Pte 24296 Samuel Bond

Samuel Bond was born on 14th September 1885 at 12a Back Colquitt Street, Liverpool to Liverpool born india rubber porter Richard Bond and his Liverpool born wife Jane (nee Morris). They married at St John's Church, Liverpool on 11th January 1869 and had 17 children of which sadly 11 died pre 1911. Samuel was baptised as a Roman Catholic at St Joseph's Church on 17th September 1885.

The April 1891 Census shows Samuel aged 5 still living at 12a Back Colquitt Street with his parents Richard aged 42, a fireman labourer and Jane aged 41, his three sisters Catherine aged 17 a domestic servant, Esther aged 14 a domestic servant, and Mary aged 12 a scholar, and younger brothers Christopher, aged 4, and William, aged 2.   



His father, 57, now retired, is found in St. James Street, with William, 22, a plumber's clerk, and Charles, 18, a brewer's carter. Also in the household are married daughter Mary Kelly, 30, her husband and two daughters.  His father appears to have died soon afterwards, aged 57.

Samuel then aged 28, enlisted in Liverpool in early 1915, as Private 24296 joining the 19th (Pals) Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment.

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.

During the attack at Guillemont on 30th July 1916, he was initially reported Missing. 

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. 

Samuel had originally been declared as Missing in the Liverpool Daily Post - Monday 18 September 1916: 

Missing. 

King’s Liverpool Regiment – Bond, 24296, S.; 

A request for information was placed in the Liverpool Daily Post on Wednesday 27 September 1916: 

RANK AND FILE MISSING. 

Information Desired 

Private Samuel Bond K.L.R. His wife resides at 10 Dexter Street.  

His death was reported in the Liverpool Daily Post on Friday 22 December 1916: 

PREVIOUSLY REPORTED MISSING, NOW REPORTED KILLED. 

King’s Liverpool Regiment – Bond, 24296, S.; 

Samuel's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. 

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 children were 5 and 2 years old when Samuel was killed.

His Soldiers Arrears of Pay of £2:15s:4d was sent to his widow Catherine at 16 Dexter Street on 20 February 1917, she also received a pension of £1-2s-11d per week. 

In the Liverpool Echo, on 30th July 1917 under the heading Lost At The Battle of Guillemont his family paid tribute to Samuel:

“In loving memory of Private Samuel Bond, 19th K.L.R. (Pals), who was killed in action July 30, 1916, R.I.P. To a grave in France so far away His Wife and Sisters’ thoughts wander every day. “

He was also remembered on the second anniversary of his death in 1918:

"In loving memory of Private Samuel Bond, of the 19th K.LR. (Pals), who was killed in action July 30, 1916. R.I.P.

A loving husband and brother, true soldier and friend.

One of the best that God could lend."

In 1939 at the outbreak of the Second World War, his widow Catherine, 53, is living with married daughter Christina at 117 Liverpool Road in Huyton. Son Richard is also married, living at 97 Colebrook Road and working as a flour mill labourer.
 
Sadly, Richard appears to have died at the age of 37 in 1949, and Christina in 1961 aged 47. Catherine died at 62 in 1951.

Samuel is commemorated in Liverpool's Hall of Remembrance, Panel 13 Left.

 

 

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