Pte 17496 William Frederick Whitehead

• Age: 20
• From: Forest Gate, London
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• D.O.W Friday 4th February 1916
• Commemorated at: Corbie Cc
  Panel Ref: I.D.40

William Frederick was born in the fourth quarter of 1895 in Forest Gate, Essex, he was the only son of Samuel Whitehead and his wife Alice Maud (nee Harrison). His parents married in the first quarter of 1895. William was baptised on 29th December 1895 at Emmanuel Church, Forest Gate. 

By 1901, they had moved to Liverpool and the Census shows that they lived at 38 Lyra Road, Waterloo, Liverpool. William F. is aged 5 and lives with his parents and younger sister Lucy F. aged 1 who was born in Middlesex. His father Samuel iss shown as a  35 year old commercial traveller born in Colney Hatch, Middlesex, whilst his mother is 26 years of age and was born in Leicester. Also recorded at the property is 15 year old general domestic servant Ellen Kirby. 

In 1911, the family lived at 3 Hougoument Avenue, Waterloo. William is now 15 and at school and lives with both parents and three sisters. His father is 45 and still shown as a commercial traveller and hs mother is 36. His sisters are shown as; Lucy 11, Alice 7 and Frances 3. His parents advised that they had been married for 16 years and had 4 children all of whom survived.   

William was educated at Christ Church, Waterloo before he attended Merchant Taylors' school Crosby between 1908 -1910. He then studied engineering at Bootle Technical School. After leaving school he was employed as an apprentice engineer by H T Boothroyd's in Bootle. He was due to complete his apprenticeship in October 1916.

William enlisted into the 19th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment at St George's Hall in Liverpool on 02nd September 1914. He gave his age as  29 years and 303 days, born Forest Gate, occupation as electrician. He was described as being 5' 9 1/2" tall, weight 127 lbs, chest 33", with a fresh complexion, brown eyes and brown hair. His religion was stated as C of E. His next of kin noted as his father Samuel Whitehead 3 Hougoument Avenue, Waterloo.

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 served in France from 07^th November 1915.

William Frederick was seriously wounded on 22nd January 1916 when a minenwerfer hit a dugout. He died of his wounds, aged 20, on 04^th February 1916. His service record says he died of wounds with GSW to both legs.

He now rests at Corbie Cemetery, Grave 1 D 40 where his headstone bears the poignant epitaph:

"MY SON LAID DOWN HIS LIFE FOR OTHERS".

Corbie was about 20 kilometres behind the front when Commonwealth forces took over the line from Berles-au-Bois southward to the Somme in July 1915. The town immediately became a medical centre, with Nos 5 and 21 Casualty Clearing Stations based at La Neuville (the suburb across the Ancre) until October 1916 and April 1917 respectively. In November 1916 the front moved east, but the German advance in the Spring of 1918 came within 10 kilometres of the town and brought with it field ambulances of the 47th Division and the 12th Australian Field Ambulance. The communal cemetery was used for burials until May 1916, when the plot set aside was filled and the extension opened. The majority of the graves in the extension are of officers and men who died of wounds in the 1916 Battle of the Somme. The remainder relate to the fighting of 1918. The communal cemetery contains 249 First World War burials, the extension 918. The extension was designed by Charles Holden.

His death was reported in the Liverpool Daily Post on 12th February 1916

DIED FROM WOUNDS

WHITEHEAD - February 4, died from wounds at the 21st Casualty Clearing Station, France, aged 20 years, Pte W. F. Whitehead, 19th King's Liverpool Regiment (3rd "Pals"), elder son of Mr and Mrs S. Whitehead, 3 Hougoumont Avenue, Waterloo, Liverpool.

Soldiers Effects and Pension to mother Alice M. M.

He is commemorated on the following Memorials:

Hall of Remembrance, Liverpool Town Hall, Panel 32 left

Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby

St Luke's Church, Crosby

CWGC shows his parents address as 5 Alexander Road, Waterloo, Liverpool 

A sad footnote to this story is that William Frederick's youngest brother Sub Lieutenant Charles Samuel Whitehead RNR, born 1912, was killed on 03rd May 1941  when HMS Alberic collided with HMS St Albans off Scapa Flow. 

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