Pte 25576 Ward Brinley Owens

• Age: 23
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• D.O.W Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Dive Copse B C, Sailly-le-sec
  Panel Ref: II.B.37

Ward Brinley Owens was born in the fourth quarter of 1892 in Birkenhead the son of William Richard Owens and his wife Olive Mary (née Perett) who were married on the 26th December 1891 at St John, Pembroke Dock. William was a 33 year old engineer of Birkenhead, father Richard a team owner, whilst Olive was aged 22 of Pembroke Dock, and father Edward a draughtsman. 

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 22 Caerwys Grove, Birkenhead. His parents are present, his father is aged 42 and was born in Birkenhead in 1859 and his employment is listed as a mechanical engineer foreman. His mother, Olive, is aged 31 and was born in Charlton, Kent in 1870. Ward is 8 years of age and was joined in the household by a boarder.  

By 1911 the family have moved to 22 Seaforth Road, Seaforth. His parents are present, his father is now aged 52, a stationer and his mother is aged 42, a sub postmistress. They have been married for 19 years and have had two  children. Ward is now 18 and is shown as an insurance clerk. There is a sibling for Ward, his sister Gwynneth who was born in 1903 in Birkenhead. Also present is Martha Hannah Owens listed as the sister of William and shown as a housekeeper.     

SDGW records that Ward enlisted at Seaforth joining in the 19^th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 25576.

Formed on 7^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.

Whilst at Belton Park, Ward's father died, aged 57, on the 19th July 1915. Probate:- 

Owens William Richard of 41 Seaforth Road, Seaforth, Lancashire stationer died 19 July 1915 Probate Liverpool 9 August to Olive Mary Owens widow. Effects £1420 12s 11d. 

Ward was wounded by a shell burst on 27th June 1916 and spent time in hospital at Rouen.  

Liverpool Daily Post - Monday 24 July 1916 

Wounded. 

King’s (Liverpools) - Owens, 25576, W. B. (Seaforth); 

He rejoined his battalion on 20th July 1916. On 29th July he wrote two letters home both of which featured in Graham Maddocks' book Liverpool Pals: 

France, Saturday Evening 29.7.16

"My dear Moth,

We shall be moving off in about half an hour fRom this place where we have been bivouacking for the last week, up the line, and early tomorrow morning I shall be in the first wave when the good old 19th goes over the top to take three lines of trenches from the enemy. 

This will be the first experience of hand to hand fighting for us, as in the past in an attack, the 19th were carriers to the Brigade, so this time the boys are out to fight first in the field - at last. 

Well of course, the future is veiled indeed at a moment like this, but by God's help I hope to fight a good fight and be brought safely thro'.

It will be idle for me to tell you not to grieve if I should go under - all I would ask you to remember is that the parting is but for a time, we shall be together again before long. 

So whatever the days to come may hold for us Moth we have the assurance that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ that is my sheet anchor for the morrow.

God bless you Mother for all you have been + meant to me.

Your loving son

Ward"

The second letter to his sister is a remarkable testiment to the person that Ward must have been. 

France Saturday 29.7.16

My dear Gwyn,

I feel I must leave a line for you in case anything happens tomorrow when the fun begins. I should feel much worse about things if I thought Mother would be left alone anytime, and it is a real comfort to me to know that she will always have you to cheer + strengthen her. 

Oh Gwyn never give her a moment's anxiety that you can help. You + I will never know all she has suffered this last 18 months, a better dearer Mother no son or daughter ever had what her letters have meant to me out here, I could never put down on paper. May you never have to realise the strength of her love by absence from it. 

Now girlie persevere with your school work + music - never mind the failures, the striving is the thing. 

And now God bless you + keep you ever in his care.

Your loving brother

Ward.     

His diary survived and was returned to his family, the last entry in the diary was dated 29th July 1916:

"Finished with class for the time being. Moving off for line tonight - over the top in the morning."  

Ward was fatally wounded in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 23 in the attack on village of Guillemont that he was so looking forward to. The day was a disaster for the 3  Liverpool Pals Battalions that were involved. The 18th Battalion having been decimated at Montauban were not involved. Close to 500 men were killed in action on the day, described at the time as Liverpool's blackest day. 

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.   

Ward now rests at Dive-Copse British Cemetery, Sailley-le Sec, France where his headstone bears the epitaph: 

THE ONLY SON OF HIS MOTHER AND SHE WAS A WIDOW. AMAVIMUS! AMAMUS! AMABIMUS!

The latin translates to "We loved, we love, we continue to love".

Dive Copse Cemetery, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, is 13 miles southwest of Guillemont.  In June 1916, before the Somme offensive, the ground north of the cemetery was chosen for a concentration of field ambulances, which became the XIV Corps Main Dressing Station.  Dive Copse was a small wood close by, under the Bray-Corbie road, named after the officer commanding this station. Plots I and II were filled with burials from these medical units between July and September 1916.  Plot III contains the graves of 77 men who died in August 1918 as well as graves brought in from scattered sites and small cemeteries in the area.  The cemetery now contains 589 burials and commemorations of the First World War, 29 of which are unidentified but there are special memorials to 10 casualties known to be buried among them.  

Probate was granted to his mother on 19th March 1917. 

Owens Ward Brindley of the Post Office, Seaforth near Liverpool private 19th Battalion K.L.R. died 30 July 1916 at Guilliemont, France Administration (with Will) Liverpool 19 March to Olive Mary Owens widow. Effects £236 16s 4d. 

Ward was remembered by his Mother in the Liverpool Echo on 30th July 1917, under the heading, “Lost At The Battle Of Guillemont”:

“In ever-undying memory of Ward Brinley Owens A.R.C.O., the dear and only son of Mrs. Owens, who fell in action at Guillemont, July 30, 1916, and was buried at Dive Copse Cemetery, Morlancourt. Also her beloved husband, W. R. Owens, who fell asleep July 19, 1915. (Beyond the parting and the meeting we shall be soon.)”

Ward is commemorated on the following Memorials:

Trinity United Reformed Church at Orrell Park

URC Book at Waterloo

Liverpool’s Hall of Remembrance, Panel 62.

as well as the family grave at Sefton Parish Church which reads:- 

Also  

Of their much loved only Son  

WARD BRINLEY, 

Who fell in action at Guillemont, July 30th 1916  

And was buried at Dives(sic) Copse Cemetery, Morlancourt, France, Aged 23. 

His mother died, aged 98, on the 07th January 1968. Her death was reported in the Liverpool Echo on Tuesday 09 January 1968: 

OWENS - January 7 1968, peacefully at her home “Stepaside,” Dibbinsdale Road, Bromborough, in her 99th year, OLIVE MARY OWENS (late of Seaforth) dear mother of Gwynneth. Interment at Sefton Churchyard on Thursday next at 3 p.m. 

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