Pte 15335 William Harold Bond

• Age: 23
• From: Tranmere, Birkenhead, Cheshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

William Harold Bond was born in March 1893 in Tranmere the only son of William James and his wife Hannah (nee Thompson). His parents married in Liverpool in 1889 and had three children. Harold had an elder sister Jessie Thompson and a younger sister Frances.

The 1901 Census shows the family are living at 8 Shiel Road, Liscard, Birkenhead. His father, William, is a book keeper who was born in Liverpool in 1866, whilst his mother was born in Liverpool in 1868. William Harold is 8 years of age and has an elder sister Jessie born in 1891.    

The 1911 Census shows Harold, now aged 18, as living with his parents and younger sister Frances, aged 8, at 3 Heathbank Avenue, Liscard. Harold is shown as working as a clerk for Cunard Steamship. His father is 45, employed as a clerk with the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board, his mother is 43.

He enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool joining the 17^th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private 15335. 

He was billeted at Prescot Watch Factory from 14^th September 1914, he trained there and also at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 17th 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 father appears to have died suddenly in April 1915 at the age of 49, while Harold was in training at Knowsley, not far from home.

Harold was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 23, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive. 

17th Battalion Diary 30th July 1916

The Battalion was in support to 19 & 20 Battalions K.L.R. 2 Coys. behind 19th & 2 Coys. behind 20th. Very thick mist. The attack was pushed home to the objective in places but in the main was held up by machine gun fire from hidden machine guns.

Fighting continued all day swaying backwards and forwards until by 6pm about 300 yards in depth had been gained & consolidated all along our front.

Casualties in the 17th Battalion were 15 Officers and 281 Other Ranks

Further details are reported in more detailed by Everard Wyrall in his book The History of the King’s Regiment (Liverpool) 1914-1919 Volume II 1916-1917

The 17th King’s had advanced (two companies each behind the 19th and 20th Battalions) in small columns. They too suffered heavily from machine-gun fire and were quickly absorbed into the waves that preceded them. They also shared the gains and losses of that terrible day.

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30th 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 55th Division during the early hours of the 31st July. 

The events of 30th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89th 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.      

His death was reported in the Liverpool Echo on 19th August 1916: 

KILLED IN ACTION.  

BOND—July 30, killed action, aged 23, Harold Bond, late 84, Well-lane, Tranmere, son of Hannah Bond, Kelmscott, Beaufort-drive, Wallasey and the late William Bond, Dock Board Office. 

Harold's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is now commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme. 

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.”

His outstanding Army pay and a War Gratuity of £8-10s went to his mother Hannah.

He earned his three medals. Sadly, the medal rolls show they were returned. Medals were sent to the last recorded address of the next of kin. If the next of kin had moved and the medals could not be delivered they were returned to the Medals Office. King's Regulations (1912) para 1743 states:- "Medals which, at the end of 10 years, still remained unclaimed, will be sent to the deputy director of ordnance stores, Royal Dockyard (Medal Branch), for disposal."

Probate was granted at Chester on 03rd March 1917:- 

BOND William Harold of 16 Beaufort Drive Wallasey Cheshire a private in the 17th Liverpool regiment died 30 July 1916 in France administration Chester 3 March to Hannah Bond widow. Effects £226 16s 3d. 

The pension cards in the name of his mother (which appear to show a pension of 17/- a week was awarded from 1923) show various addresses: 23 Richmond Street, New Brighton; 29 Mill Lane, Liscard; 1 Wellington Fields, Wavertree, Liverpool; and 37 High Street, High Barnes, Hertfordshire. The last entry on the pension ledger is 1932.

His sister Jessie had a son she named Harold.

Harold is commemorated on the following memorials -

Hall of Remembrance, Liverpool Town Hall, Panel 15 Right

Cunard Staff, Our Lady and St. Nicholas Church, Liverpool

We currently have no further information on William Harold Bond, if you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.