Pte 52427 Arthur Mercer

• Age: 31
• From: Oswaldtwistle, Lancs
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Monday 9th April 1917
• Commemorated at: Wancourt Brit Cem
  Panel Ref: V.E.37

Arthur was born in Oswaldtwistle on the 09th April 1886, the son of James Mercer and his wife Elizabeth (nee Wales) who were married on 23rd May 1874 at St Michael with St John & Holy Trinity Church, Blackburn. He was baptised on 19th May 1886 in Oswaldtwistle.

The 1891 Census shows that the family are living at 142 Water Street, Ribchester. Arthur's father, James, is aged 40, an overlooker in cotton mill, born in Blackburn, whilst his mother is 39, born in Houghton. They have seven children in the household; Annie 15 cotton weaver b.Blackburn, William 13 cotton weaver b.Blackburn, Albert 11 cotton tenter b.Blackburn, Emily 9 a scholar b.Blackburn, Arthur 4 b.Oswaldtwistle, Christopher 3 b.Oswaldtwistle, and Nathaniel 1 b.Blackburn.

The 1901 Census shows that the family have moved and are living at 20 Eagle Street, Oswaldtwistle. Arthur is just 14 years of age but is recorded as a  drawer, below ground in a coalmine. He is living with his parents and five siblings. His father is a cotton weaver born in Blackburn in 1851 whilst his mother was born in Houghton, Lancashire in 1852. His siblings are listed as; Albert, 21 years of age and a railway carter, Emily 19 a cotton weaver, Christopher 13 and like Arthur a coal drawer below ground, Nathaniel 11 and Fred 7.

On 1911 Census he is married and living as a boarder ar Plane Tree House, Henry Street, Church, Lancashire.  Arthur is a Cotton Weaver and is boarding with his wife Sarah Ellen (nee Swift), a Cotton Winder and their son Arthur aged 2. They were married in the first quarter of 1908 at St James' Church (Church Kirk), Accrington. 

Arthur enlisted in Blackburn and served originally as Private 15579 of the Border Regiment. He saw action at Gallipoli and was wounded on 15th August 1915. Upon his recovery he returned to the front in France and was wounded again. Following a transfer he was serving in the 18th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private 52427 when he was killed in action on the 09th April 1917 during the Battle of Arras. This was the occasion of his 31st Birthday. 

Arras 09^th April 1917

Details of the circumstances the 18^th Battalion had to contend with are illustrated below:

The battalion formed the left assaulting battalion of the brigade, the 2^nd Wiltshire Regiment being on the right, the 19^th Manchester Regiment being in support and 2^nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment furnishing “moppers -up”  for the two assaulting battalions. The brigade advance was timed to begin at ---- hour after “Zero”, suited to conform with the movements of 56^th Division and other divisions on our left further north (near Arras). This battalion’s objective was the front-line system Lion Lane on the left (exclusive) to Panther Lane on right (exclusive). This sector included the strongpoint known as “The Egg”.

The brigade advanced at prearranged time, i.e., 11.38 a.m, from position of assembly trenches south of Neuville Vitasse to German front line. This necessitated an advance across the open of at least 2,000 yards. This area up to Neuville Vitasse- Henin road was crossed in artillery formation; after this, owing to machine-gun fire and considerable resistance from German posts forward in the sunken roads, it was found necessary to deploy. During the whole movement across the open the advancing columns had been under considerable artillery fire from guns of all calibres. On gaining the position immediately in front of German line it was found that the wire was practically uncut; this wire formed two strong belts in front of German trenches. Two small gaps were eventually discovered and Second-Lieut H.F.Merry gallantly led a bombing party through them, but his three remaining men were killed as they reached the German trenches.

From the moment the battalion was “held up” in front of German wire Capt. R. W. Jones, the senior company commander on the spot, at once began the work of consolidating in front of German wire. The battalion held on in this position for the remainder of the day, until relieved by the 16^th Manchester Regiment about 3 a.m. on the 10^th of April, all the time under intense machine-gun and rifle fire.

Between 9th-10th April, 1917, the 18th King's lost 2 officers 2nd Lt. F. Ashcroft and 2nd Lt. H.G. Ewing and 59 other ranks killed. 8 other officers were wounded.    

Arthur now rests at Wancourt British Cemetery, France.

Wancourt was captured on 12 April 1917 after very heavy fighting and the advance was continued on the following days. The cemetery, called at first Cojeul Valley Cemetery, or River Road Cemetery, was opened about ten days later; it was used until October 1918, but was in German hands from March 1918 until 26 August, when the Canadian Corps recaptured Wancourt. At the Armistice, the cemetery contained 410 graves, but was very greatly increased in the following years when graves were brought in from other small cemeteries and isolated positions on the battlefields south-east of Arras including HENIN-SUR-COJEUL, about 800 metres North of the village, contained the graves of 29 British soldiers who fell on 9 April 1917, almost all of whom belonged to the 2nd Wilts or the 18th King's Liverpools. The cemetery now contains 1,936 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 829 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 76 casualties known or believed to be buried among them, and to 20 who were buried in Signal Trench Cemetery whose graves were destroyed in later battles. The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

Soldiers Effects and Pension to widow Sarah Ellen and child Arthur.

His father died in the March quarter of 1922, aged 70.