L/Sgt 16331 Harold Sinnott Price

• Age: 33
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

16331 Lance Sergeant Harold Sinn0tt PRICE, 18^th Battalion KLR.

Harold Sinnott Price was born in Fairfield, Liverpool in the third quarter of 1883, the fourth of six children born to Thomas Cooper Price, and his first wife Mary Jane (nee Sinnott), whom he married on 23^rd September 1876 at St. James’ Church, Toxteth. Thomas was a 23 year old clerk of 23 St Vincent St East, father Thomas, whilst Mary was aged 25 of 8 Hilda St, father Peter. 

Harold was baptised on the 18^th August 1883 at St Oswald’s Roman Catholic Church, Old Swan. 

His mother, Mary, died aged 35, in 1889 and was buried on the 09^th October at Kirkdale Cemetery, her address was stated as 13 Anglezark Street, West Derby.

Harold enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool on 31^st August 1914, joining the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 16331. He was aged 31 years and a clerk with Messrs. Langstaffe, Ehrensberg & Co (Ship brokers and forwarding agents) who had offices in the Liver Buildings, Liverpool. He had been employed by the company since 1898. He was described as being 5' 11" tall, weight 115lbs, 38" chest with a fresh complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. His religion is stated as Church of England.

On the 07^th September 1914 he was promoted to Corporal.

From the 23^rd September 1914 he was billeted at Hooton Park Race Course and remained there until 03^rd December 1914 when they moved into the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 18th 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. On 18^th October 1915 he was promoted to Lance Sergeant.

He crossed to France with his Battalion on board the SS Invicta on 07th November 1915.

Harold was killed in action during the attack at Montauban on 01^st July 1916, aged 33.

18^th Battalion Diary

At 6.30am the artillery commenced an intensive bombardment of the enemy’s trenches. Zero Hour – 7.30 am – the battalion commenced to leave their trenches and the attack commenced. The attack was pressed with great spirit and determination in spite of heavy shelling and machine gun enfilade fire which caused casualties amounting to 2/3rds of the strength of the Battalion in action. The whole system of German trenches including the Glatz Redoubt was captured without any deviation from the scheduled programme. Consolidated positions and made strong points for defence against possible counter attacks.

Graham Maddocks provides more detail concerning the events of the day:

As the first three waves began to move forward towards the German reserve line, known as Alt Trench and then on to the Glatz Redoubt itself, they suddenly came under enfilading fire from the left. This was from a machine gun which the Germans had sited at a strong point in Alt Trench. The gun itself was protected by a party of snipers and bombers, who, hidden in a rough hedge, were dug into a position in Alt Trench, at its junction with a communication trench known as Alt Alley. These bombers and snipers were themselves protected by rifle fire from another communication trench, Train Alley which snaked back up the high ground and into Montauban itself. The machine gun fire was devastating and it is certain that nearly of the Battalion’s casualties that day were caused by that one gun.  

Lieutenant Colonel Edward Henry Trotter  wrote in the conclusion of his account of the days action:

I cannot speak to highly of the gallantry of the Officers and men. The men amply repaid the care and kindness of their Company Officers, who have always tried to lead and not to drive. As laid down in my first lecture to the Battalion when formed, in the words of Prince Kraft:

“Men follow their Officers not from fear, but from love of the Regiment where everything had always and at all times gone well with them”.    

Joe Devereux in his book A Singular Day on the Somme gives the Casualty Breakdown for the 18^th Battalion as Killed in Action 7 Officers and 165 men and of those who died in consequence of the wounds 3 Officers and 19 men a total of 194 out of a total loss for the four Liverpool Pals Battalions of 257. 

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.”

CWGC shows that Oswald Price, L/Corporal 9742 1^st Royal Inniskillings, was also killed on 01^st July 1916. His medal card shows that he served in the Balkans from 17^th March 1915 and then must have been brought back to France to serve. Both brothers earned all three medals and both are commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Misssing of the Somme.

A report in the Wallasey News dated 29^th July 1916 reads:

”Great sympathy will be felt for Mr T. Price of 24 Harcourt Avenue, Seacombe, who has lost two sons in the recent fighting. Sergeant Harold Price was 33 years of age and was killed on July 1^st. For over 18 years he was with Messrs Langstaffe, Ehrenburg & Co, Liver Building, Liverpool and was of fine physique, standing 6 feet high. Lance Corporal Oswald William Price belonged to the Royal Inniskillings. His chum, Sergeant Worely, saw him fall wounded in the abdomen and he has since been reported as killed. He was with Messrs Greening & Co, Merchants, Liverpool”. 

Soldiers Effects and the Pensions of both Harold and Thomas to father Thomas C., 24 Harcourt Ave, Seacombe. 

Harold is also remembered on the Wallasey War Memorial which is located in the hospital on Mill Lane, Wallasey,  and on the Wallasey War Memorial Roll of Honour which is now in Wallasey Library, Earlston Road.

We currently have no further information on Harold Sinnott Price, if you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.