Pte 17550 Stanley Reeves Bolton

The 1891 Census shows the family are living at 25 Bedford Road, Bootle. Stan is aged 1 and is living with his parents, two siblings and maternal grandparents. His father, Samuel, is head of the household and is a 31 year old dock foreman born in Liverpool, whilst his mother is 30 years old and born in Liverpool. His two siblings, both born in Bootle are listed as; James  aged 7 and Edith M. aged 4. His grandparents are shown as James Ireland aged 73 and his wife Mary aged 72. Also present in the household is a servant 19 year old Josephine Douglas.      

Stan was educated at Bootle Secondary School.

The family has not been found on the 1901 census. However, they resided at Bedford Road until 1894/95 on the electoral roll and then move to the “stables” at 44 Wadham Road, Bootle when the father-in-law, James Ireland, died there aged 74. The 1900 Kelly’s Directory, entry for Samuel R. Bolton describe him as a “team owner”.  

The 1911 Census shows the family are living at 44 Wadham Road, Bootle. Stan is aged 21 and employed as a clerk. Both parents are present in the household, they advised that they had been married for 29 years and had five children of whom four had survived. Also present are three of his siblings; James Ireland aged 27 and a commercial traveller, Edith Mary aged 24 and Leslie Rennie aged 15 and a clerk. 

He enlisted in Liverpool on 11th September 1914 joining the 19^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private 17550. He declared that he was aged 25 years and 90 days and employed as a clerk. H eis described as being 5' 8" tall, weighed 145lbs with a 38" chest, and had a fresh complexion, hazel eyes and brown hair. His next of kin is recorded as Samuel R. Bolton, 44 Wadham Rd, Bootle. He stated his religion as Presbyterian.

Formed on 07^th September 1914 the 19^th Battalion trained locally at Sefton Park and remained living at home or in rented accommodation until November 1914. They then moved to the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 19th 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 arrived in France on 7^th November 1915. 

His service records show that whilst at Larkhill he was C.B. (confined to barracks) for 3 days for firing at the wrong target.

On 19th July 1916 he was admitted to Field Ambulance (rheumatism) and rejoined his unit in the field on the 22nd.

Stan was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 27, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive. 

19^th Battalion Diary 30^th July 1916

MALTZ HORN FARM

BATTLE begun. ZERO hour 4:45 am. The Battalion reached its objective, but suffered heavy losses, and had to evacuate its position owing to no reinforcements.

Everard Wyrall gives details of the attack in his book The History of The King’s Regiment; 

"The 2nd Attack on Guillemont- 29th July 1916 the 89th Brigade the 20th King's were to attack on the right and the 19th on the left. During the evening of the 29th the night was dark and foggy when the Battalions moved off and the 19th with Lt Col G Rollo commanding, when passing the South east of the Briqueterie they were heavily shelled first with H E and then with a new kind of asphyxiating Gas shell which had curious results, at first it had no nasty effect but about 8 hrs later men began to fall sick with violent headaches and pains in the stomach. All ranks had to wear gas masks which in the darkness and mist made the going terribly difficult. It was indeed wonderful that they were able to reach their Assembly point at all. But they did and by 2.45 a.m. on the 30th July 1916 the Btn was assembled having suffered about 30 Casualties on the way up ready for the Zero hour at 4.45 a.m.

It is known that the two left Companies of the 19th under Capt. Dodd and Capt. Nicholson advanced in touch with the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on their left although they suffered many casualties from Machine gun Fire did not encounter many Germans and reached their final objective about the time allocated, beginning at once to dig in south of the orchard on the South east corner of Guillemont.  

On the left of the 19th the Scots Fusiliers most gallantly forced their way through Guillemont to the eastern side of the village but were soon overwhelmed by the enemy and few returned. 

At 8 a.m. finding that the village was not held the two left Companies of the 19th received no word from the rear or either flank believed themselves to be totally isolated so were forced to fall back and dig in, their position being untenable.

