Pte 58708 Robert Benjamin Thompson

• Age: 37
• From: Oswaldtwistle, Lancs
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• K.I.A Tuesday 31st July 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

Robert Benjamin Thompson was born in 1879 at Oswaldtwistle and was the son of Edward Thompson and his wife Alice (nee Ellison) who were married in 1867 at St James' Church, Kirk.

The 1891 Census shows the family living at 6 Hodgson Street, Oswaldtwistle. His father Edward is aged 45 an engine tenter, his mother, Alice, is aged 50, children Eliza 23 a cotton winder, Mary 18 a cotton winder, Elizabeth 15 a cotton winder, Joseph 13 a mill labourer, Robert 11 a mill labourer and Sarah A. 7 a scholar. 

His father had died before the Census of 1901 as this shows the family are still living at 6 Hodgson Street, Oswaldtwistle. His mother ,Alice, is a widow aged 60, born in Oswaldtwistle in 1841 with no occupation listed. She has two children listed in the household who were born in Oswaldtwistle; Joseph aged 23, born 1878 is employed as a labourer in a brick works and Robert aged 21, born 1880 occupation labourer in a print works. They have a boarder named Isaac Wilkinson aged 21, born 1880 in Accrington and also working as a labourer in a print works living at the address.

Robert married Mary Alice Hartley in St. Paul’s Church, Oswaldtwistle in 1903 and they went on to have five children; Edith Alice born 1904, John Edward born 1906, Albert and Mary Maria (who sadly died in infancy) born 1910 and Elizabeth Jane born 1914. 

The 1911 Census shows the the family living at 6 Hodgson Street, Oswaldtwistle.  Robert is 30, employed as a lime and sand mixer in an iron foundry.  Mary Alice is aged 28 and is working as a weaver in a cotton mill. They have been married for 7 years and have had 4 children with 3 surviving. Children Edith Alice 7, John Edward 4, Albert 7 months (Mary Maria recorded). 

He enlisted in Accrington and was serving in the 20th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 58708 when he was killed in action on the 31st July 1917, aged 37, during the Third Battle of Ypres. 

20^th Battalion

He was killed in action on 31st July 1917 on the first day of the Third Battle of Ypres, better known as the Battle of Passchendaele.

On that day, the 89th Brigade was to follow up the attacks of the 21st and 90th Brigades and once their objectives had been taken, to go through them and secure a line of strong points on the German third line. The 89th Brigade line of attack was from the South West corner of Polygon Wood, to the Menin Road. The 17th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment was on the left of the attack, and the 20th to the right, with the 19th Battalion and the 2nd Battalion The Bedfordshire Regiment, in Divisional Reserve.

On that day, the 89th Brigade was to follow up the attacks of the 21st and 90th Brigades and once their objectives had been taken, to go through them and secure a line of strong points on the German third line. The 89th Brigade line of attack was from the South West corner of Polygon Wood, to the Menin Road. The 17th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment was on the left of the attack, and the 20th to the right, with the 19th Battalion and the 2nd Battalion, The Bedfordshire Regiment, in Divisional Reserve.

Robert's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres in Belgium.

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

Robert was reported killed in the Weekly Casualty List of 18^th September 1917:

King's (Liverpool Regiment) - Thompson 58708 R. B. (Oswaldtwistle);

His widow Mary Alice, living at 6 Hodgson Street, Oswaldtwistle, received his Soldiers Effects and a pension for herself and four children of 28/9d a week.

His mother Alice died, aged 81, in the March quarter of 1922.

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