L/Cpl 31611 Francis Lennon Mansley

• Age: 19
• From: Liverpool
• 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.

Francis Lennon Mansley was born in late 1887 in Waterloo, Liverpool the son of Alfred William Mansley and his wife Mary Ann (née Chase). His parents married in 1896 with the mariiageregistered at West Derby. Frank was the eldest of their seven children.  He had brothers Alfred, Stephen Henry (who died in infancy), and Ernest, and sisters Winifred, Edith, and Hilda. His father was baptised Catholic in 1896 in order to marry. Winifred, Stephen, and Edith were baptised Catholic, but no baptisms have been found for the other children.

At the time of the 1901 census his father is the resident postman in the Post Office in Brown Street, Bootle, and his mother is the post office cleaner. Both parents are 25. They have Francis, 4, and Winifred, 1 year old.  Also in the household is Rose M. Mansley, his father’s sister, 14, a general servant. 

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 9 Brookland Road, Old Swan, Liverpool. His father, Alfred William aged 35, was born in Liverpool in 1876 and his occupation, is recorded as Head Postman, G.P.O. His mother Mary Ann is aged 35, born 1876 in Oswestry. They have been married for fifteen years and have had seven children of which one had died. Those children listed in the property are shown as; Francis Lennon aged 14, born 1897, Winifred Isabella aged 11, born 1900, Alfred William aged 9, born 1902 and Edith Mary aged 6, born 1905 are at school, Hilda Margaret is aged 3, born 1908 and Ernest Stephen aged 1, born 1910. Also at the address is Mary Sullivan aged 33, born 1878 in Liverpool who is a charwoman.  Francis Lennon was born in Waterloo and the rest of the children were born in Bootle.  

Frank followed his father into a career in the Post Office. The Post Office Appointment Books show that Francis L. Mansley was nominated as Assistant Postman in 1913 and as Postman in 1916.

Francis enlisted in Liverpool joining the 19^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private 31611 in the second half of 1915 and arrived in France in 1916.

He had reached the rank of Lance-Corporal when he was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 19, 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.   

Francis' 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 name appeared in the list of Wounded published in the Liverpool Daily Post on 02nd August 1916, but less than six weeks later he had been declared killed, included in the list of K.L.R. casualties Killed on 11th September 1916.

His death was also reported in the Liverpool Echo on 20th September 1916:

“Lance-Corporal Francis L. Mansley, K.L.R., has been killed in action.  He was just over 19 years of age.”

Francis is also commemorated on the following Memorials:

Liverpool Post Office Staff, Liverpool

Liverpool’s Hall of Remembrance, Panel 18

His Army effects and a War Gratuity of £3 went to his mother, who received a gratuity in lieu of a pension in February 1917.

In the Liverpool Echo on the first anniversary of his death on 30th July 1917 under the heading ‘Lost At The Battle of Guillemont’, a memorial notice was placed:

“In loving memory of Francis Lennon Mansley, lance-corporal K.L.R. (Pals), killed in action July 30, 1916. (Fondly remembered by all at 8 Kensington.)”

And by a friend or sweetheart:

“In loving memory of Lance-corporal Francis Lennon Mansley, Pals, (my hero), who fell in action July 30, 1916. Fondly remembered by Dolly and all.”

On the second anniversary of his death in 1918 he was remembered in the Roll of Honour In Memoriam column in the Liverpool Echo:

“In loving memory of Francis (Frank) Mansley, K.L.R. (“Pals”), killed in action July 30, 1916. (Not forgotten.) - Dolly and all.”

And by his parents:

“In loving memory of Francis L. Mansley, 19th K.L.R. (Pals), killed in action July 30, 1916. Never forgotten by all at 8, Kensington.”

His brother Ernest gave his name as Ernest Stephen Francis when he married in 1931.

His father was awarded the Imperial Service Medal for civil servants on his retirement in 1935 as Liverpool Post Office Inspector.

Some time after his retirement, they moved to Birmingham and in 1939 are living at 116 Cole Valley Road.  His father is 64, and his mother 63.  Also in the household is Joseph Mansley born 02/02/1916, relationship unknown. 

His mother died at 72 in 1948, and his father the following year, aged 74, both in Birmingham.

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