Pte 22765 Herbert Bright Mawdsley

• Age: 21
• From: Crosby
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• K.I.A Thursday 12th October 1916
• Commemorated at: Warlencourt Brit Cem
  Panel Ref: V.D.11

Herbert Bright Mawdsley was born in 1895 in Crosby, the son of John Mawdsley and his wife Sarah Ellen(nee Whittle) who were married in 1888 at St Helen’s, Sefton. John was a joiner by trade who had been born in Crosby in 1864, Sarah had been born in 1862 in Maghull. 

At the time of the 1901 census the family were living at 73 Victoria Road, Crosby. 

Father John aged 37, a joiner b. Great Crosby, mother Sarah E. aged 39 b.Maghull, Children born Crosby, 6 year old Herbert and his four sisters: Alice aged 11, Margaret 9, Emily 7 and 5 year old Edith. 

The 1911 census records him, his parents and all of his sisters living at 5 Claremont Terrace, Victoria Road, Crosby. 

Father John aged 47 still a joiner, mother Sarah Ellen aged 49(married 23 years 5 children). Alice 21 is at home, Margaret 19 and Emily 17 are both postal clerks, Herbert B. 16 is a greengrocers apprentice and Edith 15 works in a sweetshop.  

Herbert was on the staff of Messrs. Parker and Co., fruit merchants, Rainford Square, Liverpool prior to the war. 

He enlisted on the 10th November 1914 and joined the 20th Battalion as Private 22765 at the age of 19 years and 11 months. He was born in Great Crosby, occupation fruiterer, and described as 5’ 11” tall, weighing 140 lbs, 37” chest, having a sallow complexion with brown eyes and dark brown hair. Religion C. of E. He gave his NOK as father John, 5 Claremont Terrace. Service record states he was a Signaller. 

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 sailed to France with his Battalion on 7th November 1915.

He was killed in action by a shell on 12th October, 1916, aged 21.

According to the 20^th Bn War Diary, on 10th October 1916 the battalion marched from Dernancourt via Mametz to Bazentin Le Grand where it bivouacked for the night. The next day the battalion moved up to site for assembly trenches, arriving about 11 p.m., where it dug in two good trenches, Nos.1 and 2 Coys front and Nos.3 and 4 Coys in rear.

From the War Diary:

Near Eaucourt L’Abbaye.  12/10/1916. The 4^th British and 6^th French armies continued the attack. Zero 2.5 p.m.  The whole XVth Corps attacked […]  The attack of 89^th Inf Bde was carried out with 2^nd Bn Bedf Regt on right, 17^th Bn KLR on left, 20^th Bn KLR in support, 19^th Bn KLR in reserve.  Battalions attacked in four waves. On the departure of the attacking battalions Nos. 1 and 2 companies advanced, each in two waves, to garrison the front line trench vacated by 2^nd Bn Bedf Regt on right and 17^th KLR on left. On Nos 1 and 2 Coys vacating front assembly trench, it was occupied by two platoons of Nos. 3 and 4 Coys respectively, from rear assembly trench. As the assaulting waves left their trenches they were met by intense machine gun fire, especially on our left. The enemy also opened heavy barrages on our front support and assembly trenches. […] Capt. H. Beckett, commanding No.1 company, reached the front line with few casualties, but Lieut R.D. Paterson leading No.2 company was killed. His company also had few casualties. The assaulting battalions were held up by very heavy machine gun fire, and made little progress.  […] At 4.20 p.m. two platoons, No.4 Coy, under Cpl Brighouse, were sent up to reinforce the left, and No.3 Coy under Cpl Sutton followed at 4.45 p.m.  Battalion HQ moved up to front line at 4.55 and remaining two platoons of No.4 Coy moved up to join Cpl Brighouse. 

Casualties during action: 

Officers – Killed Lieut. R.D. Paterson, 2^nd Lieut G.L. Grennan, Wounded – 2^nd Lieuts A.E. Griffin, L.E. Mclean Hayes, C. Buttemer, Wounded Cpl g. Brighouse.

Other Ranks killed – 20. 

It had rained incessantly at the beginning of October 1916 and the ground was full of mud. In his book ‘The Liverpool Pals’ Graham Maddocks describes the day Herbert was killed.

