Pte 22014 William James Biglands

• Age: 26
• From: Liverpool
• 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 (Willie) James Biglands was born in Liverpool in July 1890 the son of John Biglands and his wife Annie (nee Gerrard) who married on 23rd February 1879 at St John's Church, Liverpool. John was a 22 year old printer of Highfield St, father Ralph a farmer, whilst Annie Gerrard was aged 18 of 21 Rose Hill, father James a brewer. William was baptised on 24th September 1890 at St Augustine's Church, Everton. His father is shown as a printer and the family address is 13 Solva Street. His parents had six children. Wilie had older siblings John Henry born in 1880, Herbert 1882, Annie 1884, and Mary Ann 1886, and a younger brother Robert born in 1892. 

The 1891 Census shows the family living at Solva Street, Everton. His father John, was born in Saltcoats, Cumberland in 1857 and is employed as a printer compositor. His mother Annie was born in Liverpool in 1861. William James is shown as 0 years old and has elder siblings; John H. b.1880, Herbert b.1883, Annie b.1885, Mary A. b.1887.

His father John died, aged 36, in January 1893 when Willie was two years old.

In the Dec Qtr of 1894 Annie remarried under her maiden name Gerrard to Robert Biglands, her brother in law who had also been widowed the previous year. He had a number of children, two of whom are found on censuses with their father and Annie: Isabella Hannah born in 1880 and Robert Heslop in 1882. 

Annie and Robert had two children together: Margaret Elizabeth in 1896 and Charles Edgar in 1898.

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 55 Mere Lane, Everton. 

Robert is head of the household and is a Police Constable born in Saltcoats in 1854. Annie is employed as a Midwife. William is by now 10 years of age. His siblings are shown as John Henry, 21, is a wharfinger, half-sister Isabella is 20, has no occupation listed, Herbert, 18, is a commercial clerk, half-brother Robert is 18, a railway engine brakeman, and Annie, 16, is a dressmaker's assistant. Brother Robert is 8, Elizabeth 4, and Charles 2. They have a visitor, Helen Wilcock, 30. (Isabella married John Wilock in 1903).

His mother, Annie, was again widowed when Robert died in 1904, aged 50.

In the 1911 Census William is now aged 20 and working as a grocer's assistant. He is living with his widowed mother Annie at 18 Herschell Street, Everton along with his younger siblings Robert, 18, a boot-dealer's assistant, and Margaret Elizabeth, 14, a sweet shop assistant.  They have a 74-year old boarder, Lydia Ibbotson, a widow from Sheffield.

He enlisted in Liverpool on 09th November 1914 joining the 20^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private 22014. He gave his age as 24 years and 124 days and his occupation as clerk. He was described as being 5' 5 and a quarter inches tall, weighing 114 lbs, 35” chest, with a fresh complexion, brown hair and brown eyes.  He has a tattoo of crossed hands and his initials W.J.B. on his left wrist. He stated his religion as Church of England and as next of kin, his mother, Annie, at 7 Arundel Street, Walton.

Formed in November 1914 the 20^th Battalion were originally billeted at Tournament Hall, Knotty Ash before on 29^th January 1915 they moved to the hutted accommodation purposely built 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 arrived in France on 7^th November 1915.

On 18.06.1916 he was attached to 30th Division grenade dump and rejoined his unit on 13.07.1916.

He was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916 at the village of Guillemont, aged 26, during the Somme Offensive. 

30th July 1916

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.  

Willie was initially declared Missing; his mother appealed for information in the local newspaper on 06th September 1916.

His service record shows an entry dated ten months after he was reported Missing, on 29th May 1917, "death presumed to have occured on or since 30th July 1916".

Willie's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is now commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France.

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 01^st 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.”  

Willie earned his three medals.

His Army pay and a War Gratuity of £7-10 were shared between his mother Annie and brother Herbert in Seattle, Washington  ("pending full address"). Herbert had served in the Merchant Marine, emigrated to the United States before the war and settled in Seattle.

Liverpool Evening Express - Monday 04 September 1916 

Missing. 

Pte. William Biglands (22014), K.L.R., of 7 Arundel Street, Walton, has been missing since July 30th.  

One year after his death his family paid tribute to William in the Liverpool Echo, on 30th July 1917 under the heading Lost At The Battle of Guillemont, his family paid tribute to him:

“In loving memory of our dear Willie (Liverpool Pals), killed in action July 30, 1916. (Sadly missed by his Mother, Sisters, and Brothers, in France. “Christ will link the broken chain closer when we meet again.”) – 7 Arundel Street, Walton.”

Further notices were placed on the second anniversary of his death in 1918:

"In fond and affectionate memory of Private W. J. Biglands (20th Pals), K.L.R., who fell in action July 30, 1916. - Never forgotten by Sister Liz and his chum, Fred Rutherford, 7, Arundel Street, Walton."

(Robert Frederick Rutherford ENLISTED 5/8/14, 3022 10th K.L.R., b.93, LATER MERCHANT SEAMAN, medals to 7 Arundel Street, married Margaret E. Biglands, March 1918) 

"In loving memory of Private W. J. Biglands of the "Pals", K.L.R., killed in action July 30, 1916. (Never forgotten by his Mother, Sisters, Brothers in France and Germany). - 7, Arundel Street, Walton."

His mother, Annie, was awarded a pension of ten shillings a week from May 1917.

The 1918 notice refers to his brothers in France and Germany. John Henry appears to have served in the Manchester Regiment and later in the Labour Corps. His brother Robert enlisted in November 1915 and served in the K.L.R. 1st/10th Liverpool Scottish. He arrived in France in March 1916 and was declared Missing in December 1917. His mother made enquiries with the International Red Cross but was notified on 07th January 1918 they held no information. However, the next month the family was informed that Robert had been captured unwounded on 30th November at Epehy and was being held at Munster II POW camp. He was later transferred to Friedrichsfeld POW camp and repatriated in December 1918.

His mother Annie died in 1924 aged 63.

Willie is also remembered on the war memorial at St Luke’s Church, Walton. 

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