2nd Lieut Edward Radcliffe Porritt

• Age: 22
• From: Neston, Cheshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Serre Rd No 2 Cem, B-hamel
  Panel Ref: IX.L.4

Edward Radcliffe Porritt was born in 1894 at Neston the eldest son of Edward Porritt and his wife Ada (née Radcliffe) who were married in 1892 at Prescot. He had a younger brother John Taylor and a younger sister Ada Mary. 

The 1901 Census shows the family are living at Parkgate Road, Neston, Cheshire.

His father Edward is aged 43, shown as a Cotton Merchant and broker born in Huddersfield in 1858, whilst his mother Ada is aged 30, was born in St. Helens in 1871. Edward is shown as having been born in Neston as have his two siblings; John T. b.1898 and Ada M. b.1899. There are two servants in the household described as Cook and Nurse respectively.   

By 1911 his parents have moved to Birkdale, Lancashire, living at 9 Grosvenor Road.

His father, 53, is a cotton merchant/employer, his mother is 40, and Ada is 12.  They have three domestic servants.  It seems that Edward and John are at boarding school in Switzerland, as neither is found on the census. 

Edward was educated at “Terra Nova” Birkdale, Clifton College (O.T.C) and Neuchatel.

He served an apprenticeship with Messrs Joynson Bentley and Co, Cotton Brokers, Orleans House, Liverpool.

Prior to the war he was engaged with his father in business as a cotton broker in Liverpool. 

On the outbreak of war, he applied for a commission and was Gazetted on 22nd September 1914.

He joined the 17th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment, as 2^nd Lieutenant, in 1915.

He arrived in France on 07th November 1915.

Edward was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 22, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive. 

The attack took place in a thick mist and was pressed home with great heroism. Some objectives were taken, but other unsuccessful assaults left flanks exposed. Fierce enfilading machine-gun fire from the village of Guillemont made the objectives impossible to take, although, by the evening of the 30^th,about 300 yards in depth had been gained all along the line of attack. 

17th Battalion Diary

The Battalion was in support to 19 & 20 Battalions K.L.R. 2 Coys. behind 19th & 2 Coys. behind 20th. Very thick mist. The attack was pushed home to the objective in places but in the main was held up by machine gun fire from hidden machine guns.

Fighting continued all day swaying backwards and forwards until by 6pm about 300 yards in depth had been gained & consolidated all along our front.

Casualties in the 17th Battalion were 15 Officers and 281 Other Ranks

Further details are reported in more detailed by Everard Wyrall in his book The History of the King’s Regiment (Liverpool) 1914-1919 Volume II 1916-1917

The 17th King’s had advanced (two companies each behind the 19th and 20th Battalions) in small columns. They too suffered heavily from machine-gun fire and were quickly absorbed into the waves that preceded them. They also shared the gains and losses of that terrible day.

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30th 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 55th Division during the early hours of the 31st July. 

The events of 30th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89th 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.

On Monday 31^st July 1916 when the news of the disaster at Guillemont had reached Liverpool the flag of the Cotton Exchange was flown at half mast for all those former members who had lost their lives in the battle. In August 1914, ’A’ Company of the 17^th Battalion was made up of almost entirely from men who worked in the Cotton Exchange..

The CWGC Graves Registration report shows that he was originally buried as one of five Unknown British Soldiers of the King's Liverpool Regiment.  After the war, when graves were concentrated, their bodies were exhumed, and four were identified by their uniforms and titles. Edward was also identified by his Officer’s Norwegian boots size 6, and “three teeth top jaw gold stopped”. Those identified soldiers were Pte. H. Sampson;  2nd Lt. E.R. Porritt, 17th Bn;  Pte. F.J. Garside, 19th Bn; and Pte. A. Lohrenz, 17th Bn, all killed on the same date. They were reinterred in Serre Road No.2 Cemetery, Beaumont Hamel, Somme, where all five rest side by side. 

Serre Road Cemetery No 2, is situated close to Beaumont Hamel, France on the northern sector of the Somme Battle front, some miles away from Guillemont. The Cemetery was first used for burials from the immediate locality, and then in the mid 1920’s for burials for soldiers found anywhere on the Somme Battle sector.

In June 1916, the road out of Mailly-Maillet to Serre and Puisieux entered No Man's Land about 1,300 metres south-west of Serre. On 1 July 1916, the 31st and 4th Divisions attacked north and south of this road and although parties of the 31st Division reached Serre, the attack failed. The 3rd and 31st Divisions attacked once more on the 13 November, but again without success.

