Pte 21562 Frederick Primrose Meredith

• Age: 21
• From: Chester
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Guillemont Rd Cem
  Panel Ref: III.N.10

Frederick Primrose Meredith was born in April 1895 in Chester, the son of William James Meredith and his wife Emily Etta (née Burrows). His parents, both born in Chester, married on the 25th October 1880 at St Mary, Chester. William was a 23 year old bricksetter of Saltney, father Thomas a mason, whilst Emily was aged 19 of Duke St, father William a private in the Royal Artillery. They had ten children: Frederick had older siblings Thomas, William Arthur (who died in infancy), Emily, Edith, Lily, and Albert, and younger siblings James, Florence Mary, and Lena May. 

He was baptised in St. Paul’s Church, Chester, on 18th April 1897, the family address at the time was 22 Cecil Street. 

At the time of the 1901 Census the family are living at 24 Cecil Street, Chester, with eight children. His father, 44, is a bricklayer, his mother is 40. The two eldest children, Thomas, 19, and Emily, 16, are working as shop assistants, Frederick is 5, and the youngest, James, is 2.

James died in 1905 at the age of 6.

His mother Emily Meredith died, aged 49, on the 01st November 1910 and was buried at Overleigh Old Cemetery, Chester. 

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 48 Tarvin Road, Chester. His father, William James is a widower aged 54, born in Chester in 1857 occupation is a bricklayer. At the time of the Census he is living with seven of his children. Emily Etta aged 26, born 1885 is a draper’s shop assistant, Edith aged 22 born 1889 no occupation listed, Lily aged 20, born 1891 and Albert aged 18, born 1893 are both shop assistants, Frederick aged 15, born 1896 is a junior clerk for a coal merchant, Florence Mary aged 11, born 1900 is at school and Lena May is aged 5, born 1906.

Prior to enlisting Frederick was employed at Dr Youngs office and was an active member of the Cestrian Rowing Club and won the Yerburgh Challenge Bowl. 

Frederick enlisted on 04th September 1914 at St George's Hall in Liverpool, joining the 19^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 21562. He gave his age as 19 years and 137 days, and his occupation as clerk. He was described as being 5’ 5” tall, weighing 112 lbs, with a fresh complexion, blue eyes, and dark hair. He stated his religion as Church of England and NOK his father William, 48 Tarvin Rd. 

Formed on 07^th September 1914 the 19^th Battalion trained locally at Sefton Park and remained living at home or in rented accommodation until November 1914. They then moved to the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 19th 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.

Whilst at Belton Park, on 31st May 1915, Fred was awarded 7 days’ Coy fatigue for coming on parade without a rifle.

He arrived in France with his battalion, disembarking at Boulogne on 07th November 1915.  His service record survives and shows -

06/02/1916: Sick, to 98th Field Ambulance  

09/02/1916: Admitted with influenza to 3rd Ambulance Flotilla (barges located along the Somme at Chipilly). 

15/02/1916: Discharged to duty. 

Frederick was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 21, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive.

19^th Battalion Diary 30^th July 1916

MALTZ HORN FARM

BATTLE begun. ZERO hour 4:45 am. The Battalion reached its objective, but suffered heavy losses, and had to evacuate its position owing to no reinforcements.

Everard Wyrall gives details of the attack in his book The History of The King’s Regiment; 

"The 2nd Attack on Guillemont- 29th July 1916 the 89th Brigade the 20th King's were to attack on the right and the 19th on the left. During the evening of the 29th the night was dark and foggy when the Battalions moved off and the 19th with Lt Col G Rollo commanding, when passing the South east of the Briqueterie they were heavily shelled first with H E and then with a new kind of asphyxiating Gas shell which had curious results, at first it had no nasty effect but about 8 hrs later men began to fall sick with violent headaches and pains in the stomach. All ranks had to wear gas masks which in the darkness and mist made the going terribly difficult. It was indeed wonderful that they were able to reach their Assembly point at all. But they did and by 2.45 a.m. on the 30th July 1916 the Btn was assembled having suffered about 30 Casualties on the way up ready for the Zero hour at 4.45 a.m.

