Pte 16788 Arthur Richard Todd

• Age: 20
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Danzig Alley Cem, Mametz
  Panel Ref: Mem 21

Arthur Richard Todd was born at 7 Boswell Street, Liverpool on October 20th 1895 and baptised on the December 08th 1895 at St Bede's Church, Toxteth, Liverpool. He was the son of James Gordon Todd and his wife Agnes Maria (nee Boorn) who married in St James Church, Walton-on-the-Hill, Liverpool on 26th December 1881. James was a 23 year old correspondent of 21 Gwendoline Street, father John, whilst Agnes was aged 21 of Clevedon Street, father Richard. 

At the time of the 1901 census the five year old Arthur lived with his parents at 39 Alderson Road in Wavertree. His father James was 42 years of age, he was working as a mercantile clerk, whilst his mother, Agnes was 40. The couple had five other children – Ernest J. 14 who was working as an office boy, Ada B. 12, Reginald J. 9, Herbert 7 and 2 year old Dorothy. An older daughter 16 year old Gertrude was staying with an aunt and uncle. All of the family were born in Liverpool.

The 1911 census records the 15 year old Arthur was working as an office boy. The family are living at 68 Thorneycroft Road, Liverpool. His father, James, is aged 52, a commercial clerk, his mother Agnes is 50, and they stated that they have been married for 29 years and Agnes is recorded as having borne 8 children, sadly 2 of which had died – Edith born in 1883 who died at the age of 9, and Ernest mentioned in the last census who died in New York in 1907 at the age of 22. Gertrude (who married in 1915) was away from home, but Arthur’s other four siblings are living at home with their parents – Ada is aged 22 and a dressmaker, Reginald now aged 19 is a commercial clerk, Herbert a 17 year old butcher and Dorothy aged 12 was still at school.

Arthur enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool on 31st August 1914 joining the 18th Battalion as Private 16788. At the time he was employed on the clerical staff of Liverpool City Engineers Department at the Municipal Buildings in the city. His enlistment papers show he was 19 years old, and a clerk. He was described as being as 5’ 7”, weighing 123lbs, 34" chest, with a fresh complexion, hazel eyes and brown hair. His religion was stated as Church of England. His next of kin was his father, James, of 68 Thorneycroft Road, Wavertree.

From the 23^rd September 1914 he was billeted at Hooton Park Race Course and remained there until 03^rd December 1914 when they moved into the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 18th 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. 

Arthur crossed to France with his Battalion on board the SS Invicta on the 07th of November 1915 and was granted home leave between 13th and 21st June 1916.

He was killed in action during the attack at Montauban on the 01st July 1916.

The events of the 1st July for the 18th Battalion were:

At 6.30am the artillery commenced an intensive bombardment of the enemy’s trenches. Zero Hour – 7.30 am – the battalion commenced to leave their trenches and the attack commenced. The attack was pressed with great spirit and determination in spite of heavy shelling and machine gun enfilade fire which caused casualties amounting to 2/3rds of the strength of the Battalion in action. The whole system of German trenches including the Glatz Redoubt was captured without any deviation from the scheduled programme. Consolidated positions and made strong points for defence against possible counter attacks.

Graham Maddocks provides more detail concerning the events of the day:

As the first three waves began to move forward towards the German reserve line, known as Alt Trench and then on to the Glatz Redoubt itself, they suddenly came under enfilading fire from the left. This was from a machine gun which the Germans had sited at a strong point in Alt Trench. The gun itself was protected by a party of snipers and bombers, who, hidden in a rough hedge, were dug into a position in Alt Trench, at its junction with a communication trench known as Alt Alley. These bombers and snipers were themselves protected by rifle fire from another communication trench, Train Alley which snaked back up the high ground and into Montauban itself. The machine gun fire was devastating and it is certain that nearly of the Battalion’s casualties that day were caused by that one gun.

Lieutenant Colonel Edward Henry Trotter wrote in the conclusion of his account of the days action:

I cannot speak to highly of the gallantry of the Officers and men. The men amply repaid the care and kindness of their Company Officers, who have always tried to lead and not to drive. As laid down in my first lecture to the Battalion when formed, in the words of Prince Kraft:

“Men follow their Officers not from fear, but from love of the Regiment where everything had always and at all times gone well with them”.

Joe Devereux in his book A Singular Day on the Somme gives the Casualty Breakdown for the 18th Battalion as Killed in Action 7 Officers and 165 men and of those who died in consequence of the wounds 3 Officers and 19 men a total of 194 out of a total loss for the four Liverpool Pals Battalions of 257.

Arthur is commemorated on the war memorial in Dantzig Alley British cemetery, France.

The village of Mametz was carried by the 7th Division on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, after very hard fighting at Dantzig Alley (a German trench) and other points. The cemetery was begun later in the same month and was used by field ambulances and fighting units until the following November. The ground was lost during the great German advance in March 1918 but regained in August, and a few graves were added to the cemetery in August and September 1918. At the Armistice, the cemetery consisted of 183 graves, now in Plot I, but it was then very greatly increased by graves (almost all of 1916) brought in from the battlefields north and east of Mametz and from certain smaller burial grounds, including:-

VERNON STREET CEMETERY, CARNOY, in the valley between Carnoy and Maricourt, at a place called "Squeak Forward Position". 110 soldiers who died in July-October 1916 were buried here by the 21st Infantry Brigade and other units.

Dantzig Alley British Cemetery now contains 2,053 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 518 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 17 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 71 casualties buried in other cemeteries, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.

Soldiers Effects to father James G., Pension to mother Agnes Maria. 

His family paid tribute to Arthur on the first anniversary of his death in the Liverpool Echo on 02nd July 1917: 

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