Early in 1917, the Germans fell back to the Hindenburg Line and on 25 February, Serre was occupied by the 22nd Manchesters. The village changed hands once more in March 1918 and remained under German occupation, until they withdrew in August.

In the spring of 1917, the battlefields of the Somme and Ancre were cleared by V Corps and a number of new cemeteries were made, three of which are now named from the Serre Road. Serre Road Cemetery No.2 was begun in May 1917 and by the end of the war it contained approximately 475 graves (Plots I and II, except for Row E, Plot II which was added in 1922 and Row AA, Plot I which was added in 1927), but it was greatly enlarged after the Armistice by the addition of further graves from the surrounding area.

There are now 7,127 Commonwealth burials of the First World War in the cemetery, mostly dating from 1916. Of these, 4,944 are unidentified.

The cemetery, which was not completed until 1934, was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens. 

Edward earned his three medals.

Probate in the amount of £239-11d-3d was granted to his father.

A Memorial Service for Edward and another local soldier was held in Christleton Parish Church on 09th August 1916, attended by a large congregation, including his parents, sister Ada and brother, Capt. J. T. Porritt.  Details were reported in the Cheshire Observer on 12th August, including:  

He was described as;

“a lad of great qualities - quiet, retiring, undemonstrative;  never meant to be a soldier one would say.  Yet as soon as his country called he left his office and laid aside his ordinary duties and answered the call, joining the Liverpool Pals as a Private. When he came home he was full of brightness and cheeriness such as he had shown in the letters he had sent home. They were always bright messages, encouraging those at home to look on the bright side.  His life and the manner of his death were something to thank God for". 

His death was also reported in the Liverpool Evening Express:

"The flag of the Liverpool Cotton Association is flying half mast in memory of Second Lieutenant E. R. Porritt, Liverpool Pals, killed in action, formerly with Messrs. Joynson, Bentley Co". 

The Nantwich Guardian also reported his death on 11th August 1916;

LIEUTENANT E, R. PORRITT. We regret to learn that news has reached Christleton (Chester) of the death in action of Second-Lieutenant E. R. Porritt, one of the young soldier sons of Mr. and Mrs.Porritt, of The Grange, Christleton. Deceased who before the war was engaged with his father in business as a cotton broker in Liverpool, was serving in the Liverpool Pals, and received his commission in the early days of the war. 

A further report advises that he was slightly wounded on the opening day of the Battle of the Somme during the Pals attack at Montauban. It goes on to quote a fellow officer who reported that:

"He died at the head of his men, universally beloved by everyone; his work was rewarded by his being given the command of a company. Nothing could have been finer than his conduct under fire. He was always cheerful and brave, and his bright example cheered his men" 

Probate was granted to his father Edward at Chester on 23rd November 1916 in the sum of £239, 11s and 3d. 

His brother John was commissioned in the 5th Battalion K.L.R. in October 1914 when he was 17, and later served as a Lieutenant in the Army Service Corps and achieved the rank of Captain. He became a cotton merchant after the war.

His father died in 1938, and his mother in 1951, both aged 80.

Edward is commemorated on the following Memorials:

Christleton Institute Memorial

St James's Church Christleton 

Christleton Roll of Honour

Chrisleton War Memorial

Liverpool Cotton Association, Walker House, Exchange Flags, Liverpool

Southport War Memorial 

He is also commemorated on the family headstone at St. James’ Churchyard, Christleton:

AND OF HIS ELDEST SON, EDWARD RADCLIFFE PORRITT,
Second-Lieutenant 17^th KING’S LIVERPOOL REGIMENT
WHO GAVE HIS LIFE FOR ENGLAND AT GUILLEMONT, JULY 30^TH 1916 AGED 22 YEARS.

And on a plaque in Christleton Institute -

                        1919

             THIS INSTITUTE

         WAS PRESENTED TO

 THE PARISH OF CHRISTLETON

                         BY

        EDWARD PORRITT ESQ

    OF CHRISTLETON GRANGE

       IN MEMORY OF HIS SON 

  EDWARD RADCLIFFE PORRITT

             2ND LIEUT K.L.R.

    WHO GAVE HIS LIFE FOR HIS

   FELLOW MEN AT THE BATTLE

OF THE SOMME JULY 30TH 1916

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