Pte 50623 James Richardson

• Age: 27
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• K.I.A Tuesday 31st July 1917
• Commemorated at: Zantvoorde Brit Cem
  Panel Ref: III.C.18

James Richardson was born in 1889 in Toxteth, Liverpool and baptised on 17^th December 1889. He was the son of John Richardson and his wife Eliza (nee Johnson) who were married on the 16^th December 1888 at St Michael in the Hamlet, Toxteth. John was a 28 year old mariner, Eliza was 22, both of Walton-on-the-Hill.

On the 1891 Census the family are living with Eliza's parents at 113 Park Street, Toxteth Park. Head of the household Richard Johnson aged 54 a shipwright, wife Ellen 54, their children Henry 26, Sarah 19. His father John Richardson is aged 32 a R.N.R. mariner, mother Eliza is 24, son James  is 1 (everybody born Liverpool).

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 37, Goring Street, Toxteth Park, Liverpool. His father, John, is aged 41, born 1860 in Liverpool,  occupation watchman, his mother, Eliza is aged 34, born 1867 with no occupation listed. They have four children in the household; James aged 11, Eleanor aged 8, born 1893 and Margaret aged 3, born 1898 are scholars and John aged 1, born 1900.

His father Richard died, aged 43, in the December quarter of 1903.

The 1911 Census shows the family are boarding with the Berry family at 9 Greta St, Toxteth. His widowed mother, Eliza, is aged 44, an office cleaner, children Eleanor 18 a bookbinder for Woods and Co., Frederick 9, and Elizabeth 7. 

James is not present but there is a James Richardson aged 21, a club waiter, in the Infectious Diseases Hospital, Netherfield Road. 

He enlisted in Seaforth, Liverpool and served originally as Private 34566, Royal Lancaster Regiment and was serving in the 20th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 50623 when he was killed in action on the 31st July 1917 aged 27 during the Third Battle of Ypres.

20^th Battalion 

On that day, the 89th Brigade was to follow up the attacks of the 21st and 90th Brigades and once their objectives had been taken, to go through them and secure a line of strong points on the German third line. The 89th Brigade line of attack was from the South West corner of Polygon Wood, to the Menin Road. The 17th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment was on the left of the attack, and the 20th to the right, with the 19th Battalion and the 2nd Battalion The Bedfordshire Regiment, in Divisional Reserve.

On that day, the 89th Brigade was to follow up the attacks of the 21st and 90th Brigades and once their objectives had been taken, to go through them and secure a line of strong points on the German third line. The 89th Brigade line of attack was from the South West corner of Polygon Wood, to the Menin Road. The 17th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment was on the left of the attack, and the 20th to the right, with the 19th Battalion and the 2nd Battalion, The Bedfordshire Regiment, in Divisional Reserve.

The Battalion moved into assembly positions east of Maple Copse between 05.00 and 05.20am, they were heavily shelled and suffered many casualties. At 07.50 they began to advance with the 17^th Battalion on the left, and the 20^th on the right, the whole time under heavy shell fire. On reaching their position which was the Blue Line , troops of both the 21^st and 90^th Brigades were still pinned down  and thus any attempt at further progress were futile.

At this point a message was sent to Brigade HQ advising that Companies were digging in on and consolidating a line running south from Stirling Castle. 

James now lrests at Zantvoorde British Cemetery, Belgium.

Zantvoorde British Cemetery was made after the Armistice when remains were brought in from the battlefields and nearby German cemeteries. Many were those of soldiers who died in the desperate fighting round Zantvoorde, Zillebeke and Gheluvelt in the latter part of October 1914.

There are now 1,583 servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in the cemetery. 1,135 of the burials are unidentified. Special memorials commemorate 32 soldiers buried in two of the German cemeteries whose graves could not be found on concentration. The cemetery also contains one Second World War burial.The Household Cavalry Memorial, unveiled by Lord Haig in May 1924, stands on the South side of the village at the place where part of the Brigade was annihilated in 1914.

The cemetery was designed by Charles Holden.

He was initially reported wounded and missing in the Liverpool Daily Post on 25^th September 1917:

King's Liverpool Regiment - Richardson, 50623, J.;

Soldiers Effects and Pension to his mother Eliza. 

His mother died, aged 60, in 1926 and was buried in Toxteth Cemetery on the 17^th November 1926, her address  was 14 Cromwell Street and she was laid to rest with her late husband.

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