Pte 35348 James Alfred Webster

• Age: Unknown.
• From: Dalton, Lancashire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Alfred Webster was born in Dalton, Lancashire in the September quarter of 1892, the youngest son of Joseph Webster and his wife Ann (who seems to have been born Speakman (mother’s maiden name) and raised as Wilding). His birth registration as well as the censuses give his first name as Alfred only. His parents married in 1882, registered in Wigan, and had four children. Alfred had older siblings Ann, born in 1882, Ernest, 1885, and John, 1888.  

The 1901 census finds the family at 172 Ormskirk Road, Upholland.  His widowed mother, 47, is working as a charwoman.  Ernest, 15, and John, 13, both have above-ground jobs in a coal mine, Alfred is 8. Sister, Ann, 17, is in domestic service near Bolton. 

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 206 Ormskirk Road, Upholland. His mother Ann is shown as a widow aged 55, born 1856 in Dalton, Lancashire. She has two sons living with her Ernest aged 25, born 1886 occupation coal miners haulier who was born in Upholland and Alfred aged 18, born 1893 a boot repairer born in Dalton.

He enlisted in Wigan, under the name James Alfred, for reasons unknown. He was serving in the 20^th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 35348 when he was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916 at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive. He was 23 or 24 years old.

30th July 1916

The 20^th King’s Battalion Diary records:

“At 4.45am prompt the attack was launched. Unfortunately, a thick mist prevailed and it was impossible to see more than 10 yards ahead. This continued until about 6 o’clock when it lifted slightly, but it was still too hazy and impossible to see what was happening 100 yards ahead. This being so, it was not surprising to find that the attacking waves were experiencing great difficulty in maintaining connection.”

At 6am, Lt. RE Melly, No.1 Company, reported that his men had taken the German Maltz Horn trench.

At 6.30am, 2/Lt. CP Moore reported that he had 150 men, 4 Stokes Mortars and 2 Lewis Guns, but he was the only officer. He also said that due to the fog, both his “flanks were in the air” i.e. he was not in contact with neighbouring troops.

At 9.10am, Moore was still not in contact at his flanks, and now he had only 75 men, he had sent out 2 patrols and neither not returned. Later Moore established communication with the French on his right.

Around 10.00am, 2/Lt Musker reported that he had just over a company with him, but his left flank was suffering from German machine gun fire. Later he reported that he had over 30 casualties from the machine gun fire. His flanks were also “in the air”. No contact was made with this party until the remnants returned around 9.30pm, all runners sent were killed or missing. The War Diary states that this group had: ”held the ground won all day, and this permitted the consolidation of the ground won on the Maltz Horn ridge with little interference from the enemy”.

Relief for 20/Kings had been planned for 11.00pm, but it was 5.00am on the 31st July before it took place, ending a tragic day for the Liverpool Pals.

Casualties for 20^th Battalion were 16 Officers and 357 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. 

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.

The Wigan Observer of August 1916 carried an appeal by Mrs. Webster for information about Private Webster as she had been informed that he was ‘Missing’ since 30 July. 

Alfred's body was not recovered from the battlefield or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial as J A Webster.

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 Army pay of £2 6s 11d and a War Gratuity of £3 went to his mother Ann, at 206 Ormskirk Road, Upholland. She also received a war pension of ten shillings a week from 03rd April 1917 for the death of her son. 

He is also commemorated on the Upholland War Memorial. There is also an A. Webster commemorated in St. Thomas the Martyr Church, Upholland 

His mother died on 14th May 1923, aged 69.

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