Pte 38880 James Welsh

• Age: 20
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Tuesday 31st July 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

James Walsh was born on the 22nd March 1897 in Liverpool, the son of James Walsh and his wife  Jane (nee Bannon) . He was baptised on the 24th March 1897 at St Augustine's R.C. Church, although the baptism was recorded as Welsh. His parents were married on the 04th February 1893 also at St Augustine's. James Snr was from 1 Trafalgar Terrace, Princes Walk, his father also James, whilst mother Mary Jane was from 6 Maddrell St, father Peter. A baptism record for the 30th April 1875 at St Peter's, Drogheda, Co.Louth confirms her parents as Peter Bannon and Catherine Lawless.

James enlisted in Liverpool and was serving in the 17th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 38880 when he was killed in action on the 31st July 1917 aged 20 during the Third Battle of Ypres, better known as the Battle of Passchendaele..

Passchendaele 31^st July 1917

17^th Battalion

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.

The Battalion moved into assembly positions east of Maple Copse between 05.00 and 05.20am, they were heavily shelled and suffered many casualties. At 07.50 they began to advance with the 17^th Battalion on the left, and the 20^th on the right, the whole time under heavy shell fire. On reaching their position which was the Blue Line , troops of both the 21^st and 90^th Brigades were still pinned down  and thus any attempt at further progress were futile.

Despite this they pushed on until their flank was just touching Clapham Junction. They then dug in and awaited the inevitable bombardment which hit them soon after. Despite this, they held onto the ground.  

During the action and their time in the line the 17^th Battalion lost three officers and 79 men killed or died of wounds and four officers and 198 men wounded. They were eventually relieved on the night of 3^rd -4^th August.      

James has no known grave and is commemorated, as Welsh J on the Menin Gate Memorial, Belgium. SDGW shows him as James Welsh as does his medal index card. CWGC shows him as Walsh.

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.

CWGC Website shows surname as Walsh but Menin Gate Memorial shows Welsh. 

Contact has been made with CWGC to request that the name Welsh is amended to Walsh and that his parents details be changed.

His mother died aged 51 in 1927 and was buried at Ford Cemetery on the 16th May 1927.

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