Pte 21973 Seymour Glynne Weston

• Age: 20
• From: Runcorn, Cheshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Guillemont Rd Cem
  Panel Ref: II.O.10

Seymour Glynne Weston was born in March 1896 in Runcorn and baptised on the 22nd March 1896 at All Saints Church, Runcorn. He was the son of John Henry Weston and his wife Frances Eleanor (nee Jones). His father was born in Caerphilly, Glamorgan, and his mother in Rhyl. They married in North Wales in 1890 and had seven children, all born in Runcorn. Glynne had older brothers John Trevor and Arthur Eyton, and an older sister Melville Louise. He had younger brothers Hubert Neville, Cyril Maynard, and Eric Tudor.

His father was a chemist with a business in Devonshire Buildings (Devonshire Place), Runcorn, which was a ground floor shop with living premises above. 

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 1 Victoria Road, Runcorn. Glynne's father, John Henry, is aged 35, born 1866 occupation chemist and druggist, whilst his mother, Frances Eleanor, is aged 36, born 1865 with no occupation listed. They have five children in the household; John aged 10, born 1891, Melville aged 8, born 1893, Arthur aged 6, born 1895, Seymour aged 4, born 1897 and Hubert born 1900. Their children were all born in Runcorn. They also have two nieces living with them Frances Jones aged 20, born 1881 and Blanche Jones aged 16, born 1885 both being born in Flintshire, Wales.

In 1911 they are still at the same address.  Both his parents are 45, his father is a dispensing chemist.  Trevor, 20, is an electrical engineer apprentice, daughter Melville 18, has no occupation.  Glynne, 15, Hubert, 10, and Cyril, 8, are at school.  Eric is 4.  Their two nieces are still living with them; Eyton, 16, is at school, and living at 62 Devonshire Place. (He became a chemist and went into business with his father.) 

He enlisted on the 05th November 1914 at Liverpool, joining the 20th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 21973. He gave his age as 19 years and 246 days and his occupation as a banker. In fact he was 18 years old and added a year to his age in order to serve overseas. He was described as being five feet four and a quarter inches tall, weighed 123lbs, 36" chest had a fresh complexion, brown eyes and sandy coloured hair. He stated his religion as Church of England. 

Formed in November 1914 the 20^th Battalion were originally billeted at Tournament Hall, Knotty Ash.

Glynne transferred to the 17th Battalion K.L.R. on 18th December 1914, presumably to be with his two brothers who had enlisted in the 17th Battalion.

He was billeted at Prescot Watch Factory thereafter, he trained there and also at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 17th 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 was hospitalized at Belton Park Military Hospital with tonsillitis from 27th May to 02nd June 1915.

11.08.15: Whilst at Grantham Camp, he was late returning after furlough from 10pm 11.8.15 to 3.15am 12.8.15. Confined to barracks for three days.

12.9.15:  Whilst at Lark Hill Camp: Bed down at 7.00am. Confined to barracks for two days.

07.11.15: He embarked for France with his battalion.

He was serving in the 17^th Battalion (C Company), The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 21973 when he was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 20, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive.

17th Battalion Diary 30th July 1916

The Battalion was in support to 19 & 20 Battalions K.L.R. 2 Coys. behind 19th & 2 Coys. behind 20th. Very thick mist. The attack was pushed home to the objective in places but in the main was held up by machine gun fire from hidden machine guns.

Fighting continued all day swaying backwards and forwards until by 6pm about 300 yards in depth had been gained & consolidated all along our front.

Casualties in the 17th Battalion were 15 Officers and 281 Other Ranks

Further details are reported in more detailed by Everard Wyrall in his book The History of the King’s Regiment (Liverpool) 1914-1919 Volume II 1916-1917

The 17th King’s had advanced (two companies each behind the 19th and 20th Battalions) in small columns. They too suffered heavily from machine-gun fire and were quickly absorbed into the waves that preceded them. They also shared the gains and losses of that terrible day.

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30th 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 55th Division during the early hours of the 31st July. 

The events of 30th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89th 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.    

Glynne was buried close to where he fell and after the war when graves were concentrated, his body was removed and reinterred in Guillemont Road Cemetery.   

Guillemont was an important point in the German defences at the beginning of the Battle of the Somme in July 1916. It was taken by the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on 30 July but the battalion was obliged to fall back, and it was again entered for a short time by the 55th (West Lancashire) Division on 8 August. On 18 August, the village was reached by the 2nd Division, and on 3 September (in the Battle of Guillemont) it was captured and cleared by the 20th (Light) and part of the 16th (Irish) Divisions. It was lost in March 1918 during the German advance, but retaken on 29 August by the 18th and 38th (Welsh) Divisions.

The cemetery was begun by fighting units (mainly of the Guards Division) and field ambulances after the Battle of Guillemont, and was closed in March 1917, when it contained 121 burials. It was greatly increased after the Armistice when graves (almost all of July-September 1916) were brought in from the battlefields immediately surrounding the village and certain smaller cemeteries.

