Pte 17424 Frank Morris

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 96, South Street, Toxteth Park, Liverpool. His father, John, is aged 48 and is a plumber, whilst his mother Lydia is aged 34 with no occupation listed. They have six children at the time of the Census, Annie aged 26, born 1875 and Mary aged 24, born 1877 are both dressmakers, Henry aged 17, born 1884 is a plumbers apprentice, May aged 15, born 1886, John aged 7, born 1894 and Frank aged 4, born 1897.   

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 98 South Street, Liverpool. His father, John is aged 58, born in New Brighton in 1853 his occupation shown as a plumber and painter. His mother Lydia is aged 44, born in Rainhill, Lancashire in 1867. They have been married for eighteen years and have three children: Henry aged 27, born 1884 and John aged 17, born 1894 are both employed as printer and paperhangers and Frank aged 14, born 1897 is at school. The three children were all born in Liverpool.  

By the time he enlisted, his parents have moved across the Mersey to Rock Ferry in Cheshire and were living at 10 Elm Road, Woodhey.

Frank enlisted on the 31st August 1914 at St. George's Hall, Liverpool joining the 19th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 17424. He gave his age as nineteen years and 60 days in fact he was just turned 18. He gave his occupation as a clerk. He was described as five feet six and three quarter inches tall, weighed 119lbs, 36” chest, dark complexion, brown eyes, black hair and gave his religion as Church of England.  

Frank and his brother John, 20, enlisted the same day in the same battalion with consecutive numbers. John being Private 17425. The brothers trained together and shipped to France together.

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. He arrived in France on 7^th November 1915.

Frank was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 20, 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.     

Like so many of his Pals, Frank was originally reported Missing.

His mother sought information in the Liverpool Echo on Saturday 02 September 1916 

INFORMATION will be gladly received by Mrs Morris, 10 Elm Road, Rock Ferry, regarding the whereabouts of private FRANK MORRIS, missing since July 30, 1916. 

He was again reported Missing in the press on 18th September 1916 and in the "John Bull" of 04th November 1916, 1st Platoon, 1st Coy. 

Liverpool Daily Post - Monday 18 September 1916 

King’s (Liverpool Regiment) - Morris, 17424, F. (Rock Ferry);   

Miss Annie Morris of 19 Devonshire Road, Princes Park, contacted the International Red Cross in hopes that Frank had been taken prisoner, but was notified on 16th September 1916 that they held no information on him.

Frank'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.

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.”

Soldiers Effects to his father John. 

His Army pay and a War Gratuity of £8-10 went to his father. His mother, at 10 Elm Road, was awarded a pension of 7/- a week from May 1917.

His brother John was invalided to the U.K. on 28th July 1916, two days before the attack on Guillemont in which Frank was killed. John was discharged on 20th October 1916 with sickness (nephritis) due to exposure, with a Silver War Badge and a disability pension.

In Jun 1919 his parents were still at 10 Elm Road with Annie 44, and May 32.  Henry, 34, was living at 98 South Street, Liverpool.  No address is given for John, 25.

His father died in the 1920s.

In 1939 his mother, 72, is living at 36 Stourcliffe Road, Wallasey, with May, 54, and John, 46, a managing director of a credit clothing company. 

His mother died in 1942 aged 75.

Sadly, Frank has not been found on any local memorial.

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