Pte 59465 John Boyer

• Age: 28
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Tuesday 31st July 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

John Boyer was born in December 1888, the son of Samuel Boyer and Anne Jane Welsby who had been married in Holy Trinity Liverpool on the 5th October 1880. On their marriage certificate Samuel is recorded as a 23 year old milkman, 86 Richmond Row, father John was a cowman, whilst Ann Jane was 22 of 87 Richmond Row. John was baptised in St Peters, Liverpool on the 3rd January 1889 where the records show his father was a cow keeper, so keeping cows appears to have been a family business. Both Samuel’s father and brother have a cow keeping business in Fazakerley.

At the time of the 1891 census, 2 year old John is living with his family at 75/77 Prince Edwin Street, Everton.

His father Samuel is 34 and has an assistant cow keeper living on site. John’s mother Anne is 36 and is looking after their four children – Ellen aged 9, Robert 6, George 4 and 2 year old John. Anne’s sister Margaret aged 21 is also living with the family.

In 1901 the census records the family dairy is still on the same site. Both of John’s brothers Robert and George are working in the family business with their father. Ellen is at home with her mother. John is at school and there is now a younger brother Samuel who is 7 years old. The family now have four cowmen living on site.

John’s sister Ellen married Herbert Clynch in 1902. Robert married Mabel Jones in 1907.

The mother Ann Jane died aged 49 on 1st December 1907.

Probate:-

BOYER - Anne Jane of Prince Edwin Street, Liverpool (wife of Samuel Boyer) died 1 December 1907 Administration Liverpool 3 April to the said Samuel Boyer cowkeeper. Effects £622 13s 6d.

Anne is buried in Everton Cemetery.


The 1911 census records the family at the same site. George, John and Samuel are assisting their father in the business and living at home. They have two live in cowmen and a general servant , 16 year old Eliza Smith.

John’s brother George married in August 1915 and Samuel in 1919.

John enlisted and was serving in the 18th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 59465. He was killed in action on 31st July 1917, aged 28, on the first day of the Third Battle of Ypres, better known as the Battle of Passchendaele.

On this day, before Zero Hour, the 18th Battalion was part of 21st Brigade and was to form up for the attack from trenches from the area of Sanctuary Wood to Observatory Ridge but it was dark and continually falling rain gave very poor visibility. The departure of the 21st Brigade was delayed by heavy shelling.

The 18th King’s began to move forward in the rear of the 2nd Battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment who had been detailed as the left attacking battalion of the 21st Brigade.

No’s 1 and 3 Companies of the King’s led the way followed by No’s 2 and 4. In Sanctuary Wood there was considerable confusion, as a result No.2 and No.4 Companies became separated from the others, and were moved over to the left flank towards positions known as Surbiton Villas and Clapham Junction in the direction of the 90th Brigade.

No.1 and 3 Companies were soon in action with the enemy, and were for a time, held up against an enemy strong point. They pushed forward with their right on a trench known as Jar Row and their left on the tramway south of Stirling Castle. Advance along Jar Row was held up by the Germans who put up a fierce resistance and the party was forced to withdraw.

Another group of men from No.1 and No.3 Companies led by 2nd Lieut. Graham were being held up by another strongpoint which was south of Stirling Castle, which was eventually stormed and taken. Not far away from this action, an attempt, by other men of No.1 and No.3 companies, was made to penetrate a broad belt of uncut wire, but this was covered by Machine-guns which killed almost every man attempting to pass through the two gaps that were discovered.

The situation was similar with No.2 and 4 Companies, who had attacked along the wrong axis. Their advance was met with fierce opposition, and once all the experienced officer’s had been killed or wounded, all cohesion was lost, although some men did reach and cross the Menin Road at Clapham Junction.

By that time, the situation had become extremely confused, and the whereabouts of all four companies being unknown to Battalion Headquarters, urgent attempts were made to discover their locations. Eventually by mid- afternoon, it was established that the bulk of the companies, although all mixed together, were dug in the vicinity of Stirling Castle and by mid evening, the Battalion Headquarters moved forward to meet them.

During its time in the line the 18th Battalion lost 7 officers and 76 men killed or died of wounds and 7 officers and 177 men were wounded. They were relieved on the 2nd August.

John has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Belgium.

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.

Liverpool Daily Post 2nd August 1918

Pte John Boyer, son of the late Mr S. Boyer of Maghull Farm and Prince Edward(sic) Street, Liverpool is officially posted as missing. He was 28 years of age.

He is also remembered on the headstone of his parents grave in Everton Cemetery.

A few words in the Roll of Honour in the Liverpool Echo on the 21st May 1918 states:

Boyer – reported missing July 31st 1917, now reported killed in his 28th year, Private John Boyer K.L.R.

His Pension and Effects Record shows that the money owed was ‘unissued’.

The father Samuel died a wealthy man, aged 62 on the 2nd February 1918.

Probate:-

BOYER - Samuel of 73 to 77 Prince Edwin Street, Liverpool cowkeeper and prevender dealer died 2 February 1918 at Maghull Hall Farm, Maghull Lancashire Probate Liverpool 27 March to Robert Boyer cowkeeper and prevender dealer and Samuel Boyer farmer. Effects £24,147 15s 7d.

The 1939 Register shows John’s brother Robert was still a dairyman at Sefton Lane, Maghull and his brother Samuel was a general farmer in Lathom, Lancs.

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