Pte 17014 Robert Alexander Whitfield

• Age: 25
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Danzig Alley Cem, Mametz
  Panel Ref: VI.W.3

Robert Alexander (Bob) was born in Fairfield, Liverpool on the 06th July 1890. He was the son of Robert Whitfield and his wife Alice Emily (née Rogers) who were married on the 24th February 1884 at St. Chrysostom's Church, Everton. Robert was a 24 year old butcher of 53 Tegid Street, his father, Matthew, whilst Alice was aged 22 of 129 Spencer Street, her father Charles. Paternally Robert was descended from a farming family with longstanding origins in Dent, Near Sedbergh, Yorkshire. Prior to that the Whitfields had inhabited the Garsdale and Sedbergh areas. Maternally, Robert's immediate family originated in Liverpool, although in earlier generations there appear to be connections with merchant shipping in London. 

The 1891 Census shows the family are living at 82 Prescot Road, Liverpool. His father, Robert, is aged 32, a pork butcher born in Dent, Yorkshire, mother Alice E. is aged 29 and was born in Liverpool, children born Liverpool: Edith E. aged 6, Matthew aged 4, Charles H. 2, and Robert A. aged 2 months. 

The 1901 Census shows the family are living at 22 Coleridge Street, Liverpool. Robert is recorded as 10 years of age. His father is shown as aged 42 and a butcher born in Dent, Yorkshire (now Cumbria), whilst his mother is 39 and born in Liverpool. His siblings, all born in Liverpool, are shown as; Emily aged 16, Matthew a butcher's errand boy aged 14, Charles aged 12, Alice aged 8, Gertrude aged 6, Alfred aged 5 and Ethel aged 2. 

Bob's mother died, aged 42, in 1904. 

By 1911 the family were living at 35 Vauxhall Road, Liverpool. His father, is aged 52, and is now a widower and employed as a butchers manager. Robert is aged 20 and a butcher's assistant. His siblings living at the family home are listed as; Edith Emily aged 26 and a butcher's clerk, Matthew Charles aged 24 a butchers manager, Charles Herbert aged 22 a ships cook noted as "away at sea", Alice Maud aged 18, Gertrude Louise aged 16 and employed as a short hand typist, Alfred George aged 15 and an office boy and Ethel May aged 12. His parents had been married for 27 years and had nine children, eight of whom have survived (entry crossed out)

Robert was employed as a clerk at the British and Argentine Meat Company in Vauxhall Road in the city. He was later promoted to manage the Poulton branch of the same company.

He enlisted as Private 17014 in the 18th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment at St. George's Hall in Liverpool on the 02nd September 1914. His enlistment papers show that he was aged 24 years and 58 days, and a clerk by trade. He was described as being 5' 8 inches tall, weighed 132lbs, with a 38" chest, had a fresh complexion with grey eyes and brown hair. His religion was stated as Church of England. His next of kin was his father Robert, of 14 The Grove, Somerville, Poulton. 

From the 23rd September 1914 he was billeted at Hooton Park Race Course and remained there until 03rd December 1914 when they moved into the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 18th 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 7th November 1915 on board the SS Invicta.

He was granted leave to the UK between 29th May and 9th June 1916.

Robert Alexander was killed in action on the 01st July 1916 with No 4 Company during the attack at Montauban on the opening day of the Battle of the Somme.

The events of the day for the 18th Battalion:

At 6.30am the artillery commenced an intensive bombardment of the enemy’s trenches. Zero Hour – 7.30 am – the battalion commenced to leave their trenches and the attack commenced. The attack was pressed with great spirit and determination in spite of heavy shelling and machine gun enfilade fire which caused casualties amounting to 2/3rds of the strength of the Battalion in action. The whole system of German trenches including the Glatz Redoubt was captured without any deviation from the scheduled programme. Consolidated positions and made strong points for defence against possible counter attacks.

