Pte 29118 Peter May

• Age: 40
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Danzig Alley Cem, Mametz
  Panel Ref: Mem 9

29118 Private Peter MAY, 18^th Battalion, KLR.

Peter “Pedro” May was born on the 12th April 1876 and was the son of Bartholomew May and his wife Mary May (nee Nulty) who were married in 1866 in Prescot. Bartholomew was born 1845 in Kildalkey and Mary in 1848 in Lobinstown (both Co.Meath, Ireland). Peter was baptised in St Michael’s Roman Catholic Church, Liverpool.  

The 1881 Census shows the family living at 20, Denman Street, Liverpool. His father Bartholomew, aged 34, born in Ireland in 1847 is a fireman, whilst his mother, Mary, is aged 36, born 1845 also in Ireland, she has no occupation listed. They have six children at the time of the Census being taken; John aged 13, born 1868, Mary aged 11, born 1870, Bartholomew aged 9, born 1872, Owen aged 7, born 1874, Peter aged 5, born 1876. The children were all at school and the youngest daughter Catherine is aged 2, born 1879. Their children were all born in Liverpool. They also have five lodgers, James Appleby aged 30, Thomas Wallace aged 26, Peter Hughes aged 20, John Wright aged 25 and his brother William Wright aged 20.   

His father died, aged 40, on the 28th July 1885 at 51 Shakespeare Street, Everton. 

The 1891 Census shows the family living at Beacon Lane, Everton, Liverpool. His mother, Mary, is now a widow aged 50, and has no occupation listed.  She is living with seven of her children, John aged 23 and Bartholomew aged 19, are both general labourers, Owen aged 17 and Peter aged 14 are both shop boys, Catherine aged 11, James aged 9 and Richard aged 8 are all scholars.  

His mother died, aged 46, in 1899 and was buried on the 21st July at Ford Cemetery.  

Peter married Ada Cogley on 25th January 1901 at St Chrysostom Church, Everton, Liverpool. His marriage certificate shows Peter as a 24 year old bachelor, a corporation official. Ada was described as 21 years old, address 20 Newlands Street, and the daughter of Daniel Cogley, labourer.  

The 1901 Census shows Peter living at 20, Newlands Street, Everton, Liverpool, the home of his brother John and his family. John is aged 33, and is a water notice server, his wife Mary is aged 30 with no occupation listed and their son George aged 7, born 1894. Peter and five of his siblings reside at the address, Bartholomew aged 29 is a water meter inspector, Peter aged 24 is a water inspector’s labourer, Catherine aged 21 is a kitchen maid in a cafe, James aged 19 is a labourer and Michael aged 18 is a general labourer.  

The 1911 Census shows Peter living with his family at 25 Moreland Street, Everton, Liverpool. Peter is aged 35, and is an assistant water inspector on waste water staff with Liverpool Corporation, his wife Ada Louise is aged 31, born 1880 and they have been married for nine years and have had three children of which one had died. The children listed on the Census are;  John Thomas aged 4, born  19th September 1907 and Gwladys Evelyn aged 2, born 1909.  Their first born child, Mary Jane was born on 05th February 1905 and sadly died later that year.  

Peter enlisted in Liverpool and was serving in the 18th Battalion, King's Liverpool Regiment as Private No 29118.

He was originally billeted in the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 18th 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 07th November 1915.

At the age of 40, Peter was one of the oldest men to have been killed in action with the Liverpool Pals on the 01^st July 1916 during the attack at Montauban.

18^th Battalion Diary

At 6.30am the artillery commenced an intensive bombardment of the enemy’s trenches. Zero Hour – 7.30 am – the battalion commenced to leave their trenches and the attack commenced. The attack was pressed with great spirit and determination in spite of heavy shelling and machine gun enfilade fire which caused casualties amounting to 2/3rds of the strength of the Battalion in action. The whole system of German trenches including the Glatz Redoubt was captured without any deviation from the scheduled programme. Consolidated positions and made strong points for defence against possible counter attacks.