At midday the effective fighting strength of the 19th Btn was just 7 Officers and 43 other ranks" 

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30^th Division held a line from the railway on the eastern side of Trones Wood , southwards and including Arrow Head Copse, to east of Maltz Horn Farm. On this line the division was relieved by the 55^th Division during the early hours of the 31^st July.

Casualties in the 19^th Battalion were 11 Officers and 435 Other Ranks 

The events of 30^th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89^th Brigade written by Brigadier General Ferdinand Stanley which gives an indication of the events of the day.

Guillemont

Well the hour to advance came, and of all bad luck in the world it was a thick fog; so thick that you couldn’t see more than about ten yards. It was next to impossible to delay the attack – it was much too big an operation- so forward they had to go. It will give some idea when I say that on one flank we had to go 1,750 yards over big rolling country. Everyone knows what it is like to cross enclosed country which you know really well in a fog and how easy it is to lose your way. Therefore, imagine these rolling hills, with no landmarks and absolutely unknown to anyone. Is it surprising that people lost their way and lost touch with those next to them? As a matter of fact, it was wonderful the way in which many men found their way right to the place we wanted to get to. But as a connected attack it was impossible.

The fog was intense it was practically impossible to keep direction and parties got split up. Owing to the heavy shelling all the Bosches had left their main trenches and were lying out in the open with snipers and machine guns in shell holes, so of course our fellows were the most easy prey.

It is so awfully sad now going about and finding so many splendid fellows gone.    

Stan's death was reported in the Liverpool Echo on 14th August 1916:

"Private Stanley Bolton, second son of Mr and Mrs Bolton, Wadham-road, Bootle has been killed. He was twenty-seven years of age, and was educated at the Bootle Secondary School, afterwards, about eleven years ago entering the office of H.A.Lane and Company Limited, provision merchants, where he remained until the war broke out. He joined the "Pals" in September 1914".

Stan's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is now commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial in France.

The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916. 

On 01^st August 1932 the Prince of Wales and the President of France inaugurated the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy. The inscription reads: “Here are recorded the names of officers and men of the British Armies who fell on the Somme battlefields between July 1915 and March 1918 but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.” 

Soldiers Effects to father Samuel R., Pension to mother Elizabeth including a War Gratuity of £8-10s. 

He earned his three medals.

Stan was remembered one year on in the Liverpool Echo on 30th July 1917, under the heading, “Lost at Battle of Guillemont”:

“In loving and affectionate remembrance of Stanley E. Bolton (Stan), K.L.R. (Pals), who fell in action, July 30, 1916. (A real pal.) – Jim and Gertie.”

“In fond and affectionate remembrance of dear old Stan (Pals), who fell in action July 30, 1916. Ede and Les.”

“In sad but loving memory of Stanley Reeves, K.L.R. (Pals), killed in action, July 30, 1916, the dear and fondly-loved son of Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Bolton, 44 Wadham Road, Bootle. – Always remembered with fond love.” 

His mother received his Memorial Plaque and Scroll in 1919, living at that time at 19 St. Edmond's Road, Bootle.

Stan is also remembered on the following Memorials:

Bootle Civic Memorial

Bootle Secondary School, now located in Bootle Town Hall

Hall of Remembrance in Liverpool Town Hall Panel 14 Left  

And on the family gravestone in Kirkdale Cemetery -

        Also PTE. STANLEY R. BOLTON, K.L.R.
             BELOVED SON OF THE ABOVE,
KILLED IN ACTION IN FRANCE JULY 30TH 1916
                        AGED 27 YEARS  

His brother, Leslie, served in the Territorials and arrived in France with the 5th Bn. K.L.R. in February 1915. He was sent back to the U.K. in June 1916 for release to Messrs. Rollo & Sons, (engine works in Blackstone Street, Liverpool). He was demobbed in December 1918.

His father died in May 1923 aged 63, Sadly, his mother suffered further loss when Leslie died just before Christmas 1923, at the same age as his brother, 27. His mother died in 1929, aged 69.