Pte 17916 Henry Peart

• Age: 31
• From: Erpingham, Norfolk
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Tuesday 11th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

17916 Private Henry Peart, 19^th Battalion KLR.

Henry Peart was born in the June quarter of 1885, the eldest son of Walter John Peart, a farm labourer from Norfolk, and his wife Susannah (nee Burton), also from Norfolk. His parents married in the September quarter of 1879. Henry was baptised in Erpingham on 11th April 1885.  

On the 1891 census the family are living at Scarrow Beck. His father, Walter, is a 33 year old labourer born in Sheringham, mother Susannah is 34 and was born in Calthorpe. They have five children in the household;  Edith 10 a scholar born Calthorpe, Susannah 7 a scholar born Erpingham, Henry is 6, a scholar born Erpingham, Eliza 3 a scholar born Erpingham, and Walter 9 months born Erpingham.

His mother Susannah died in the March quarter of 1899 at the age of 42.

On the 1911 census Henry, now 25 years of age, has moved up to Liverpool and is a boarder with Ambrose Tart and his family at 12 Oxford Road, Waterloo, and is a grocer. Meanwhile his father Walter 53, a farm steward, with new wife Rosanna 40, is living at Milham House, Thornage, Birmingham, with Henry's younger brother, Walter, aged 20 years, and five young children born to Rosanna. 

On 23^rd September 1914, Henry, aged 28 years, a grocer, enlisted at Liverpool joining the 19^th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 17916. He gave his age as 28 years and 7 months, and his occupation as a grocer. He was described as being 5’ 7” tall, weighing 131 lbs, 38" chest, with a fresh complexion, hazel eyes and brown hair. He stated his religion as Church of England and declared no mother, a brother Walter 28 in Thornage, sisters Edith 38 in Newcastle, and in London Susannah 33, Eliza 31 and Lottie 22. He gave his next of kin as his father, Walter John Peart, Mill House, Thornage, Melton Constable, Norfolk.

Formed on 07^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. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. 

He sailed to France on 07^th November 1915. 

He was killed in action at Trones Wood and the official date of his death is 11^th July 1916. He was 31 years of age. 

The murderous fighting that went on inside Trones Wood rendered it impossible to put specific dates on some of the casualties which is why many of the 17^th Battalion losses have been bracketed as killed in action between 10^th – 12th July 1916. The conditions are best described in the following passage from Everard Wyrall’s book The History of The King’s Regiment (Liverpool) Volume II. 

The remembrance of Trones Wood in July 1916 to those who passed through it is of a noisome, horrible place, of a tangled mass of trees and undergrowth which had been tossed and flung about in frightful confusion by the shells of both sides. Of the ghastly dead which lay about in all directions, and of DEATH, lurking in every hole and corner with greedy hands ready to snatch the lives of the unwary. The place was a Death trap, and although the attacks were made with great determination,   the presence of snipers who could not be detected and often fired into the backs of our men made the clearing of the wood impossible.

Henry'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.”

Henry is also remembered on the War Memorial located in St Peter’s Church, Melton Constable, Norfolk.

Soldiers Effects to father Walter John, a Pension record also exists for brother William who was killed very early in the conflict on 07th November 1914, aged 22, whilst serving as Sgt 7962 in 1st Battalionof the Norfolk Regiment.

Their father died in the June quarter of 1939 at the age of 79 in Aylsham. 

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