Graham Maddocks provides more detail concerning the events of the day:

As the first three waves began to move forward towards the German reserve line, known as Alt Trench and then on to the Glatz Redoubt itself, they suddenly came under enfilading fire from the left. This was from a machine gun which the Germans had sited at a strong point in Alt Trench. The gun itself was protected by a party of snipers and bombers, who, hidden in a rough hedge, were dug into a position in Alt Trench, at its junction with a communication trench known as Alt Alley. These bombers and snipers were themselves protected by rifle fire from another communication trench, Train Alley which snaked back up the high ground and into Montauban itself. The machine gun fire was devastating and it is certain that nearly of the Battalion’s casualties that day were caused by that one gun. 

 Lieutenant Colonel Edward Henry Trotter wrote in the conclusion of his account of the day’s action:

I cannot speak to highly of the gallantry of the Officers and men. The men amply repaid the care and kindness of their Company Officers, who have always tried to lead and not to drive. As laid down in my first lecture to the Battalion when formed, in the words of Prince Kraft:

“Men follow their Officers not from fear, but from love of the Regiment where everything had always and at all times gone well with them”.   

Joe Devereux in his book A Singular Day on the Somme gives the Casualty Breakdown for the 18^th Battalion as Killed in Action 7 Officers and 165 men and of those who died in consequence of the wounds 3 Officers and 19 men a total of 194 out of a total loss for the four Liverpool Pals Battalions of 257. 

His death was reported in the Liverpool Echo on 25th July 1916:

A CORPORATION SERVANT.

Private Peter May, of the ''Pals," has been killed in action. He was forty years of age, and for twenty-eight years was in the service of the water department of the Liverpool Corporation. His three brothers are on active service. 

A day later on 26^th July 1916, his widow Ada placed a poignant  “In Memoriam”  in the Liverpool Echo.

It reads:

“July, 1st killed in action aged 40 years, Private Peter May (Pals) the beloved husband of A.L. May. 9 Grasmere Street, Everton.

“Sleep on dear husband in a soldiers grave,

Your life for your country you nobly gave

I could not be near you to bid you goodbye’

But in God’s keeping you now lie”.

From his sorrowing wife and two little ones.

He was reported as killed in the Liverpool Daily Post on the 07th August 1916: 

Killed. 

May, 29118, P. (Everton); 

He was originally buried in Vernon Street Cemetery, Carnoy, but the location of his remains was lost, probably due to enemy shelling and he is now commemorated on the war memorial in Dantzig Alley British Cemetery, France. 

The village of Mametz was carried by the 7th Division on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, after very hard fighting at Dantzig Alley (a German trench) and other points. The cemetery was begun later in the same month and was used by field ambulances and fighting units until the following November. The ground was lost during the great German advance in March 1918 but regained in August, and a few graves were added to the cemetery in August and September 1918. At the Armistice, the cemetery consisted of 183 graves, now in Plot I, but it was then very greatly increased by graves (almost all of 1916) brought in from the battlefields north and east of Mametz and from certain smaller burial grounds, including:

VERNON STREET CEMETERY, CARNOY, in the valley between Carnoy and Maricourt, at a place called "Squeak Forward Position". 110 soldiers who died in July-October 1916 were buried here by the 21st Infantry Brigade and other units.

Dantzig Alley British Cemetery now contains 2,053 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 518 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 17 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 71 casualties buried in other cemeteries, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.

He was remembered by his family in the Liverpool Echo on the 02nd July 1917: 

LOST AT THE SOMME BATTLE. 

May - In ever-loving memory of my dear husband, Private Peter May K.L.R. (Pals), killed in action, July 1, 1916. Sadly missed by his wife and children, 9 Grasmere Street. 

May - In ever-loving memory of our dear brother, Private Peter May K.L.R. (Pals), killed in action, July 1, 1916. Sadly missed by his Brother and Sister-in-law, Jack and Jane, and brother in France. 

 Soldiers Effects and Pension to widow Ada Louisa, and children John and Gladys. 

Ada, date of birth 26th January 1880, appears on the 1939 Register at 18 Wernbrook Road, Anfield with her married daughter Gladys  E. Cook.

She died aged 84 in 1963. 

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