Pte 21849 Harry Blyde

• Age: 22
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Thursday 28th March 1918
• Commemorated at: Pozieres Memorial
  Panel Ref: P21-23

Harry Blyde was born in the September quarter of 1895 at 256 Whitefield Road, Anfield, Liverpool to Liverpool born hotel porter Harry Blyde and his Liverpool born wife Mary Catherine Quick (nee Miller). They married at Toxteth Register Office in 1893 (Mary as Mary Quick) and had four children two girls and two boys. Harry was their second child.

Harry enlisted in Liverpool on the 21st December, 1914 joining the 19^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 21849.  He gave his age as 19 years and was a barber by trade. His address is given as 126 Queens Road, Everton and he is described as being 5 foot 6 inches tall, weighs 116 lbs and has a 34 inch chest. He has a scar on his left hip. His religion is stated as Roman Catholic. 

During the morning the enemy attacked the troops on our right flank and succeeded in capturing ARVILLERS, menacing our right flank. Three companies of the Battalion had to be immediately echeloned backwards as protection, the Battalion engaging the enemy, who were attempting to come out of ARVILLERS. This position was held during heavy fighting until 2pm when the Battalion was informed that French troops had come into position in the rear. In order for the Division to be relieved the Battalion had to hold their ground whilst the 2^nd Bedfordshire Regt and 2^nd Bn. R.S.F.’s passed through on their way to the rear. At 4pm the Battalion commenced to move off in small parties, passing through the French, and marching through MEZIERES, MOREUIL to MORISEL where hot dinner was provided. The Battalion then formed up and moved up by companies to ROUVREL and were billeted for the night. By this time the total casualties had reached 23 Officers and 457 O.R. 

Harry has no known grave and is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial. 

The POZIERES MEMORIAL relates to the period of crisis in March and April 1918 when the Allied Fifth Army was driven back by overwhelming numbers across the former Somme battlefields, and the months that followed before the Advance to Victory, which began on 8 August 1918. The Memorial commemorates over 14,000 casualties of the United Kingdom and 300 of the South African Forces who have no known grave and who died on the Somme from 21 March to 7 August 1918.

The cemetery and memorial were designed by W.H. Cowlishaw, with sculpture by Laurence A. Turner. The memorial was unveiled by Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien on 4 August 1930.