1885 - 1916
CPL David Wallace Crawford
1887 - 1916
Lce-Corpl John Joseph Nickle
1894 - 1916
Pte 17911 Morton Neill
1897 - 1916
Lieut Edward Stanley Ashcroft
1883 - 1918
Pte 22324 Richard Bellingham
- Age: 32
- From: West Bromwich
- Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
- K.I.A Wednesday 27th March 1918
- Commemorated at: Pozieres Memorial
Panel Ref: P21-23
Richard Bellingham was born 26th November 1885 at 96 Great Bridge Road, West Bromwich according to his birth certificate, the son of John David Bellingham and his wife Sarah Ann (née Lloyd). Both from Staffordshire, his parents married in the September quarter of 1880 and had twelve children. Richard was baptised on 16th December 1885 at St Peter's Church, West Bromwich and was the oldest surviving son. Their eldest, William Edwin, born in 1881, died at age 8. Richard had older sisters Mary Jane and Ruth, and younger siblings Florence, Gertrude, Alice, Maud, Albert, all born West Bromwich, and John, born in Darlaston in 1897. Two other children, Sarah 1895 and May 1896, died in infancy.
Richard married Emma Harris at Darlaston Parish Church on 24th January 1909. They had two children; Gertrude born in Aston on 13th August 1909 and Albert Edward born in Ellesmere Port on 15th February 1914.
His mother Sarah, 48, is still at 78 Catherine’s Cross with six of his siblings. His father John, 48, is a patient in Wolverhampton General Hospital. He died in 1915 aged 52 when Richard was training at Belton Park in Lincolnshire.
He enlisted in Birkenhead on 07th November 1914, joining the 20th Battalion as Private 22324. He gave his age as 28 years and 360 days and his occupation as an Ironworker. He is described as being 5'6 and a half inches tall, weighing 135lbs and being of fresh complexion with blue eyes and dark hair. He gave his next of kin as his wife Emma at 11 Penn Gardens, Ellesmere Port.
Richard was posted to the 89th Brigade Depot on 29th April 1915, this was the day before all four of the Liverpool Pals Battalions left Liverpool for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. Then on 18th August 1915 he was posted to the 22nd Battalion (Reserve) of The King's Liverpool Regiment. He was deprived of 6 days pay for a 3 day absence between 09th - 11th July 1915 whilst stationed at Grantham. Prior to his departure for France he was disciplined for an absence from 12 midnight to 10.20pm on 25th May 1916 and again on 19th June 1916 for overstaying leave.
He arrived in France on 22nd June 1916 whereupon he was posted to the 12th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment before on 07th July 1916 he was transferred to the 18th Battalion. A further transfer on 31st July 1916 saw him back with the 20th Battalion.
Richard was wounded on 24th April 1917 by a Gunshot wound to his left arm. He was treated at a Field Ambulance and Casualty Clearing Station before being admitted to hospital on 30/04. He rejoined his Battalion on 08th June 1917.
He transferred to the 19th Battalion on 7th February, 1918 and spent a short period from 24th February - 21st March 1918 with the Royal Engineers. He rejoined the 19th and serving with them when he was killed in action on the 27th March 1918 aged 32 during the German Spring Offensive.
The Battalion diary gives details of the events of the day:
The night of 26th into 27th was spent “standing to” in the new position at ROUVECY BOUCHOIR During the morning the attack on our right and left continued , the Battalion, now being in the support line and was withdrawn at 11am. Both flanks having gone and a position was taken up on a line FOLIES-ARVILLERS the Battalion supporting the 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment & 2nd Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers. This position was held during the night.
Richard has no known grave and his name is recorded on the Pozieres Memorial.
The POZIERES MEMORIAL relates to the period of crisis in March and April 1918 when the Allied Fifth Army was driven back by overwhelming numbers across the former Somme battlefields, and the months that followed before the Advance to Victory, which began on 8 August 1918. The Memorial commemorates over 14,000 casualties of the United Kingdom and 300 of the South African Forces who have no known grave and who died on the Somme from 21 March to 7 August 1918.
The cemetery and memorial were designed by W.H. Cowlishaw, with sculpture by Laurence A. Turner. The memorial was unveiled by Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien on 4 August 1930.
His widow Emma received a pension for her and her 2 children and moved back to Darlaston living at 36 Great Croft Street. She received Richard's Scroll and Plaque.
His mother appears to have lived until 1938 and died at the age of 75.
An interesting point to note is that on the same day that Richard joined the Pals as Private 22324 another Richard Bellingham, his cousin, joined the Pals as Private 22325. His cousin Richard was already on Merseyside in 1911, aged 24, single, born in West Bromwich, he was a doubler in sheet mill, boarding at 26 Cambridge Rd, Ellesmere Port. The consecutive numbers show that they must have travelled together in order to enlist. His cousin was discharged from service on 18/02/1915 as "not being likely to become an efficient soldier". This was due to Heart Disease.
We currently have no further information on Richard Bellingham, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.
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