It was obvious that the Germans knew an attack was coming and from which direction it would be mounted. On the evening of the 11th the 20th Battalion moved up the line and dug two deep assembly trenches behind the 17th Battalion’s position for the attack the next day. The 19th Battalion also moved into its reserve positions known as Flers Trench. Although the rain has stopped, the ground was like a morass, with all the natural vegetation destroyed, it was difficult to tell exactly where the objectives lay. On the afternoon of the 12th at exactly 2.05pm, the attack began along the whole Corps line, covered by the local batteries of the Royal Field Artillery which still had line of sight. As the whistles blew, the 17th Battalion left its trenches to move forwards, at the same time No.1 and 2 Companies of the 20th Battalion moved forward and occupied the trenches vacated by the 17th. As they too went over the top, No.3 and 4 Companies took their place and waited in their turn to follow. No.2 and 3 Companies of the 19th Battalion moved up to occupy the assembly trenches dug the previous night by the 20th.

As soon as the attacking waves left their trenches the enemy artillery began to register on them and at the same time the defending infantry commenced a murderous rain of fire. Those German regiments were trained and experienced soldiers, well dug in on high ground, and for the most part, looking out on uncut wire. As such it was virtually impossible for them to miss the City Battalion men struggling to advance in the mud towards them.

Brigadier-General F.C.Stanley wrote that the Battalions were also suffering casualties due to the short shooting of the British heavy artillery fire. “I know from practical experience that they were our own guns which were shooting, and which were causing us quite a considerable number of casualties. The fault lay at that time from the fact that the heavy gunners would not send their FOO’s (Forward Observation Officers) far enough forward, but were content to observe us from right back”

Some ground was gained that day, about 150 yards, the 20th Battalion were not relieved until 24 hours later causing the men to endure another day and night in the front line trench.

Herbert now rests at Warlencourt British Cemetery where his headstone bears the epitaph:

"FOREVER WITH THE LORD"

Warlencourt Cemetery is entirely a concentration cemetery, begun late in 1919 when graves were brought in from small cemeteries and the battlefields of Warlencourt and Le Sars.  The Graves Registration form shows graves from “Le Sars 6/1, 6/2, Hexham Road, Seven Elms”.

Graves were brought in from the original cemeteries at Hexham Road (Le Sars), and Seven Elms (Flers), as well as over 3,000 British graves due to the fighting which took place around the Butte de Warlencourt from the autumn of 1916 to the spring of 1917, and again in the German advance and retreat of 1918.   The cemetery now contains 3,505 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War, 1,823 of which are unidentified.

Liverpool Daily Post 1^st Nov 1916 

KILLED.  

Private Herbert Mawdsley, K.L.R. Previously joining the colours he was employed by Messrs Parker and Co., wholesale fruit merchants, Rainford-square. He lived with his parents at 5, Claremont-terrace, Victoria-road, Great Crosby. 

A report on his death appeared in the Bootle Times dated 03rd November 1916:

Widespread sympathy has been expressed with Mr. and Mrs. Mawdsley, of Victoria-road, Crosby, who like many other unhappy parents, have sustained an irreparable family loss in the death of their only son, Private Herbert (Bert) Mawdsley, K.L.R., at the early age of 21. A native of Crosby, educated at St. Luke's Boys' School, Bert Mawdsley was a bright, cheery lad of great promise. After leaving school he joined the staff of Messrs. Parker and Co., fruit merchants, Rumford Square, Liverpool. He gained the fullest esteem and confidence of his employers, with whom he remained until duty called him to serve his country. Young Mawdsley joined the K.L.R. about two years ago and underwent a good training at Knowsley. Prior to being sent to France some twelve months ago, he paid a brief visit to his parents, and was then as usual full of hope and promise. His letters home were characterised by the same spirit. He shared in numerous engagements without receiving a scratch. But on October 12th, so the chaplain writes, he was killed instantaneously by a shell. Among many letters of sympathy sent to the bereaved family was one from Messrs. Parker and Co., expressing confidence that the sacrifice their boy had made would not be in vain.

In February 1917 his parents received some of Bert’s possessions – playing cards, a greetings card, a letter, a medallion, a key and a purse. Followed a year later by the rest – a disc, a watch (broken), correspondence and photos and a religious book.

Bert is commemorated on the following Memorials:

Crosby and Blundellsands Civic Memorial

St Luke's Church, Crosby

St Michael's Church, Blundellsands.

His parents were living in Kings Road, Crosby at the time of the 1939 Register.

Soldiers Effects to father John, pension to mother Sarah Ellen. 

His mother died aged 78 on the 24^th Dec 1940 and his father aged 78 in 1941. 

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