Pte 17136 John Murray

• Age: 21
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Peronne Rd Cem Maricourt
  Panel Ref: III.E.39

17136 Private John MURRAY, 18^th Battalion KLR.

John Murray was born in Liverpool on the 16th February 1895 and was baptised on the 25th February 1895 at St Bridget’s Roman Catholic Church, Liverpool. John was the son of James Murray and his wife Bridget (nee Connor) who were married on the 17th October 1886 at Holy Cross Church, Great Crosshall Street, Liverpool. James’ father was also James of Eldon Street, whilst Bridget’s father was John, of 48 Henry Street.  

The 1891 Census shows the family living at 71, Limekiln Lane, Liverpool. His father, James, is aged 26, a general labourer, mother Bridget is aged 25, and daughter Margaret is aged 2, everybody born in Liverpool. They have a servant Ellen Foley aged 17. 

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 8, Wellington Street, Liverpool. John's father, James, is not present, his mother, Bridget, is aged 34, born in Liverpool in 1867 is a grocer’s shopkeeper. She has six children living with her at the time of the Census, Margaret aged 12, born 1889, Jane aged 10, born 1891, Bridget aged 8, born 1893, John aged 6, born 1895, Winifred aged 4, born 1897 and Joseph born 1901. Her children were all born in Liverpool. Also declared is her mother, Jane Connor, a widow aged 54, born in Liverpool in 1847 and is a house-keeper.

His father died soon after the Census and his mother Bridget remarried to widow Thomas Welsh in 1905.  

The 1911 Census shows the family still living at 8, Wellington Street, Liverpool. John's step father Thomas Welsh is aged 50, born in Liverpool in 1861 and employed as a dock labourer. Bridget aged 45, has no occupation listed. They have four children living with them, John Welsh aged 24, born 1887 is a labourer in a paint works, Mary Catherine is aged 3, born 1908 and his two step-sons, John aged 16 employed as a hotel page boy and Joseph aged 10 is at school. 

John Murray enlisted in Liverpool on 03^rd September 1914, joining the 18th Battalion as Private 17136. He gave his age as 19 years and 198 days and his occupation as a clerk. He was described as being five feet nine inches tall, weighed 125lbs, had a 35" chest with a fresh complexion, grey eyes, and brown hair. He stated his relgion as Roman Catholic and gave his next of kin as his mother, Bridget Welsh, of 8 Wellington Street. 

From the 23rd September 1914 he was billeted at Hooton Park Race Course and remained there until 03rd December 1914 when they moved into the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 18th 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 embarked for France with his Battalion after training in which he specialised as a stretcher bearer on 07th November 1915.

On the 10^th May 1916 he was “wounded accidentally” to his leg and admitted to 96^th Field Ambulance his leg”. He rejoined his unit on 24^th May 1916 and an entry on his service record dated 26^th July 1916 stated “none of the Medical Officers at present serving were in attendance on this man.  The Certificate from a Medical Officer is not available but his Co’s Certificate dated 11.06.1916 refers to ‘accidental injuries to 17136 etc’ and on the 26th June 1916 wrote “In need of tablets, in a bad way.”  The above man was admitted to this Field Ambulance (96^th) on 10.05.1916 suffering from an accidental gunshot wound to his right leg and was transferred to 97^th Field Ambulance on 15^th May 1916”. There is no account of how the accident occurred.

John was killed in action on 01^st July 1916, during the attack at Montauban, by shell fire aged 21, whilst attending to the wounded and removing them to a place of safety. 

18^th Battalion Diary

At 6.30am the artillery commenced an intensive bombardment of the enemy’s trenches. Zero Hour – 7.30 am – the battalion commenced to leave their trenches and the attack commenced. The attack was pressed with great spirit and determination in spite of heavy shelling and machine gun enfilade fire which caused casualties amounting to 2/3rds of the strength of the Battalion in action. The whole system of German trenches including the Glatz Redoubt was captured without any deviation from the scheduled programme. Consolidated positions and made strong points for defence against possible counter attacks.

Graham Maddocks provides more detail concerning the events of the day:

As the first three waves began to move forward towards the German reserve line, known as Alt Trench and then on to the Glatz Redoubt itself, they suddenly came under enfilading fire from the left. This was from a machine gun which the Germans had sited at a strong point in Alt Trench. The gun itself was protected by a party of snipers and bombers, who, hidden in a rough hedge, were dug into a position in Alt Trench, at its junction with a communication trench known as Alt Alley. These bombers and snipers were themselves protected by rifle fire from another communication trench, Train Alley which snaked back up the high ground and into Montauban itself. The machine gun fire was devastating and it is certain that nearly of the Battalion’s casualties that day were caused by that one gun.  

Lieutenant Colonel Edward Henry Trotter wrote in the conclusion of his account of the day’s action:

I cannot speak to highly of the gallantry of the Officers and men. The men amply repaid the care and kindness of their Company Officers, who have always tried to lead and not to drive. As laid down in my first lecture to the Battalion when formed, in the words of Prince Kraft:

“Men follow their Officers not from fear, but from love of the Regiment where everything had always and at all times gone well with them”.   

Joe Devereux in his book A Singular Day on the Somme gives the Casualty Breakdown for the 18^th Battalion as Killed in Action 7 Officers and 165 men and of those who died in consequence of the wounds 3 Officers and 19 men a total of 194 out of a total loss for the four Liverpool Pals Battalions of 257. 

John now rests at Peronne Road Cemetery.

Maricourt was, at the beginning of the Battles of the Somme 1916, the point of junction of the British and French forces, and within a very short distance of the front line; it was lost in the German advance of March 1918, and recaptured at the end of the following August.

The Cemetery, originally known as Maricourt Military Cemetery No.3, was begun by fighting units and Field Ambulances in the Battles of the Somme 1916, and used until August 1917; a few graves were added later in the War, and at the Armistice it consisted of 175 graves which now form almost the whole of Plot I. It was completed after the Armistice by the concentration of graves from the battlefields in the immediate neighbourhood and from certain smaller burial grounds.

There are now 1348, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, 366 are unidentified and special memorials are erected to 26 soldiers from the United Kingdom known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of three soldiers from the United Kingdom, buried in other cemeteries, whose graves could not be found.

The cemetery covers an area of 3,787 square metres and is enclosed on three sides by a low red brick wall.

John is commemorated in the Hall of Remembrance, Liverpool Town Hall, Panel 18. 

His mother died, aged 64, in 1930 and was buried on the 10th May at Ford Cemetery, her address 107 Rice Lane. 

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