L/Cpl 27548 George Myers

They had eleven children, five of whom survived.  Their first two children died young, Henry, born in 1882, died at 21 months, and Annie, 1884, at 13 months.  After George’s birth, the parents lost the next three babies:  Louisa, 1889 at age 1, John 1892 at 6 months, Minnie 1893 at 16 months.  Rachel was born in 1894, followed by Peter in 1895, who died at 10 months, Louis in 1898, and Elsie in 1901.

 

At the time of the 1891 census the family is living at 86 Great Mersey Street, Liverpool. His father, giving his name as Louis, is 40, employed as a sugar boiler, his mother is 32, Mary 11, and George is 3.

 

In 1901 they are at the same address, with five children. His father, now calling himself John H.L. Meyer, is 48, an engineer’s labourer, his mother is 42, Mary is 21, a music teacher, George is 13.

 

His mother died in early 1903, aged 44, when George was 15, leaving his father with four children under seven. Minnie was buried in a private grave in Kirkdale Cemetery with her six babies.  

 

His sister Mary married the following year to Thomas Candlish (or MacCandlish), a mariner from Scotland, possibly a relative of her mother, but relationship unknown.

 

The 1911 census finds George and siblings Rachel, Louis, and Elsie, and their father, living with married sister Mary Candlish and her two sons at 31 Fernhill Road, Bootle. Mary is 31, married, but her mariner husband is away.  His father, 61, is an engineer’s labourer, George is 23, a shipping clerk, Rachel 16, has no occupation, Louis is 13 and Elsie 10.

 

George volunteered in Liverpool in about April 1915, as Private 27548, joining the 17th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment, enlisting under the name Myers. This could have been a transcription error, or perhaps the name change was a conscious decision on George’s part to sound less Germanic, given the animosity towards Germans at the time.  Although no records have been found, his father, despite living in England for at least 35 years, could have been interned as an enemy alien.

 

Depending on the date of his enlistment he was billeted at Prescot Watch Factory, he trained there and also at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 17th 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. 

George shipped to France with his battalion, disembarking at Boulogne on 07th November 1915.  

He was serving as Lance-Corporal No 27548 when he was killed in action on the 12th October 1916, aged 29, during the Battle of the Transloy Ridges which was part of the ongoing Somme Offensive.

17^th Bn War Diary:  Battle of Transloy Ridge –                                               

11-10-16 - Gird Trench/Gird Support – Battalion in front line and support trenches. British bombardment of enemy front line system commenced about midday.  Hostile shelling was intermittent throughout the day.

12-10-16  - Our bombardment continued. Enemy reply weak.  2.5 p.m. Zero hour. Attack on German front line system commenced.  Enemy wire was found to be uncut and attack was unsuccessful.  Hostile machine gun fire was very heavy and caused many casualties. Battalion H.Q. and Support Trench were heavily shelled throughout afternoon and evening. […] During this action all communication had to be carried out by runners and carrier pigeons as all wires were being continually cut by enemy shelling.

Casualties: 5 officers killed,  5 officers wounded, 38 OR killed, about 225 OR wounded/missing etc.

Graham Maddocks, in “Liverpool Pals” p.140, adds:

“As the whistle blew, the 17^th Battalion left its trenches to move forward.  […]  As soon as the attacking waves left their trenches the enemy artillery began to register on them, and at the same time, the defending infantry commenced a murderous rain of fire.  […]  Although their numbers had been depleted by the British bombardment, they were trained and experienced soldiers, well dug in on high ground, and for the most part, looking out on uncut wire.  As such, it was virtually impossible for them to miss the City Battalion men struggling to advance in the mud towards them.   The 17^th Battalion, on the left, was particularly badly hit, as its portion of No Man’s Land contained a slight rise in the ground, and as the troops emerged onto it they were silhouetted against the sky and became easy targets.  Those on the left of the attack, who managed to avoid the hail of bullets and make it to the German wire, then found that it was totally uncut, and thus trapped, they too became easy targets, to be picked off almost at the enemy’s will.  It was hardly surprising that, seeing the first waves being wiped out, some of the following waves turned back and made for their start lines. These lines were now packed with other waves of troops, however, and the fleeing men added to the congestion already there, and became easy prey for the German gunners.  There is some evidence also, to suggest that at this stage, the British trenches were also being hit by their own heavy artillery shells which were falling short.”

George was initially reported wounded and missing on 12th October 1916. His family waited six months in hope before being notified of his death. In the Liverpool Post on 26th April 1917:

“October 12, 1916, previously reported wounded and missing, now officially reported killed, aged 29 years, Lance-Corporal George Myers (K.L.R), the dearly-loved elder brother of Mr. and Mrs. Candlish, 31, Fernhill Road, Bootle".

 

George was buried close to where he fell and, after the war when graves were concentrated, his body was exhumed and reinterred in Warlencourt British Cemetery, where he now rests.

Warlencourt Cemetery is entirely a concentration cemetery, begun late in 1919 when graves were brought in from small cemeteries and the battlefields of Warlencourt and Le Sars.  The Graves Registration form shows graves from “Le Sars 6/1, 6/2, Hexham Road, Seven Elms”.

Graves were brought in from the original cemeteries at Hexham Road (Le Sars), and Seven Elms (Flers), as well as over 3,000 British graves due to the fighting which took place around the Butte de Warlencourt from the autumn of 1916 to the spring of 1917, and again in the German advance and retreat of 1918.   The cemetery now contains 3,505 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War, 1,823 of which are unidentified. 

He earned his three medals.

 

On the first anniversary of his death, his family placed an In Memoriam notice in the local newspapers:

“In loving and affectionate remembrance of our dear brother, Lance-corporal George Myers K.L.R., killed in action October 12, 1916. - Fondly remembered by Father, Sisters, and Brother, 31, Fernhill Road, Bootle.  He gave his best - his life, his all!”

George is commemorated on the following Memorials

Bootle Civic Memorial.

Union Presbyterian Church, Kirkdale (George C. Myers)

 

His Army effects went to his sister Mary, at the request of his father. Mary also received the War Gratuity of £5-10s.  From the pension card, in the name of Mrs. Mary Candlish, 31 Fernhill Road, Bootle, it is not evident that a pension was awarded.

 

Mary emigrated with her husband and three sons in 1921 as did his father and siblings (listed as Myers). His father appears on the manifest as John Hy L. Myers, aged 71, retired.

 

The 1930 U.S. census finds Mary and her family (MacCandlish), with her father, Rachel and Louis (Meyer), in Irving Avenue, Pensaucken, New Jersey.  His father is 80.

 

In 1940 Mary, 59, and now widowed, with her married son and his family, is still in Irving Avenue with Rachel and Louis (Mayers).  Their father has presumably died, as he is no longer is the household.  A John L. Myers 1849-1931 is buried in Arlington Cemetery, Pensaucken, New Jersey, the same cemetery as Rachel and Louis Myers, and Mary and Thomas MacCandlish.