Pte 51949 Charles Iliff Silvester

• Age: 28
• From: Aintree, Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Thursday 12th October 1916
• Commemorated at: Warlencourt Brit Cem
  Panel Ref: III.C.7

Charles Iliff Silvester was born in 1888 in Liverpool the son of Charles Silvester and his wife Elizabeth (née Davies). His father was born in Bourton, Warwickshire, and his mother in Liverpool.  They married on the 26th July 1880 at St Nicholas' Church, Liverpool. Charles was a 25 year old fireman of Denbigh Street, father John, whilst Elizabeth was aged 24 of Paisley Street, father Samuel. 

They had eleven children, one of whom died young (according to his mother’s statement on the 1911 census).  The newspaper notice placed by his family refers to him as the fourth son. However, birth records have been found for all eleven, according to which Charles was the fifth child and third-born son.  He had older siblings William John, Edith, Thomas Ilif (died at age 1), and Violet, and younger siblings Henry (Harry), Mary Elizabeth, Edward, John, Norman, and Phyllis Maria.

At the time of the 1891 census the family is living at 20 Cambridge Road, Netherton, with five children. His father is 37, employed as a railway engine driver born Bourton, Warks., mother is aged 35, William is 9, twins Edith and Violet are 7, Charles is two years old, and Henry is 1. 

His father died in the March quarter of 1900 at the age of 46, when Charles was 11 and the youngest child was 2 or 3 years old.

By 1901 his widowed mother, 44, is living at 13 Oxford Road, near Aintree Station, with all ten children at home. William, 19, is a railway engine stoker, and Edith, 17, makes artificial (?) surgical instruments.  Violet, 14, Charles 12, Harry 11, Elizabeth 9, Edward 8, John 6, Norman 5, and Phyllis is 4.

The 1911 Census shows the family still living at 13 Oxford Road, Aintree. His widowed mother Elizabeth is aged 50, She has eight children living with her, all born in Liverpool. Charles Iliff aged 22, born 1889 and a railway clerk, Harry aged 21, born 1890 is a dental mechanic, Edward aged 18, born 1893 is a hotel waiter, John aged 16, born 1895 is a train booker, Norman aged 15, Born 1896 is a dyer, Edith aged 27 born 1884, Elizabeth aged 19 born 1892 and Phyllis aged 14, born 1897 are all dental mechanics. The census form was filled in by his eldest brother William, 29, who is married and lives down the street and provided his own address, no.7, in error. His mother states that ten of her eleven children are still living. His sister Violet, 24, is a sick nurse in the Walton workhouse. 

Charles enlisted in Liverpool. The amount of the War Gratuity suggests that he enlisted in about September 1915 and was serving in the 17th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 51949 when he was killed in action on the 12th October 1916 aged 28 during the Battle of the Transloy Ridges which was part of the ongoing Somme Offensive.

17^th Bn War Diary:  Battle of Transloy Ridge –                                               

11-10-16 - Gird Trench/Gird Support – Battalion in front line and support trenches. British bombardment of enemy front line system commenced about midday.  Hostile shelling was intermittent throughout the day.

12-10-16  - Our bombardment continued. Enemy reply weak.  2.5 p.m. Zero hour. Attack on German front line system commenced.  Enemy wire was found to be uncut and attack was unsuccessful.  Hostile machine gun fire was very heavy and caused many casualties. Battalion H.Q. and Support Trench were heavily shelled throughout afternoon and evening. […] During this action all communication had to be carried out by runners and carrier pigeons as all wires were being continually cut by enemy shelling.

Casualties: 5 officers killed,  5 officers wounded, 38 OR killed, about 225 OR wounded/missing etc.

Graham Maddocks, in “Liverpool Pals” p.140, adds:

“As the whistle blew, the 17^th Battalion left its trenches to move forward.  […]  As soon as the attacking waves left their trenches the enemy artillery began to register on them, and at the same time, the defending infantry commenced a murderous rain of fire.  […]  Although their numbers had been depleted by the British bombardment, they were trained and experienced soldiers, well dug in on high ground, and for the most part, looking out on uncut wire.  As such, it was virtually impossible for them to miss the City Battalion men struggling to advance in the mud towards them.   The 17^th Battalion, on the left, was particularly badly hit, as its portion of No Man’s Land contained a slight rise in the ground, and as the troops emerged onto it they were silhouetted against the sky and became easy targets.  Those on the left of the attack, who managed to avoid the hail of bullets and make it to the German wire, then found that it was totally uncut, and thus trapped, they too became easy targets, to be picked off almost at the enemy’s will.  It was hardly surprising that, seeing the first waves being wiped out, some of the following waves turned back and made for their start lines. These lines were now packed with other waves of troops, however, and the fleeing men added to the congestion already there, and became easy prey for the German gunners.  There is some evidence also, to suggest that at this stage, the British trenches were also being hit by their own heavy artillery shells which were falling short.”

Charles now rests at Warlencourt British Cemetery, France where his headstone bears the epitaph:

“GOD BE WITH YOU TILL WE MEET AGAIN”

Warlencourt Cemetery is entirely a concentration cemetery, begun late in 1919 when graves were brought in from small cemeteries and the battlefields of Warlencourt and Le Sars.  The Graves Registration form shows graves from “Le Sars 6/1, 6/2, Hexham Road, Seven Elms”.

Graves were brought in from the original cemeteries at Hexham Road (Le Sars), and Seven Elms (Flers), as well as over 3,000 British graves due to the fighting which took place around the Butte de Warlencourt from the autumn of 1916 to the spring of 1917, and again in the German advance and retreat of 1918.   The cemetery now contains 3,505 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War, 1,823 of which are unidentified.

A notice appeared in the Liverpool Echo on 31st October 1916:

“October 12, killed in action, Charles (Charlie), fourth son of Elizabeth and the late Charles Silvester, 13, Oxford Road, Aintree.”

His mother and sister Mrs. Violet Steele received his Army pay; the War Gratuity of £3-10s went to his mother, who was awarded a pension of 9/- a week from June 1917. 

Charlie is commemorated on the Family Headstone in Kirkdale Cemetery, Liverpool and on the following War Memorials,

Emmanuel C. of E. Church, Aintree 

Longmoor Lane Council School, Fazakerley.

Liverpool’s Hall of Remembrance, Panel 42

St. Giles with St. Peter, Aintree 

Aintree and Melling Roll of Honour  

His brother Harry enlisted in the 20th (Pals) Bn. K.L.R. as Private 22855, was wounded at the Somme in July 1916, transferred to the Cheshire Regiment and then the Manchester Regiment and was wounded again in late 1918, but survived the war.

John Silvester, quite possibly his brother, served in the 13th Bn. K.L.R. and was later posted to the 17th Bn.

His mother died in 1927, aged 71. 

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