It is known that the two left Companies of the 19th under Capt. Dodd and Capt. Nicholson advanced in touch with the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on their left although they suffered many casualties from Machine gun Fire did not encounter many Germans and reached their final objective about the time allocated, beginning at once to dig in south of the orchard on the South east corner of Guillemont.  

On the left of the 19th the Scots Fusiliers most gallantly forced their way through Guillemont to the eastern side of the village but were soon overwhelmed by the enemy and few returned. 

At 8 a.m. finding that the village was not held the two left Companies of the 19th received no word from the rear or either flank believed themselves to be totally isolated so were forced to fall back and dig in, their position being untenable.

At midday the effective fighting strength of the 19th Btn was just 7 Officers and 43 other ranks" 

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30^th Division held a line from the railway on the eastern side of Trones Wood , southwards and including Arrow Head Copse, to east of Maltz Horn Farm. On this line the division was relieved by the 55^th Division during the early hours of the 31^st July.

Casualties in the 19^th Battalion were 11 Officers and 435 Other Ranks 

The events of 30^th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89^th Brigade written by Brigadier General Ferdinand Stanley which gives an indication of the events of the day.

Guillemont

Well the hour to advance came, and of all bad luck in the world it was a thick fog; so thick that you couldn’t see more than about ten yards. It was next to impossible to delay the attack – it was much too big an operation- so forward they had to go. It will give some idea when I say that on one flank we had to go 1,750 yards over big rolling country. Everyone knows what it is like to cross enclosed country which you know really well in a fog and how easy it is to lose your way. Therefore, imagine these rolling hills, with no landmarks and absolutely unknown to anyone. Is it surprising that people lost their way and lost touch with those next to them? As a matter of fact, it was wonderful the way in which many men found their way right to the place we wanted to get to. But as a connected attack it was impossible.

The fog was intense it was practically impossible to keep direction and parties got split up. Owing to the heavy shelling all the Bosches had left their main trenches and were lying out in the open with snipers and machine guns in shell holes, so of course our fellows were the most easy prey.

It is so awfully sad now going about and finding so many splendid fellows gone. 

Frederick was initially declared Missing, and his name appeared as such in the list of K.L.R. casualties published on 18th September 1916.  

King’s (Liverpool Regiment) - Meredith, 26562, F. P. (Chester);   

His death was soon reported in the Chester Chronicle on 19th August 1916: 

“News has reached Chester that Private Frederick Primrose Meredith, of the Liverpool “Pals”, whose home is at 48 Tarvin Road, Chester, has been killed in action, and his brother Private Albert Meredith is suffering from a wound in the elbow.  The two brothers joined the “Pals” at the outbreak of war and had been at the front for several months. Private F. Meredith, who was 21 years of age, before joining the army was in the office of the county medical examiner, and his brother was in the employ of Mr. Albert Denson, St. Werbergh Street.  Albert was wounded in the same engagement in which his brother was killed.  Private F.P. Meredith was an old College Boy, a member of St. Paul’s choir, [and] both were members of the Cestria Rowing Club.”

However, his name appeared in the list of Wounded in the Chronicle on 23rd September 1916, and on 11th November, in the list of: 

‘Previously reported missing now reported killed’.

His death was reported in the Liverpool Daily Post - Thursday 09 November 1916 

PREVIOUSLY REPORTED MISSING, NOW 

REPORTED KILLED.  

