Pte 34264 William Norris

• Age: 21
• From: Knowsley, Lancs
• 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.

William Norris was born on the 28th August 1894 at Knowsley and was baptised 14th October 1894 at St Mary the Virgin, C. of E. Church, Knowsley. He was the son of John Norris and his wife Ann (née Burrows). His parents married on the 29th June 1892 also at St Mary the Virgin. William was the second of eight children; their youngest, Alfred, born in 1909, died at 5 months. 

At the time of the 1901 census the family is living in Tithebarn Road, Knowsley, with four children, John 8, William, who is 6, Joyce 4, and Henry 2 (known as Harry). His father is aged 38, a bricklayer’s labourer, mother Ann is 36. Also in the household is his uncle, Alfred Norris, 28, a tailor.  

The 1911 Census shows the family living at Shop Lane, Knowsley, Lancashire. His father, John, is aged 48, born in Knowsley in 1863 his occupation is shown as a general labourer in a gasworks. His mother Ann is aged 46, born in Knowsley in 1865 with no occupation listed. They advise that they have been married for eighteen years and have had eight children of which one died. Those children listed at home, and all born in Knowsley, are; John aged 18, born 1893 is a clerk for a steamship company, William aged 16, is a farm labourer, Joyce aged 14, born 1897 and Henry aged 12, born 1899 are at school, Richard aged 8, born 1903, James aged 6, born 1905 and Esther aged 4, born 1907. They also have a boarder John Burrows aged 72, born 1839 who is a general labourer born in Liverpool.     

William enlisted in Liverpool joining the 20th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 34264.

His service record has sadly not survived but as he did not receive the 1915 Star he must have embarked for France after the 01st January 1916. 

He was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 21, 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.

William was initially declared Missing in the Liverpool Daily Post on Thursday 14 September 1916: 

His parents were still seeking information months later, when they placed a notice in the Liverpool Echo on 13th December 1916, 

“Private W. Norris, of the King’s (Liverpool Regiment), is reported as missing since July 30.  Any information will be gladly received by his father, Mr. T. [sic] Norris, who lives at Tithebarn Road, Knowsley.”

It is not known when his parents were officially informed that William’s death was presumed, for official purposes, as having occurred on or since 30th July 1916.

William'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 two medals.  

His Army pay of £3 12s 11d and a War Gratuity of £3 went to his father. His parents were awarded a pension, amount unknown.

His elder brother John enlisted in November 1915 in the 1st Gen. Bn. Manchester Regiment but was discharged five days later as not likely to become an efficient soldier (medical reasons).

His brother, Harry, enlisted in early 1917 when he was 18 years old  and served in France with the 1st/7th Bn. K.L.R.  He was captured at Festubert on 09th April 1918, wounded in the left arm and both legs. His name appeared in the list of Missing in the Weekly Casualty List on 11th June 1918, and confirmed as a P.O.W. on 15th October 1918. Harry had been transported to Ingolstadt in Bavaria, 50 miles north of Munich and 500 miles from Festubert. 

The Germans reported that he died of heart failure on 30th June 1918, and was buried in Ingolstadt Cemetery. Harry was 19.

After the Armistice, when graves were concentrated, his body was removed and reinterred in Niederzwehren Cemetery, Kassel, where his headstone inscription bears the epitaph;

“THE HEART THAT LOVES NEVER FORGETS”.  

The family suffered further loss when youngest brother James died in 1936, at the age of 31.

William and Harry are both commemorated on St. Mary’s Church, Knowsley, Plaque. 

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