Pte 37221 Charles Toft

• Age: 37
• From: Manchester
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• K.I.A Thursday 12th October 1916
• Commemorated at: Warlencourt Brit Cem
  Panel Ref: V.D.23

Charles Toft was born in the June quarter of 1879 in Manchester, the youngest son of William Toft and his wife Mary (née Bridge). 

William, born in Manchester and Mary, born in St. Helens, married in St. Catharine’s, Manchester, in 1867. Charles had older siblings Louisa, Mary Emma, Alice, and William, and a younger sister Edith.

 

In 1881 the family is living at 4 Chapman Square, Chapman Street, Manchester.

 

His father, 35, is a mount card cutter, pictures, his mother, 36, is a charwoman, Louisa is 13, Mary Emma 11, Alice 8, William 3, and Charles is 2.

 

In 1891 they are at 2 Cornwall Street, Manchester. 

 

His father, 45, is a card mount cutter for pictures, his mother is 46, Louisa, 23, is a tobacco spinner, Mary Emma, 21, is a tailoress, Alice, 18, is a general domestic servant, William, 13,  Charles, 12, and Edith, 9, are at school.

 

They are still at the same address in 1901.

 

His father, 55, is a picture mount cutter, his mother is 56, Mary Emma, 31, is a tailoress, as is Edith, 19, William, 23, is a coal hewer(?), Charles, 22, is a ? labourer.  Also in the household is Louisa’s son, grandson William V. Lawley, aged 5.

 

His father died in 1910, aged 64 and his mother in early 1911, aged 66. 

 

The 1911 census finds Charles living with his sisters Mary Emma and Edith at 13 Sanitary Street, New Cross, Manchester.

 

Mary Emma, 41, single, is head of household and employed as a tailor’s finisher, Charles, 32, is a glazier’s labourer in a textile machine works, and Edith is 29, a tailor’s machinist. Also in the household are two of Louisa’s children, Charles Lawley, 13, and Louisa, 8.

 

Although his service record has not survived, we do know that Charles enlisted in Manchester and was serving as Private 37221, 20th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment when he was killed in action on 12th October 1916 during the Battle of the Transloy Ridges which was part of the ongoing Somme Offensive. He was 37 years of age. 

According to the 20^th Bn War Diary, on 10th October 1916 the battalion marched from Dernancourt via Mametz to Bazentin Le Grand where it bivouacked for the night. The next day the battalion moved up to site for assembly trenches, arriving about 11 p.m., where it dug in two good trenches, Nos.1 and 2 Coys front and Nos.3 and 4 Coys in rear.

From the War Diary:

Near Eaucourt L’Abbaye.  12/10/1916. The 4^th British and 6^th French armies continued the attack. Zero 2.5 p.m.  The whole XVth Corps attacked […]  The attack of 89^th Inf Bde was carried out with 2^nd Bn Bedf Regt on right, 17^th Bn KLR on left, 20^th Bn KLR in support, 19^th Bn KLR in reserve.  Battalions attacked in four waves. On the departure of the attacking battalions Nos. 1 and 2 companies advanced, each in two waves, to garrison the front line trench vacated by 2^nd Bn Bedf Regt on right and 17^th KLR on left. On Nos 1 and 2 Coys vacating front assembly trench, it was occupied by two platoons of Nos. 3 and 4 Coys respectively, from rear assembly trench. As the assaulting waves left their trenches they were met by intense machine gun fire, especially on our left. The enemy also opened heavy barrages on our front support and assembly trenches. […] Capt. H. Beckett, commanding No.1 company, reached the front line with few casualties, but Lieut R.D. Paterson leading No.2 company was killed. His company also had few casualties. The assaulting battalions were held up by very heavy machine gun fire, and made little progress.  […] At 4.20 p.m. two platoons, No.4 Coy, under Cpl Brighouse, were sent up to reinforce the left, and No.3 Coy under Cpl Sutton followed at 4.45 p.m.  Battalion HQ moved up to front line at 4.55 and remaining two platoons of No.4 Coy moved up to join Cpl Brighouse. 

Casualties during action: 

Officers – Killed Lieut. R.D. Paterson, 2^nd Lieut G.L. Grennan, Wounded – 2^nd Lieuts A.E. Griffin, L.E. Mclean Hayes, C. Buttemer, Wounded Cpl g. Brighouse.

Other Ranks killed – 20. 

It had rained incessantly at the beginning of October 1916 and the ground was full of mud. In his book ‘The Liverpool Pals’ Graham Maddocks describes the day Herbert was killed.

