Pte 27440 Richard Rockliffe

• Age: 34
• From: Birkdale, Southport, Lancs
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• D.O.W Wednesday 1st August 1917
• Commemorated at: Lijssenthoek M C Poperinghe
  Panel Ref: XVI.G.9A

Richard Rockcliffe was born on 10th November 1882 and baptised 24th December 1882 at St. Paul's Church, Southport. He was the son of Richard Rockliffe and his wife Mary Jane (nee Clarke) who gave their address as 144 Hampton Rd, Southport. His parents were married also at St. Paul's Church in Southport in 1882.

The 1891 Census finds 8 year old Richard living with hsi parents and two siblings at Hampton Road, North Meols. His father is aged 30 and his employment is referred to as a bottler, he was born in Southport, whilst his mother is aged 28 and was born in Liverpool. His siblings are shown as William aged 6 and Victoria Alice aged 4.

The 1901 Census finds Richard aged 19 employed as a butcher's carter living with his parents and three siblings at 161 Sefton Street, Southport. His father is a 40 year old mineral water bottler, whilst his mother is a 38 year old laundress. His siblings are shown as; William aged 16 and a mineral water bottler, Alice is aged 13 and Phyllis 3. Also present is their 25 year old cousin Alice Roberts who is a laundress.  

He was enrolled at Latchmere School on 27th June 1892, the school recorded his date of birth as 1885.

Richard then aged 23 and a labourer married Mary Elizabeth Makin, aged 22, on 24th April 1905 at St Peter's Church, Birkdale, stating he was a 23 year old labourer living at 185 Aughton Rd.

The 1911 Census finds Richard, a railway labourer, aged 28 and Mary Elizabeth, aged 26 living at 15 Chatham Road, Birkdale with their two young children; Stanley Frederick aged 5 and Zena aged 2. They advise that they have been married for 5 years and have had two children. 

They had another child, a son, Richard William born in the December quarter of 1915 who sadly died in infancy in the December quarter of 1916. 

His father died aged 51 in the June quarter of 1913.

Richard was a member of the National Union of Railwaymen (Southport branch) which he joined in 1914 when aged 31.

He enlisted in Southport joining the 13th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 27440 and served overseas from 26th September 1915. Following a transfer, Richard was serving in the 18th (Pals) Battalion of the K.L.R. when he died of wounds on the 01^st August, 1917, aged 34.

His death was reported in the Southport Visiter dated 18th August 1917:

"Husband of Mrs Rockcliffe, 14 Matlock Rd, Birkdale. Pte Rockcliffe was attached to the Machine Gun Corps, and died from serious wounds received in action on August 1st. He had been serving in France for two years. Prior to joining up he was employed by the L and Y Railway Co. at Chapel Street Station. He was 34 years of age and left a widow and three children"

Richard now rests at Lijsenthoek Military Cemetery, Poperinghe, Belgium. 

During the First World War, the village of Lijssenthoek was situated on the main communication line between the Allied military bases in the rear and the Ypres battlefields. Close to the Front, but out of the extreme range of most German field artillery, it became a natural place to establish casualty clearing stations. The cemetery was first used by the French 15th Hopital D'Evacuation and in June 1915, it began to be used by casualty clearing stations of the Commonwealth forces.

From April to August 1918, the casualty clearing stations fell back before the German advance and field ambulances (including a French ambulance) took their places.

The cemetery contains 9,901 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, 24 being unidentified. There are 883 war graves of other nationalities, mostly French and German, 11 of these are unidentified. There is 1 Non World War burial here.

The only concentration burials were 24 added to Plot XXXI in 1920 from isolated positions near Poperinghe and 17 added to Plot XXXII from St. Denijs Churchyard in 1981.

Eight of the headstones are Special Memorials to men known to be buried in this cemetery, these are located together alongside Plot 32 near the Stone of Remembrance.

The cemetery, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield, is the second largest Commonwealth cemetery in Belgium.

CWGC have his name as ROCKCLIFFE and we have contacted them to see if they will correct the name on his headstone to ROCKLIFFE.
Soldiers Effects and Pension to widow Mary Elizabeth

He is also commemorated on Southport Civic Memorial and Hampton Road Congregational Mission, Southport.

His widow Mary Elizabeth died on 09th July 1952 in Birkdale, probate of £1495 1s 7d  to Stanley Frederick an engineers fitter and Zena Griffin (wife of William Griffin).

We have been contacted by Mike Griffin who is the great grandson of Richard. Mike is the grandson of Zena Griffin who was Richard's daughter. Mike advises that RIchard's brother, William, also served in The King's Liverpool Regiment. William was a pre-war regular and was recalled for service in 1914. He served with the 1st Bn. until he was  wounded in January 1915. His service number was 8121. He was captured while serving with the 12th Battalion in April He survived the war.

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