L/Cpl 21654 Matthew Whipp

• Age: 23
• From: Upton, Cheshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Guillemont Rd Cem
  Panel Ref: IV.L.6

Matthew Whipp was born 20th August 1892 at Upton, Cheshire and was baptised on the 22nd January 1893 at Holy Ascension (Upton), Chester. He was the son of Robert Whipp and his wife Mary Anne (née Sutcliffe) of Great Saughall, Chester. Both his parents were born in Rochdale, Lancashire, and married on the 11th October 1886 at St, Mary's Church, Wardleworth, Rochdale. Robert was a 22 year old butcher of Spotland Road, father Thomas a butcher, whilst Mary was aged 24 of Campbell Street, father Joseph a labourer. They had eight children, their first child, Thomas, was born in Rochdale in 1887, and the family moved to Brighouse in Yorkshire where Arthur (who died in infancy) and Dora were born. They were in the Chester area by the time of Matthew’s birth. His four younger siblings were also born there:  Robert, Lillie (died at age 1), Annie, and Mabel.  

He was educated at Chester College School from 1900.

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 14 Abbots Mead, Blacon, just outside Chester.. Matthew's  father Robert is aged 36, born 1865 in Rochdale his occupation is recorded as a butcher, whilst his mother Mary is aged 38, born 1863 also in Rochdale. They have six children, Thomas aged 13, born 1888 in Rochdale, Dora aged 10, born 1891 in Brighouse, Yorkshire, Matthew aged 8, born 1893, born Upton, Cheshire, Robert aged 6, born 1895, Annie aged 3, born 1898 both in Chester and Mabel aged 1, born 1900. 

His father ran his butcher’s business in Chester Market Hall for many years.

While working for a solicitor in Chester, Matthew continued his education with night classes at Chester School of Science and Art, where he passed examinations in bookkeeping and shorthand (1908-1912).

The 1911 census finds the family still in Abbots Mead, Blacon with all six children at home.  His father is 46, a butcher/employer, his mother is 48.  Thomas, 23, is a butcher like his father, Dora, 20, is a photographer’s assistant, Matthew is 18, is a solicitor’s clerk, and Robert, 16, is an apprentice butcher.  Annie, 13, and Mabel, 11, are at school.  Also in the household is Thomas Whipp, 71, a retired butcher. 

A few weeks after the census was taken, in June 1911, his brother Robert was tragically killed in a shunting accident at Chester Station where he had been working for about a fortnight.

Some time after the census the family moved to Parkgate Road, Great Saughall, where Matthew was living when he enlisted. 

Formed on 07^th September 1914 the 19^th Battalion trained locally at Sefton Park and remained living at home or in rented accommodation until November 1914. They then moved to the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 19th 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 arrived in France on 07^th November 1915.

His service papers show the following:

20.5.15: Appoinited unpaid Lance Corporal.

06.02.16; Appointed paid Lance Corporal to complete establishment.

He was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 23, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive.

19^th Battalion Diary 30^th July 1916

MALTZ HORN FARM

BATTLE begun. ZERO hour 4:45 am. The Battalion reached its objective, but suffered heavy losses, and had to evacuate its position owing to no reinforcements.

Everard Wyrall gives details of the attack in his book The History of The King’s Regiment; 

"The 2nd Attack on Guillemont- 29th July 1916 the 89th Brigade the 20th King's were to attack on the right and the 19th on the left. During the evening of the 29th the night was dark and foggy when the Battalions moved off and the 19th with Lt Col G Rollo commanding, when passing the South east of the Briqueterie they were heavily shelled first with H E and then with a new kind of asphyxiating Gas shell which had curious results, at first it had no nasty effect but about 8 hrs later men began to fall sick with violent headaches and pains in the stomach. All ranks had to wear gas masks which in the darkness and mist made the going terribly difficult. It was indeed wonderful that they were able to reach their Assembly point at all. But they did and by 2.45 a.m. on the 30th July 1916 the Btn was assembled having suffered about 30 Casualties on the way up ready for the Zero hour at 4.45 a.m.

It is known that the two left Companies of the 19th under Capt. Dodd and Capt. Nicholson advanced in touch with the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on their left although they suffered many casualties from Machine gun Fire did not encounter many Germans and reached their final objective about the time allocated, beginning at once to dig in south of the orchard on the South east corner of Guillemont.  

On the left of the 19th the Scots Fusiliers most gallantly forced their way through Guillemont to the eastern side of the village but were soon overwhelmed by the enemy and few returned. 

At 8 a.m. finding that the village was not held the two left Companies of the 19th received no word from the rear or either flank believed themselves to be totally isolated so were forced to fall back and dig in, their position being untenable.

At midday the effective fighting strength of the 19th Btn was just 7 Officers and 43 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.

Casualties in the 19^th Battalion were 11 Officers and 435 Other Ranks 

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.   

Matthew 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 where he now rests. 

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, including:-

HARDECOURT FRENCH MILITARY CEMETERY. The village of Hardecourt-au-Bois was captured by French troops on the 8th July 1916, and again by the 58th (London) and 12th (Eastern) Divisions on 28 August 1918. Five British Artillerymen were buried by their unit in the French Military Cemetery, in the middle of the village, in September 1916; and in 1918 the 12th Division buried in the same cemetery 14 men of the 9th Royal Fusiliers and two of the 7th Royal Sussex.

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. 

Matthew's headstone bears the epitaph:

"DUTY NOBLY DONE"

His age on his CWGC headstone, provided by the family, is 24. However, based on his birthdate Matthew was 23 years old when he was killed.

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.

His death was reported in the Chester Guardian on 01st September 1916:

“Intimation has reached Chester of the death in action of Private Matthew Whipp, son of Mr. and Mrs. R. Whipp of Parkgate Road, Great Saughall.  Private Whipp was educated at the College School and before enlisting was employed for nine years at the office of Messrs. Gamon, Farmer, and Gamon, solicitors, Chester.”

Matthew earned his three medals.

His Army pay and a War Gratuity of £8-10s went to his father.  His mother was awarded a pension of 10/- a week from May 1917.

His father received his personal effects which included, Army Form 216 (his attestation), a wallet containing letters, photos and cards. He also received one identity disc.

Matthew is also remembered on the following Memorials:

Chester Town Hall 

Shotwick Parish, Saughall

Saughall and Shotwick Park

His family suffered further loss when his sister Mabel died in 1925 at the age of 25, followed by his father in 1929, and his sister Annie in 1933 at 35.  His mother died in 1938 aged 75, having lost her husband and six of her eight children.

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