King’s (Liverpool Regt) - Meredith, 26562, F. P. (Chester);   

A notation on his Casualty Form dated 11th October 1916 shows that Fred’s body was buried close to where he fell by the 8th (Queens) Royal West Surrey Regiment. After the war when graves were concentrated his body was exhumed and reinterred at Guillemont Road Cemetery, France where the inscription on his headstone reads: 

"HE DIED IN THE PATH OF DUTY" 

Guillemont was an important point in the German defences at the beginning of the Battle of the Somme in July 1916. It was taken by the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on 30 July but the battalion was obliged to fall back, and it was again entered for a short time by the 55th (West Lancashire) Division on 8 August. On 18 August, the village was reached by the 2nd Division, and on 3 September (in the Battle of Guillemont) it was captured and cleared by the 20th (Light) and part of the 16th (Irish) Divisions. It was lost in March 1918 during the German advance, but retaken on 29 August by the 18th and 38th (Welsh) Divisions.

The cemetery was begun by fighting units (mainly of the Guards Division) and field ambulances after the Battle of Guillemont, and was closed in March 1917, when it contained 121 burials. It was greatly increased after the Armistice when graves (almost all of July-September 1916) were brought in from the battlefields immediately surrounding the village and certain smaller cemeteries, including:-

HARDECOURT FRENCH MILITARY CEMETERY. The village of Hardecourt-au-Bois was captured by French troops on the 8th July 1916, and again by the 58th (London) and 12th (Eastern) Divisions on 28 August 1918. Five British Artillerymen were buried by their unit in the French Military Cemetery, in the middle of the village, in September 1916; and in 1918 the 12th Division buried in the same cemetery 14 men of the 9th Royal Fusiliers and two of the 7th Royal Sussex.

Guillemont Road Cemetery now contains 2,263 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 1,523 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to eight casualties known or believed to be buried among them.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.

His father William received his outstanding Army pay of £5, and after his death in July 1918 aged 61, the War Gratuity of £8-10 went to his sister Edith.

His death was reported in the Chester Chronicle on Saturday 13 July 1918 

MEREDITH - July 5th, at 48, Tarvin-road, aged 61 years, William James, the beloved husband of the late Emily Etta Meredith.  

There is link no one can sever,  

Love and remembrance will last for ever. 

His family paid tribute to Frederick in the Cheshire Observer on Saturday 03 August 1918: 

MEREDITH - In ever loving memory of Frederick Primrose Meredith (Liverpool Pals), killed in action, July 30th, 1916. The best of brothers he had been,  

Many battles he had seen;  

For all of us he did his best, 

May God grant him eternal rest . 

- From all at 48 Tarvin Road, Chester. 

His personal belongings were sent to his family in August 1918:  1 Identity disc.

In 1919 Emily, 35, Edith, 31, Lily, 29, Florence, 20, and Lena, 15, are still at 48 Tarvin Road. His eldest brother Thomas, 38, lives at Oak Farm, Hoole, Cheshire.

His mother's death was commemorated by her family in the Cheshire Observer on Saturday 02 November 1918: 

MEREDITH - In loving memory of Emily Etta, the dearly beloved wife of the late W. J. Meredith who passed away November 1st, 1910. “Though death divides, fond memory clings.” - 48 Tarvin Road, Chester. 

His father's death was commemorated by his family in the Cheshire Observer on Saturday 05 July 1919: 

MEREDITH - In loving memory of our dear father William James Meredith, who died July 5th, 1918; also our dearly beloved brother, Frederick Primrose, youngest son of the above, killed in action, July 30th, 1916. 

- All at 48 Tarvin Road. Chester. - “Re-united.” 

Frederick is commemorated on the family grave in Overleigh Cemetery, Chester -

            IN LOVING MEMORY 

 ALSO OF FREDERICK PRIMROSE

               THEIR 4TH SON

   KILLED IN ACTION IN FRANCE,

30TH JULY 1916, AGED 21 YEARS

                     ‘AT REST’ 

He is also remembered on the following Memorials:

Chester Town War Memorial

St Paul’s Church, Broughton. 

There is no mention of Albert, who was discharged in February 1917 with a Silver War Badge and a 30% disability pension due to D.A.H. (heart disease).

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