Pte 14015 David Humphreys Blackwood

• Age: 23
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Tuesday 31st July 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

David Humphreys Blackwood was born in the March quarter of 1894, the son of David Blackwood, who was born in Newton Stewart, Scotland and his wife Martha (nee Caton) who was born in Liverpool. The couple were married on the 19th November 1889 at St Simons, Liverpool, David was a 34 year old barman of 10 Bridport St, Martha was 23 of 18 Hilbery? St. and was David’s second wife. He married his first wife Bessie Brewer in 1880 in Stoke Damerel, Plymouth and they had three children - Ellen b.1882, William b.1883 and Samuel b.1885. All three children had been born in Devon. Bessie died aged 29 in Liverpool in 1889. David jnr was baptised on same day as sister Lillie on the 07th September 1898.

At the time of the 1901 census the family lived at 5, Hamilton Terrace, Edge Hill, Liverpool.

David senior is 40 and working as general labourer, Martha is 34. Samuel is living with his father and the couple have three children of their own – Elizabeth aged 10, David 7 and Lillie aged 5.

By the 1911 census the family are at the same address. Father David is aged 62, a labourer for a furnishing store, Martha is aged 46, all three of their children are living with them and now working. Elizabeth is a charwoman, David an errand boy in a timber yard and Lillie is a tailoress. They have a boarder, 60 year old Mary Handley who was on parish relief.

Father died aged 65 in 1914 and was buried at Anfield Cemetery on the 29^th June. 

David enlisted in Liverpool and was serving in the 19th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 14015. He was killed in action aged 23, on 31st July 1917 on the first day of the Third Battle of Ypres, better known as the Battle of Passchendaele.

19^th Battalion

The 19^th Battalion started the day in Divisional Reserve but were called forward in the early morning of 31^st July and reached Maple Copse in late afternoon. It was originally detailed to continue with the morning’s attack but this was cancelled and they eventually relieved a Battalion of the 53^rd Brigade in the newly captured line, sustaining casualties from shell fire.

The Battalion was relieved on the night of 03^rd/4^th August.

Although not actively engaged in the assault the Battalion lost 26 men killed or died of wounds with four officers and 101 men wounded.   

David was one of those men killed. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Belgium.

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

He was reported wounded in the Liverpool Daily Post on 26th August 1916

King's (Liverpool Regiment) - Blackwood, 14015, D. (Liverpool); 

His death was reported in the Weekly Casualty List on the 11th September 1917

King's (Liverpool Regiment) - Blackwood 14015 D. (Liverpool); 

His death was reported in the local press on 11th September 1917

Soldiers Effects to mother Martha, Pension to Martha Sherman, this is his mother as she remarried in 1916 to Thomas Sherman.

The mother Martha died aged 71 in 1937.

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