard labour, but the sentence was suspended then remitted "for excellent work and general good conduct in the field".

 

On 23rd March 1918 youngest brother Charles was wounded for a second time while fighting on the Somme with the Manchester Regiment.

In 1919 his father was still at 26 Bexton Road with Bailey, 33, and Charles, 26. His three sisters were married: Edith, 38, lived in Withington, Manchester; Margaret, 37, was in Knutsford; and  Lilian, 34, was in Stafford.

 

On 12 May 1919 brother Bailey Bebbington became a Freemason in the De Tabley Knutsford Lodge.

 

On 12 January 1920 Charles Bebbington also became a Freemason in the De Tabley Knutsford Lodge

George is commemorated on the following Memorials:

Parrs Bank Memorial (Garston branch) now situated at NatWest Bank, Allerton Road, Liverpool

Masonic Roll of Honour, Masonic Hall, Hope Street, Liverpool


He is also commemorated on the Bebbington family grave in the graveyard at the front of St John's Parish Church, Knutsford.