Pte 17498 Laurence Harold Wilkinson

• Age: 23
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Laurence Harold Wilkinson was born in Liverpool on 06th January 1893, the son of George William Wilkinson and his wife Mary (nee Glover) who married in St. Mark’s Church, Liverpool on the 17th April 1876. Both parents were born in County Cork. Laurence was baptised at St. Peter's Church on 06th February 1893, his parents were living in Canon Road, his father's occupation is shown to be a bookkeeper.

Laurence was the youngest of five surviving children, siblings Mary, Helena, Dorothy and William. 

In 1901 the family lived at 22 September Road, Fairfield, Liverpool. His father, George W., is aged 57, a bookkeeper for brewery, his mother, Mary, is aged 44, children Eleanor E. 22,  Dorothy M. 10, William G. 9 and Laurence 8.  

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. Whilst at Belton Park, Laurence was absent without leave for seven hours overnight and received seven days Field Punishment No.2 (placed in fetters and handcuffs) plus forfeiture of two days’ pay. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. He arrived in France on 7^th November 1915.

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.

Laurence's body was not recovered from the battlefield and his name is recorded on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme.

The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916. 

On 01st August 1932 the Prince of Wales and the President of France inaugurated the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy. The inscription reads: “Here are recorded the names of officers and men of the British Armies who fell on the Somme battlefields between July 1915 and March 1918 but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.” 

His family placed a notice in the Liverpool Echo on 19th August 1916:

July 30, killed in action, age 23 years,  Laurence Harold Wilkinson (Pals), youngest son of George and Mary Wilkinson, 50, Buckingham Road, Tuebrook.

His death was reported in the Liverpool Courier on 22^nd August 1916

The flag at the head office of the Royal Liver Friendly Society, is flying at half-mast as a tribute to the memory of Private Laurence H.Wilkinson (Pals), a member of the society's clerical staff, who was killed in action on July 30th.

His father died a few months later, on 01st November 1916, age 73. Probate shows he left £127 14s 6d to his widow Mary. 

Laurence was remembered on the second anniversary of his death in 1918:

In loving memory of Private L. H. Wilkinson (Laurie), 3rd Pals, killed in action July 30, 1916. - Never forgotten by his Mother, Sisters, and Brother (in France), Buckingham Road, Tuebrook.

His mother received Laurence's medals on 22nd June 1920. She died in 1932, age 76.

His brother William served with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and was awarded a pension for a partial disability, due to the effects of gas poisoning and neurasthenia (shell shock). 

Laurence is commemorated on the following Memorials:

Royal Liver Friendly Society Employees WW1 Memorial situated in the Royal Liver Building 

Hall of Remembrance, Liverpool Town Hall Panel 32 Left 

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