Pte 22175 Daniel Morris

• Age: 23
• From: Llandegfan, Anglesey
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Daniel Morris was born in 1893 at Llandegfan, Anglesey the son of Robert Morris and his wife Catherine, known as Kate (née Jones) who married around 1875. He was baptised on the 27th September 1893, his sister Mary Elizabeth later on the 10th December, at Llandegfan where his parents’ residence was given as Pen Cefn Bach, and his father’s occupation as labourer. 

Daniel was the seventh of nine surviving children. He had four brothers, Robert, William, Harry, and Albert, and four sisters, Harriet, Margaret, Catherine, and Mary. 

The 1901 Census shows the family living at California House, Llandegfan (Anglesey), Bangor, Anglesey, Wales. His father, Robert, is aged 52, born in Bangor in 1849, his occupation is listed as a domestic gardener, his mother, Catherine, is aged 44, born in Llandegfan in 1857 has no occupation listed. They have six children in the household;  William aged 18, born 1883 is a stonemason, Margaret aged 16, born 1886 is a dressmaker, Harry aged 12, born 1889, Daniel aged 7, Mary aged 15, born 1896 and Albert aged 2, born 1899.

The 1911 Census shows the family living at Pen Y Cefn Bach, Llandegfan, Menai Bridge. His father, Robert, is now aged 62 and still working as a gardener, his mother, Catherine, is aged 54. They advise that they have been married for 35 years and have had ten children of which one died. At the time of the Census , they have two children living with them at the address; Daniel aged 17 is a shop assistant and Albert aged 12 who is at school. 

Daniel evidently moved to Liverpool to work, according to a weekly Welsh newspaper. A brief notice in the Y Brython on 03rd May 1917 stated that he had been for a period in Compton House, Liverpool (the well-known Marks & Spencer’s building on Church Street, which at that time housed a number of large drapery businesses).

He enlisted on the 07th November 1914 at Liverpool, joining the 20^th Battalion (No1 Company) of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 22175. He gave his age as twenty one years and three months and his occupation as Draper's assistant. He was described as being five eight and half inches tall, weighed 123lbs, 35" chest, with a sallow complexion, grey eyes and dark brown hair. He stated his religion as Church of England and his next of kin as his father, Robert. He states that he has lived outside his father’s house for at least three years. 

On 07th November 1915, he embarked for France with his battalion.

Daniel was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 23, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive.

The 20^th King’s Battalion Diary records:

“At 4.45am prompt the attack was launched. Unfortunately, a thick mist prevailed and it was impossible to see more than 10 yards ahead. This continued until about 6 o’clock when it lifted slightly, but it was still too hazy and impossible to see what was happening 100 yards ahead. This being so, it was not surprising to find that the attacking waves were experiencing great difficulty in maintaining connection.”

At 6am, Lt. RE Melly, No.1 Company, reported that his men had taken the German Maltz Horn trench.

At 6.30am, 2/Lt. CP Moore reported that he had 150 men, 4 Stokes Mortars and 2 Lewis Guns, but he was the only officer. He also said that due to the fog, both his “flanks were in the air” i.e. he was not in contact with neighbouring troops.

At 9.10am, Moore was still not in contact at his flanks, and now he had only 75 men, he had sent out 2 patrols and neither not returned. Later Moore established communication with the French on his right.

Around 10.00am, 2/Lt Musker reported that he had just over a company with him, but his left flank was suffering from German machine gun fire. Later he reported that he had over 30 casualties from the machine gun fire. His flanks were also “in the air”. No contact was made with this party until the remnants returned around 9.30pm, all runners sent were killed or missing. The War Diary states that this group had: ”held the ground won all day, and this permitted the consolidation of the ground won on the Maltz Horn ridge with little interference from the enemy”.

Relief for 20/Kings had been planned for 11.00pm, but it was 5.00am on the 31st July before it took place, ending a tragic day for the Liverpool Pals.

Casualties for 20^th Battalion were 16 Officers and 357 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. 

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.

His name was included in the Missing list published on 14th September 1916 in the Liverpool Daily Post.  

In April 1917 his death was assumed by the Army Council for official purposes as having occurred on 30th July 1916.

Even after his death was officially accepted, his family still held out hope that Daniel had been taken prisoner. His mother wrote to the International Red Cross in Geneva nearly a year after he had been declared Missing, but was notified in a reply dated 21st July 1917 that they held no information on Daniel.

Daniel's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.

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.”

He earned his three medals.

His Army pay of £3 4s 11d and a War Gratuity of £7-10s went to his father Robert.

The pension card in the name of his mother Kate shows that a gratuity in lieu of a pension was awarded in June 1919 (pension refused) but a pension of 5/- a week was later awarded. 

Daniel is remembered on the Llandefgan War Memorial at St Tegfan, Capel Barachia.  

In 1919 his mother provided information on Daniel’s living relatives:  His parents were living at Cae'r Ffynnon, Llandegfan. Robert was in Menai Bridge; William’s address was not known;  Harry had moved to Australia; and Albert, 20, was serving in the R.A.F. at Kenley in Surrey.  Harriet, 42, and Mary, 23 were living in Talgarth, Breconshire;  Margaret, 36, was in Builth Wells, and Katie, 34, lived in Hertfordshire. 

His parents were still at Pen Y Cefn on the 1921 census but no accurate records can be found of their deaths.

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