Guillemont Road Cemetery now contains 2,263 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 1,523 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to eight casualties known or believed to be buried among them.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.

On 11th August 1916 the Runcorn Weekly News reported that his parents had received the sad intelligence of their son’s death:

“The news came from a friend in France who said: ‘It is with deep regret that I write to inform you about the boys.  I know it will be a terrible blow to you all.  Trevor and Eaton [sic] are wounded and poor Glynn [sic] is killed.  They went into action last night (Sunday week) and suffered heavily.  I enquired about other Runcorn boys, but did not get to know anything definite.  I think Kenneth Imison is wounded and I know H. Monks is.  Trevor is wounded in the upper part of the left arm and Eaton has a slight wound in the thigh.  Eaton, Trevor, and Harry Monks left together and will be in England in a few days.  I don’t think many of the "Pals" will be left after this engagement.  It was simply awful and I have seen thousands of young fellows badly wounded.’

“By a coincidence Corpl. Trevor and Private Eaton were drafted to a hospital within five minutes’ walk at which their father’s sister has been nursing for twelve months.  In a letter to Mr. and Mrs. Weston this lady says: ‘By now you will know of your terrible loss, and my heart aches for you all.  I know that, like thousands of fathers and mothers in England and elsewhere you will mourn bravely and in your hearts feel glad that Glynn died so truly a hero’s death.  I had word last night that two of my nephews were wounded and in the Canadian Hospital five minutes away.  I went to them and they were glad to see me.  Both look in splendid physical condition, fit and brown, though Glynn’s death has shocked them both very much.  They say he did not suffer a second and was dead when he got to the ground, and I thank God for that when I see so many poor lads dreadfully smashed up.  Trevor is hurt in the shoulder and Eaton in the leg, but both can walk slowly.’

“Private Glynn Weston was a clerk in Farrow’s Bank, Liverpool, prior to joining the “Pals” in January, 1915.  Among the many letters of sympathy received is one from Mr. Godfrey Peachey, the manager, who writes: ‘When time, the great healer, has tempered but not removed your sorrow you will be able to remember with great pride that the lad died doing his duty to the nation.’

“The deceased was only 20 years of age.  He joined the 4th [Pals] King’s (Liverpool) Regiment and was drafted into the 1st [Pals] King’s, afterwards serving with his two brothers, Private George Clark of Weston Road, and a Liverpool friend, in the machine gun section.  The five served on the one gun, which was in charge of Corpl. [T.] Weston.”

A further contemporary newspaper reports record his death:

"Private Seymour Glynne Weston enlisted in the Liverpool Pals, together with his two elder brothers at the beginning of the war, and with them was transferred to the machine gun section. He was a member of Farrow's Bank Ltd., Harrington Street, Liverpool, and was at the time of his death only 20 years of age".

LIVERPOOL BANK CLERK.

News reached Mr. and Mrs. J. Weston, of "Bodlondeb," Runcorn, that their son Private S. G. Weston, has been killed,  and their two other sons, Lance-corporal J. T. , Weston and Private A. E. Weston, wounded the same time and place. Private Seymour Glynne Weston, who was killed, enlisted in the "Pals," together with his two elder brothers the commencement of the war, and, with them, was transferred to the ; machine-gun section He was member the staff of Farrow's Bank, Limited, Harrington-street, Liverpool, and was 20 years of age.

The brothers referred to in the articles above both enlisted in the 17th Battalion and were:

Private 15614 John Trevor Weston, Trevor transferred to the Machine Gun Corps as Private.104903 M.G.C and was commissioned into the Corps on 25th August 1917.

Private 15772 Arthur Eyton Weston who later served with the 12th and 13th Battalions of the K.L.R. Eyton achieved the rank of Sergeant.

Both survived the war and lived into their 80's.

Glynne worked for Farrow's Bank. This was set up by Thomas Farrow in 1901, offering high interest rates to small savers. After falsifying accounts and collapsing the bank, Thomas Farrow was convicted of Fraud in 1921.   

Glynne earned his three medals, which his father signed for.

His Army pay and a War Gratuity of £7-10s went to his father.

On the anniversary of his death his family paid tribute to him in the Liverpool Echo on 30th July 1917, under the heading, “Lost At The Battle Of Guillemont”:

“In ever-loving memory of S. Glynn Weston, 17th K.L.R. (1st Pals), killed in action July 30, 1916, aged 20 years. - “Bodlondeb”, Runcorn.” 

In 1919 his father provided information of Glynn’s living relatives:  brothers John Trevor, 28, Arthur Eyton, 24, Hubert, 19, Cyril, 17, Eric, 13, and sister Melville 26, were living at home with their parents. 

His mother died in 1926 aged 62 and his father in 1930 aged 64, leaving over £2,800.  Trevor and Eyton both lived into their 80s.

In July 1921 a white marble war memorial tablet was unveiled in St. Michael’s Church, Runcorn to commemorate the fallen of the Great War.  The tablet, erected by the members of the church’s Young Men’s Class, and which includes the name of Glynne Weston, bears the inscription, “Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends. 1914-1918.” 

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