L/Cpl 17081 Harold John Newall

• Age: 31
• From: Runcorn, Cheshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Danzig Alley Cem, Mametz
  Panel Ref: VIII.U.5

17081 L/Corporal Harold John NEWALL, 18^th Battalion KLR.    

Harold John Newall was born in 1885 in Runcorn, the third of four boys born to James, and his wife Eleanor (nee Meyrick) who were married in 1875, registered in Prescot.

The 1891 Census shows the family living at Goschen Street, Everton, Liverpool. His father, James, is aged 30, born 1861 is a clog sole maker and his wife Eleanor is aged 34 and has no occupation listed. At the time of the Census they have eight children, Peter aged 15, is employed as a messenger, Edith Alice aged 12, Elizabeth aged 10, Constance Mary aged 9, Francis Leonard aged 7 and Harold John aged 5, are all scholars, Frederick Cecil is aged 3 and Nellie was born in 1891.

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 70, Chirkdale Street, Kirkdale, Liverpool. His father James aged 43, born 1858 is a clog sole maker who was born in Runcorn. His wife Eleanor is aged 44, born 1857 in Runcorn as were their children. They have ten children, Ethel aged 23, born 1878, Edith aged 22, born 1879, Elizabeth aged 20, born 1881 and Constance aged 19, born 1882 are all employed as confectioners, Francis aged 17, born 1884 and Harold John aged 15, born 1886 are apprentice  clog sole makers, Frederick aged 13, born 1888, Nellie aged 10, born 1891, Dorothy aged 6, born 1895 and Reginald aged 3, born 1898.   

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 5 Highfield Road, Walton, Liverpool. His father James aged 53, is a clog sole maker and his wife Eleanor is aged 54 with no occupation listed. They have been married for thirty six years and have had eleven children of which one died. Elizabeth aged 30 is a manageress for a temperance union, Harold John aged 25, is an analysis clerk for Cunard, Frederick aged 23, is a mechanical draughtsman, Nellie aged 20 and Dorothy aged 16 have no occupation listed and Reginald aged 13 is a scholar.

Harold was a well known athlete, being the holder of many medals and was a member of the choir at Ullet Road Unitarian Church.

Harold enlisted on 31^st August 1914 in Liverpool, joining the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 17081. He gave his age as 29 years 2 months, and his occupation as a clerk at Cunard Steamship Company and his next of kin as his mother and father of 26 Lonsborough Road, Liscard. He was described as being five feet eight inches tall, weighed 166lbs, with a 36" chest a dark complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. He stated his religion as Wesleyan. 

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.

Following training in which he specialised as a machine gunner, he embarked for France with his Battalion on board the SS Invicta on 07^th November 1915.

On the 01^st January 1916 was appointed Lance Corporal (Unpaid).

He was killed in action, during the attack at Montauban, on 01^st July 1916, aged 31, when a piece of shrapnel struck him in the stomach.

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.  

Harold  now rests at Dantzig Alley British Cemetery where his headstone bears the epitaph:

"FATHER IN THY GRACIOUS KEEPING LEAVE WE NOW OUR DEAR ONE SLEEPING"

The village of Mametz was carried by the 7th Division on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, after very hard fighting at Dantzig Alley (a German trench) and other points. The cemetery was begun later in the same month and was used by field ambulances and fighting units until the following November. The ground was lost during the great German advance in March 1918 but regained in August, and a few graves were added to the cemetery in August and September 1918. At the Armistice, the cemetery consisted of 183 graves, now in Plot I, but it was then very greatly increased by graves (almost all of 1916) brought in from the battlefields north and east of Mametz and from certain smaller burial grounds.

Dantzig Alley British Cemetery now contains 2,053 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 518 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 17 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 71 casualties buried in other cemeteries, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.

On the 15^th July in the Wallasey News there was a short article which read:

“Mr and Mrs J. Newall of 26 Lonsborough Road, Liscard, have lost one of their four sons at the front. L/Corporal Harold Newall, their 3^rd boy, was killed during action by a bursting shell striking him in the stomach. He was one of the Machine Gun Section and formerly an esteemed employee of the Cunard Steamship Company”.

A further local newspaper reported: 

One Of Four Brothers Killed

Mr and Mrs James Newall, of 26, Longsborough Road, Liscard, have lost one of their four sons serving at the front. Lance-Corporal Harold Newall, their third boy, was killed during action by a bursting shell striking him in the stomach. He was one of the machine-gun section and was formerly an esteemed employee of the Cunard Steamship Company.

Soldiers Effects to mother Eleanor, Pension to sister Nellie, 26 Lonsboro’ Road, Seacombe.  

Harold is also commemorated on the following Memorials:

Hall of Remembrance, Liverpool Town Hall, Panel 19 

Wallasey War Memorial (Roll of Honour located in the Wallasey Library, Earlston Road)

Wallasey War Memorial located in the Hospital on Mill Lane, Wallasey

Methodist Church, Oxton Road, Wallasey (now located in Moreton Methodist Church, Pasture Road)

Roll of Honour of the Cunard Steam ship Company Limited.  

His brother, Frederick Cecil, served with the 18^th Battalion King’s Liverpool Regiment as Pte 25788. He arrived in France on 07^th November 1915 and died of wounds on 02^nd August 1917, aged 30 years, and now rests at XVII E 1A in Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery where his headstone bears the same epitaph as Harold:

"FATHER IN THY GRACIOUS KEEPING LEAVE WE NOW OUR DEAR ONE SLEEPING"

Another brother Francis Leonard served with the 11^th battalion King’s (Liverpool) Regiment as No 12872 and was awarded the Military Medal for gallantry, he survived the war.

His mother died in the December quarter of 1936, aged 79

His father died in the December quarter of 1938, aged 81.

Three of the brothers medals, Harold, Frederick and Reginald who served in the 10th Battalion K.L.R., were sold as a rare grouping (The Three Newall Brothers) by Medals Of England 

https://www.medalsofengland.com/medals.php?id=140&medalid=1171