Cpl 16212 Frederick Thomas Silver

• Age: 24
• From: Saltney
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Danzig Alley Cem, Mametz
  Panel Ref: VII.U.9

16212 Corporal Frederick Thomas SILVER, 18^th Battalion KLR.

Frederick Thomas Silver was born in Saltney near Chester on 19th July 1891, the son of Felix Reynolds Silver and his wife Mary Jane (nee Bennett) who were married in 1884, registered in Kidderminster. He was baptised on 31st October 1891 in Lache-cum-Saltney Parish Church.

The 1901 Census finds 9 year old Fred living with his parents and seven siblings at Chemical Manure Works, 2 House, Saltney. His father is a 45 year old clerk and cashier, born in Dudley, whilst his mother is 45 and was born in Kidderminster. His siblings are listed as Florence K. 16 born in Runcorn as were William H. aged 14 and a printers apprentice, Felix A. aged 13 and Ethel M. aged 11, his three other siblings were born in Saltney; George B. aged 7, Elizabeth aged 5 and Beatrice aged 3.

The 1911 Census finds that the family have moved to Stonebridge, Saltney near Chester. Fred is now 19 and employed as a stationer's book keeper. He lives with his parents and three siblings. His father is now aged 55 and the manager of a bone, manure and fertilizer works, whilst his mother is also 55, they advise that they have been married for 27 years and all eight of their children have survived. Fred's siblings are recorded as; Florence Kate aged 26, Elizabeth aged 15, and Beatrice Annie aged 13 who is at school.    

On leaving school Fred served an apprenticeship with Messrs. Phillipson & Golder (printers) of Chester and later worked as a clerk for Lever Brothers.

On 19th October 1912, he married Mary Elizabeth J Dobbins in St Francis' Church, Grosvenor Street, Chester and had a son Anthony born on 18th May 1913.

Fred enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool on the 02^nd September 1914, joining the 18th Battalion as Private 16212. He stated prior to enlistment he had served with the Territorial Force. He gave his age as 23 years and 45 days, giving his occupation as a clerk, and his next of kin as his father Felix, Saltney. He is described as being 5' 8" tall, weight 135lbs, 34” chest, with a fair complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. He stated his religion as Church of England. 

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. 

He was appointed Lance-Corporal on 27th March 1915 and crossed to France with his Battalion on 07th November 1915.

On the 17th March 1916 he was promoted to Corporal and between 27^th April and 08^th May he was granted leave to the UK.

Fred was killed in action at Montauban on the 01^st July 1916, aged 24.

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. 

His death was reported in the Liverpool Daily Post on the 07th August 1916: 

Killed. 

King’s (Liverpool Regiment) - Silver, 16212, Corpl. F. T. (Saltney); 

Also in the Nantwich Guardian on the 08th September 1916: 

SALTNEY LOSSES. 

News has reached Chester of the death of other Saltney soldiers at the Front.  

Mr. and Mrs. Jones, 68 Ewart street, have lost their son; Mrs. F. T. Silver, St. Mark’s-terrace, her husband; Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd, Green-lane, their son; and Mrs.Ward, Stonebridge, her husband. 

His father died, aged 60, on the 30th December 1915 and was buried at Overleigh Cemetery, Chester. 

Probate was granted on 25th January 1916:- 

SILVER Felix Reynolds of Stone Bridge, Saltney Flintshire manager at chemical works died 30 December 1915 at Chester Administration (with Will) St Asaph 25 January to Mary Jane Silver widow. Effects £579 14s 10d. 

Fred now rests at Dantzig Alley British Cemetery, France.

The village of Mametz was carried by the 7th Division on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, after very hard fighting at Dantzig Alley (a German trench) and other points. The cemetery was begun later in the same month and was used by field ambulances and fighting units until the following November. The ground was lost during the great German advance in March 1918 but regained in August, and a few graves were added to the cemetery in August and September 1918. At the Armistice, the cemetery consisted of 183 graves, now in Plot I, but it was then very greatly increased by graves (almost all of 1916) brought in from the battlefields north and east of Mametz and from certain smaller burial grounds.

Dantzig Alley British Cemetery now contains 2,053 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 518 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 17 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 71 casualties buried in other cemeteries, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.

He is remembered locally on the following Memorials:

Lever Brothers War Memorial, The Causeway, Port Sunlight

Chester War Memorial, located in the Town Hall, Chester

Saltney War memorial. 

His widow received his Soldiers Effects and was awarded a pension of 15s 6d per week for herself and her son from 22nd January 1917, her address 11 St Marks Terrace, Saltney. 

In mid 1919 his widow Mary Elizabeth married Thomas Kerr Tillman and resided at 11 Wightman Street, Kensington, Liverpool.

As of July 1919 his siblings were listed as; Kate aged 34, William aged 32 living in Winnipeg, Canada, Arthur aged 30, Ethel aged 27, George Berry Silver 23 serving with the Royal Marines, Elizabeth 22 and Annie 21.   

Mother died aged 72 on the 28^th August 1928. 

His widow Mary, date of birth 12^th February 1894, is found on the 1939 Register at 23 Bramblebury Rd, Woolwich with husband Thomas K., a Tax Officer. She died, aged 67, in 1961. 

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