Pte 235337 Hiram Whitehead

• Age: 23
• From: Oldham, Lancs
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• K.I.A Thursday 2nd August 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

Hiram Whitehead was born 11^th July 1894 in Oldham and was the son of WilliamWhitehead and his wife Martha Ann (nee Pickard).

The 1901 Census  shows Hiram is aged 6 born in Oldham  and living at 538 Middleton Rd, Chadderton. His father, William, is a 33 year old plate moulder born in Royton. whilst his mother, Martha Ann, is 34 years old and was born in Oldham. His siblings born in Oldham are listed as; siblings John W. 10  and Frank 4. 

He was educated at St Luke's Church of England School, Oldham.

His father died shortly after the Census in the June quarter of 1901 aged 34.

After the death of her husband William, Martha Ann married Thomas Stanley a widower on the 21^st February 1906 at St Matthew’s Church, Chadderton.

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 118 Cowhill, Chadderton.  His mother has now remarried and is aged 44 and living with her husband Thomas Stanley aged 44, born 1867 in Prescot and a cotton spinner. They have been married for five years and have five children living with them, Harry Stanley aged 20, born 1891 occupation cotton mule piecer, Lizzie Stanley aged 18 born 1893 cardroom hand frame tenter, John William Whitehead (stepson) aged 20 born 1891 cotton mule piecer, Hiram Whitehead (stepson) aged 16 is a comber fitter and Frank Whitehead (stepson) aged 14, born 1897 is also a cotton mule piecer.

Hiram enlisted in Oldham and originally served as 242851, East Yorkshire Regiment. Following a transfer he was serving in the 20th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Corporal No 235337 when he died of wounds on the 02nd^t August, 1917, aged 23, during the Third Battle of Ypres.

The 20th Battalion diary gives details of the circumstances that the Battalion found themselves in during the early phases of the 3rd Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele). Having taken part in the initial fighting of 31st July 1917 there is a general write up in relation to the period 01st -08th August and specifics solely from the 03rd August. As such it is impossible to say exactly how each of the men who fell on 01st or 2nd August met their death.

20^th Battalion Diary 01^st August – 08^th August

The Battalion continued to hold the position taken up on the morning of 31^st July. After the first day the weather was very wet and the going very difficult, but the men’s spirits remained wonderfully good. From time to time there was very heavy enemy shelling and in addition to this machine guns and snipers were very active. The work of communication was extremely difficult and the wires to Companies and to Battalions on our flanks were repeatedly cut and were only kept going by most excellent work by our linesmen, who suffered very heavy casualties as also did the runners.  

Hiram has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, at Ypres in 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.

His death was reported in the Manchester Evening News on 15th August 1917:

WHITEHEAD - Pte HIRAM WHITEHEAD King's (Liverpool) Regiment, 169 Lee Street, killed on August 2, aged 24, single, formerly bookkeeper at the Textile Mill, Chadderton.

His mother died before Hiram as she died in the March quarter of 1917 aged 50. 

St Lukes Church, Chadderton has a memorial tablet bearing Hiram's name.

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