Pte 16665 George McGuinness

• Age: 28
• From: Toxteth Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

16665 Private George McGUINNESS, 2 Company, 18^th Battalion KLR.

George was born on 06th October 1887 in Toxteth, Liverpool the second of three children, all sons, born to Edward, a schoolmaster, and his wife Catherine(nee Pitt) who were married in 1884 in Plymouth.  

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 89, Selborne Street, Toxteth Park, Liverpool.

His father, Edward, aged 38, born in Liverpool in 1863 is a schoolmaster, whilst his mother, Catherine is aged 42, born 1859 in Plymouth, Devon and has no occupation listed.  They have three children at the time of the Census, Edward aged 14, born 1887 in Devonport, George aged 13, born 1888 and James aged 11, born 1890 were both born in Liverpool. They have a boarder named Cyril Arbon aged 16, born 1885 in Hull who is employed as a grocer’s apprentice. 

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 12 Canterbury Road, Seacombe, Cheshire.

His father Edward aged 48 is now a head teacher with Liverpool City Council and his wife Katherine is aged 48 (1901 Census has her year of birth as 1859). They have been married for twenty six years and have three children. Edward now aged 24 and George aged 23 are both assistant teachers with Liverpool City Council and James aged 21 is a student.

George was a schoolmaster at St Laurence’s Roman Catholic School in Birkenhead and was an old boy of St Francis Xaviers. He was a keen footballer who played for Harrowby FC, playing outside right. He studied at Chester College.

George enlisted in Liverpool on 02nd September 1914, giving his age as 26 years and 331 days, and his occupation as teacher and his next of kin as his father of 12 Canterbury Road, Seacombe(later 28 Falkland Rd, Egremont). He was five feet seven inches tall, weighed 130lbs, 36” chest, fresh complexion, blue eyes, fair hair and gave his religion as Roman Catholic. 

From the 23rd September 1914 he was billeted at Hooton Park Race Course and remained there until 03rd December 1914 when they moved into 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 embarked for France with his Battalion on board the SS Invicta on 07th November 1915.

George was killed in action, during the attack at Montauban on the 1^st July 1916, aged 28. 

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. 

George's body was not recovered from the battlefield or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme.

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 death was reported in the Birkenhead News on 15th July 1916 under the header:

Harrowby Footballer's Death

Information has been received by Mr and Mrs Edward McGuinness of 28 Falkland Road, Egremont of the death of their second son Private George McGuinness of the Liverpool Pals. A letter conveying the sad news, one of George’s comrades, John Caulfield, states that the old Harrowby player was killed by a bullet, had died nobly and was now receiving his reward in heaven. The deceased was a schoolmaster at St Laurence's Roman Catholic school, Birkenhead and was an old St Francis Xavier's boy.

As reported a short time back, his brother Lance Corporal James McGuinness, also of the Liverpool Pals, is in hospital at Bath, suffering from shell-shock.  

The writer of the letter referred to in the article, John Caulfield, is almost certainly Private 16642, 18^th Battalion KLR, who died of wounds sustained in action on 13^th June 1917.

Birkenhead News on 2nd Sept 1916 

TEACHERS' "ROLL OF HONOUR."  

Proceeding, the Chairman referred to the death in action in France of Mr. G. McGuinness, assistant master at St Laurence's R.C. boys' school, observing that he was one of the earliest to volunteer to join the Forces. He rendered very fine service in the school in which he was engaged, and gave promise of success in his profession. A letter of sympathy had been sent to his relatives by the sub-committee. 

Birkenhead News on 30th Dec 1916 

1916 RECORD OF A FATEFUL YEAR. 

Fallen in the War. 

G. McGuinness Liverpool Pals. 

A newspaper article on 23rd August 1916 added his name to the Old Xaverian casualties: 9 killed to date, including four Pals (the others being Sgt. B.J. Fleming, Harry Lockhart and Pte. J.H. Range).

George's brother, Lance Corporal James McGuinness, also of the Pals, who we learned was hospitalised in Bath suffering from shellshock, is probably identical with L/Cpl 16979 (KLR) and 218127 (Labour Corps) who also arrived in France on 7^th November 1916, earned all three medals and was discharged on 16^th August 1917.

Their elder brother, Edward, enlisted at Liverpool on 16^th November 1915, aged 29 years 7 months, after several months in a reserve battalion of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, he served in Egypt from December 1916 until July 1918 and was demobilised on 27^th March 1919. 

George is also remembered on the following Memorials

Our Lady of Lourdes and St Bernard Church Roman Catholic Church, Kingsley Road, Princes Park, Liverpool

Our Lady of the Annunciation, Bishop Eaton, Woolton Road, Liverpool

Wallasey War Memorial, located in the hospital on Mill Lane, Wallasey

St Edwards College, Sandfield Park, West Derby

St Francis Xavier Roman Catholic College, Beaconsfield Road, Woolton, Liverpool School.  

Soldiers Effects and Pension to father Edward, 28 Falkland Rd.  

Mother died aged 68 in 1925 and the father died aged 72 on the 7th Nov 1934 whilst away in the USA. 

MCGUINNESS Edward of 13 Pendennis Road, Wallasey Cheshire died 7 November 1934 at New York USA

Probate Liverpool 14 December to Edward James McGuinness schoolmaster and William Henry McGuinness fruiterer and florist. Effects £893 17s 7d. 

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