L/Cpl 33229 Edward Harold Taylor

• Age: 19
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Edward Harold Taylor was born in Bootle in the September quarter of 1897, the son of Henry Taylor and his wife Margaret Jane (nee Paddock) of 88 Worcester Road, Bootle. They had married at the West Derby Register Office in late 1895. 

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 14 Cornwall Street, Bootle. His mother, Margaret J. Taylor is aged 25, born in Bootle, and son Edward H. Taylor aged 3, born Bootle. Visiting with them were Margaret's mother, Mary J. Paddock aged 49, born Westmoreland, and her children born Bootle are John H., William E. and Mary A. V. Paddock. His father is away from home. A Henry Taylor, 24, bricklayer, married, is boarding in Radcliffe, Lancashire, with John and Elizabeth Hoyle.  (Before his marriage, on the 1891 census, Henry had been a bricklayer’s assistant, and his father and brother were bricklayers.)  

The 1911 Census shows the family have moved to 250 Gloucester Road, Bootle. His father, 34, is now the manager of a firewood factory, his mother is 35. His parents had been married 15 years with two children born. Edward is 13, a student at B.S. School (Bootle Secondary), and Violet is 5. Also present and described as sister in law is Mary Amelia Victoria Paddock aged 14.

Another son, Arthur John Ernest, was born in 1913.

Edward enlisted in Liverpool, joining in the 19^th Battalion, (No 2 Company, No 5 Platoon) of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private 33229. Edward had served at most one year before he was killed.

He was killed in action, as Lance Corporal 33229 on the 30^th July 1916, aged 19, 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. 

Originally posted as Missing, Edward was reported in the Bootle Times 18th August 1916:

Lance-Corporal Edward Harold Taylor, 2nd Liverpool Pals, 19th Service Battalion K.L.R., No. 2 Company, No. 5 Platoon, has been reported missing since July 29th. He is the son of Bootle's highly-esteemed Police County Missioner. His relatives last heard from him about July 6th, when he wrote in a cheerful vein. Any information relative to Lance-Corporal Taylor will be gratefully received by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, 88, Worcester-road, Bootle.

His death was subsequently confirmed in the Bootle Times 25th August 1916

FATE OF BOOTLE COURT MISSIONER'S SON.

We regret to learn that Lance-Corporal Edward Harold Taylor of the Liverpool "Pals," whose name was given in these columns last week as among the missing, is now reported to have been killed in action. Lance-Corporal Taylor was the son of the Bootle Police Court Missioner, Mr. H. Taylor, of Worcester-road, Bootle.

The sad intelligence has evoked the deep sympathy of all who knew the bereaved family in private life, and Mr. Taylor in his official capacity as Police Court Missioner and Manager of the C.E.T.S. Labour Home.

Edward's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and 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 01st 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 parents paid an emotional tribute to Edward, on the first anniversary of his death, in the Liverpool Echo on 30th July 1917, under the heading, “Lost At The Battle Of Guillemont”:

“In loving memory of our darling son, Lance-corporal Edward Harold Taylor (Pals), killed in action July 30, 1916. (Too dearly loved ever to be forgotten.) - 88, Worcester Road, Bootle.”

Edward’s Army pay and a War Gratuity of £3 went to his father. The pension card in the name of his mother at 88 Worcester Road, which gives his battalion as the 21st K.L.R., does not specify the amount of pension awarded.

Edward is commemorated on the following memorials - 

Bootle Secondary School Memorial (now situated in the Bootle Mayor’s Office)

Bootle Civic Memorial

Christ Church, Bootle

St John and St James' Church, Bootle 

St Matthew's Church, Bootle 

Liverpool Post Office 

His father volunteered in December 1915, attesting in Bootle, giving his address as 88 Worcester Road, Bootle, his age as 39 years and 6 months, and his occupation as probation officer. He was mobilised in March 1917 at Woolwich, and served in the Army Ordnance Corps, medical category B.1. He shipped from Folkestone to Boulogne on 18/05/1917, and was demobbed in April 1919. 

On the 1921 census at 88 Worcester Road, Bootle, his father, Henry, is aged 45 years and 2 months, a probation officer for the Temperance Society. 

In 1939 his parents were living at 92 Southport Road, Bootle with son Arthur. His father, 63, is still working as a probation officer, his mother is 65, and Arthur 26, is an articled clerk to the Bootle Town Clerk and an A.R.P. instructor. 

Edward's sister, Violet, married Eric Clucas Sykes at St.Mary's C.of E. Church, Burton-in-Wirral in 1932 and went on to have at least two daughters. She died at Grantham, Lincolnshire in 1994.

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