It was obvious that the Germans knew an attack was coming and from which direction it would be mounted. On the evening of the 11th the 20th Battalion moved up the line and dug two deep assembly trenches behind the 17th Battalion’s position for the attack the next day. The 19th Battalion also moved into its reserve positions known as Flers Trench. Although the rain has stopped, the ground was like a morass, with all the natural vegetation destroyed, it was difficult to tell exactly where the objectives lay. On the afternoon of the 12th at exactly 2.05pm, the attack began along the whole Corps line, covered by the local batteries of the Royal Field Artillery which still had line of sight. As the whistles blew, the 17th Battalion left its trenches to move forwards, at the same time No.1 and 2 Companies of the 20th Battalion moved forward and occupied the trenches vacated by the 17th. As they too went over the top, No.3 and 4 Companies took their place and waited in their turn to follow. No.2 and 3 Companies of the 19th Battalion moved up to occupy the assembly trenches dug the previous night by the 20th.

As soon as the attacking waves left their trenches the enemy artillery began to register on them and at the same time the defending infantry commenced a murderous rain of fire. Those German regiments were trained and experienced soldiers, well dug in on high ground, and for the most part, looking out on uncut wire. As such it was virtually impossible for them to miss the City Battalion men struggling to advance in the mud towards them.

Brigadier-General F.C.Stanley wrote that the Battalions were also suffering casualties due to the short shooting of the British heavy artillery fire. “I know from practical experience that they were our own guns which were shooting, and which were causing us quite a considerable number of casualties. The fault lay at that time from the fact that the heavy gunners would not send their FOO’s (Forward Observation Officers) far enough forward, but were content to observe us from right back”

Some ground was gained that day, about 150 yards, the 20th Battalion were not relieved until 24 hours later causing the men to endure another day and night in the front line trench. 

Charles was buried near to where he died, initially as ‘Private 37221 Pte C. Bo—-, 13th Lpools‘. After the war, when graves were concentrated, he was  identified by the Graves Registration Unit and his body was moved to Warlencourt British Cemetery, where he now rests.

Warlencourt Cemetery is entirely a concentration cemetery, begun late in 1919 when graves were brought in from small cemeteries and the battlefields of Warlencourt and Le Sars.  The Graves Registration form shows graves from “Le Sars 6/1, 6/2, Hexham Road, Seven Elms”.

Graves were brought in from the original cemeteries at Hexham Road (Le Sars), and Seven Elms (Flers), as well as over 3,000 British graves due to the fighting which took place around the Butte de Warlencourt from the autumn of 1916 to the spring of 1917, and again in the German advance and retreat of 1918.   The cemetery now contains 3,505 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War, 1,823 of which are unidentified. 

It is not known when his family was informed of his death or burial.

 

Manchester Evening News 13th Oct 1919 

TOFT - In loving memory of our dear brother, Private WILLIAM TOFT, 8th South Lancashire Regiment, died of wounds, October 8, 1916; also Private CHARLES TOFT, 20th King’s Liverpool Regiment, killed in action, October 12, 1916. Deeply mourned by the loving SISTERS, BROTHERS-IN-LAW, NEPHEWS and NIECES. A tribute of love to their memory, 3 Victoria Square, Oldham Road. 

 

Charles’ effects went to his sisters Mary Emma, Mrs. Louisa Lawley, and Mrs. Edith M. Meakin. No pension was granted; Mary Emma, living at 2 & 3 Oldham Road, Manchester, received a War Gratuity of £3.

 

Louisa’s son, William V. Lawley, died of wounds at the Somme, one month before Charles’ death, on 14th September 1916.  He was 21. He rests at Heilly Station Cemetery, where his headstone reads,

“JUST A SAD AND SWEET REMEMBRANCE AND A HEARTACHE STILL FOR YOU“.

 

His brother William died of wounds just days before Charles, on 8th October 1916.  He was 39, and rests in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, Pas de Calais; his headstone inscription reads,

“A TRIBUTE OF LOVE TO HIS MEMORY”

 

His sisters placed an In Memoriam notice in the Manchester Evening news on 12th October 1918:  

“In ever-loving memory of our dear brothers, Rifleman William Toft 31476 8th South Lancashires, died of wounds October 8th, 1916.  Also Pte Charles Toft 37221, King’s Liverpools, killed in action October 12th, 1916. Deeply mourned by their sorrowing Sisters, Brothers-in-Law, Nephews & Nieces, also Frank (serving). Days of remembrance sad to recall.”

 

Sadly, Charles has not been found on any memorials.

 

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