Pte 16494 Richard Waters

• Age: 24
• From: Oxton
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Richard Waters was born in Oxton, Birkenhead on the 30th October 1891, the son of William Waters and his wife Annie Maria (nee Richards) who were married in 1887 at St Paul's Church, Seacombe. William was born in 1850 in Hampshire and Annie Maria in Everton, Liverpool. William had a hide and leather business.

Richard was baptised on the 01^st November 1891 at St Saviour's Church, Oxton. 

At the time of the 1901 census William, aged 51 and Annie Maria, aged 41, were living at 3 Fairclough Lane in Oxton, while their son Richard, aged 9, was at a small boarding school called St Cuthberts in Great Malvern, Worcestershire. Annie Maria and William had two other children who had died in infancy, Marian in 1889 who died aged 2, and John who was born in January 1894 and died the same month.

The 1911 census records Richard, aged 19, living with his parents at 15 Marine Park, West Kirby. He was employed in his father's hide and leather business as a book keeper. His father, William, is aged 61, and a managing director of a leather and hide merchants (John C. Gale and Co. of Hatton Gardens, Liverpool), mother Annie aged 51, and they advised that they had been married for 23 years and one of their three children had survived.

Richard enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool on August 31st 1914, joining the 18th Battalion as Private 16494. His enlistment papers show his age as 22 years 305 days, occupation salesman and describe him as being 5’ 4” and weighing 116lbs, 34" chest,with a fresh complexion, hazel eyes and brown hair. He stated his religion as Church of England. His next of kin was his father William, of 15 Marine Park.

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. 

He crossed to France with his Battalion on board the SS Invicta on the 7th of November 1915.

His father, William died, aged 67, on 07th January 1916 and Richard was granted leave to the UK between 10th and 20th April 1916.

His father left an estate valued at £531 5s 4d.

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 18^th 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.

Richard's remains were not recovered from the battlefield or were subsequently lost as he is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme.

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 death was reported in the Birkenhead News on 22nd July 1916 as follows:

West Kirby Soldier.

Private Richard Waters.

"Private Richard Waters is also numbered amongst the slain! He was 25 years of age and a member of the Liverpool Pals. He was an enthusiastic member of the Boys' Brigade previous to the war, and went into khaki soon after the campaign opened. His father Mr William Waters passed away when their only surviving son was in France, and the greatest sympathy goes out to the poor mother now left bereaved. The news of his death came in a letter sent by Private Ernest Bird of the same company. The latter said that Lieutenant Merry (his officer), Private Waters and Private F. Barnes where amongst the killed. He said "I was one of the lucky ones and got through without a scratch. I am back again with my old section of which, including myself, there are only four left." The Frank Barnes, referred to in Private Bird's letter as being amongst the killed, is son of Mr Samuel Barnes of Eaton Road."

A memorial notice was also placed in the Liverpool Echo on the 12^th July 1916 as follows:

WATERS - July 1 killed in action in his 25th year, Private Richard Waters (Pals) son of the late Wm. Waters, 15 Marine-park, West Kirby.

Richard is also commemorated on the West Kirby war memorial located on Grange Hill, overlooking West Kirby and on the war memorial in St Bridget's Church, West Kirby.

He left effects valued at £6,335 7s 1d. 

Richard’s mother died aged 62 on the 10^th April 1917, just a year after the loss of both her husband and her son.

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