Graham Maddocks provides more detail concerning the events of the day:

As the first three waves began to move forward towards the German reserve line, known as Alt Trench and then on to the Glatz Redoubt itself, they suddenly came under enfilading fire from the left. This was from a machine gun which the Germans had sited at a strong point in Alt Trench. The gun itself was protected by a party of snipers and bombers, who, hidden in a rough hedge, were dug into a position in Alt Trench, at its junction with a communication trench known as Alt Alley. These bombers and snipers were themselves protected by rifle fire from another communication trench, Train Alley which snaked back up the high ground and into Montauban itself. The machine gun fire was devastating and it is certain that nearly of the Battalion’s casualties that day were caused by that one gun.

Lieutenant Colonel Edward Henry Trotter wrote in the conclusion of his account of the days action:

I cannot speak to highly of the gallantry of the Officers and men. The men amply repaid the care and kindness of their Company Officers, who have always tried to lead and not to drive. As laid down in my first lecture to the Battalion when formed, in the words of Prince Kraft:

“Men follow their Officers not from fear, but from love of the Regiment where everything had always and at all times gone well with them”.

Joe Devereux in his book A Singular Day on the Somme gives the Casualty Breakdown for the 18th Battalion as Killed in Action 7 Officers and 165 men and of those who died in consequence of the wounds 3 Officers and 19 men a total of 194 out of a total loss for the four Liverpool Pals Battalions of 257.

His sister wrote to the Authorities on the 17^th July 1916 asking for any information about Robert as they hadn’t heard from him since June 27^th. 

Bob now rests at Dantzig Alley British Cemetery, France at VI. W. 3.

The village of Mametz was carried by the 7th Division on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, after very hard fighting at Dantzig Alley (a German trench) and other points. The cemetery was begun later in the same month and was used by field ambulances and fighting units until the following November. The ground was lost during the great German advance in March 1918 but regained in August, and a few graves were added to the cemetery in August and September 1918. At the Armistice, the cemetery consisted of 183 graves, now in Plot I, but it was then very greatly increased by graves (almost all of 1916) brought in from the battlefields north and east of Mametz and from certain smaller burial grounds.

Dantzig Alley British Cemetery now contains 2,053 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 518 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 17 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 71 casualties buried in other cemeteries, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.

His father placed a notice in the Liverpool Daily Post on 18th July 1916:

“Killed in action, aged 25 years, Robert (Bob), (Pals), the dearly beloved and third son of Robert Whitfield, 14, The Grove, Seacombe. ‘So sleep the brave, who sink to rest, By all their country’s wishes blest.’ (Deeply mourned by Father, Sisters, and Brothers)”

Bob was engaged to be married when he was killed. His fiancée placed a notice on the same day:

“In memory of “Bob” Whitfield, killed in action (Pals). ‘Thy purpose, Lord, I cannot see, But all is well that is done by Thee.’ His sorrowing Fiancée Miriam.

Robert's sister, Edith Emily (Emma) suffered further loss in the opening months of the Second World War when her nephew RAF Sergeant 564130 Ewart Harrison Crellin was killed in action on 30th October 1939. The plane on which he was travelling, a Blenheim MK.1 was shot down over the Seigfried Line on a reconaissance mission. He now rests at Cologne Southern Cemetery where his headstone bears the epitaph:

"NOBLE AND TRUE, LOVING AND KIND, A BEAUTIFUL MEMORY, LEFT BEHIND"

CWGC record Ewart's family details as: Son of Ewart and Lily Lee Crellin, of Ramsey, Isle of Man. The King's 100 at Bisley, 1938.

Ewart Crellin senior (1887 - 1950) was the architect who designed the Douglas IOM War Memorial. Situated on the Douglas promenade it was unveiled in 1924. He also designed the Memorial at Lezayre Parish church in 1923 upon which, poignantly, his own son's name (Ewart Harrison) would be inscribed.

Grateful thanks are extended to David Gray for the additional biographical details contained herein.

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