Serjeant 21687 Edward Mayall Williams

• Age: 41
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• Died Sunday 12th May 1918
• Commemorated at: Boulogne East Cem
  Panel Ref: IX.B.72

Edward Mayall Williams was born on the 17th February 1877, the son of William Williams and Mary (nee Edwards).

The 1881 Census finds the family living at 274 Great Homer Street, Liverpool. His father William is a 35 year old draper born in Prontrobert, Montgomeryshire, his mother Mary is 30 years of age and was b0rn in Liverpool. They have five children in the household;  William A. aged 9, John E. aged 6, Edward M. aged 4 , David O. aged 2 and Gertrude E. is new born. The family employ a domestic servant, 22 year old Ellen Hughes born in Anglesey.  

1891 Census - 121 Gloucester Street, West Derby - Parents with children William A, John E, David O, Gertrude E, Florence E and Sidney R.

Edward attested on 18th May 1897 joining the King's Royal Rifle Corps as Private 291. He was 20 years of age and was a lobourer. He was transferred to the Army Reserve on 08th April 1905 and was discharged from service on 17th May 1909.  He served in South Africa from January - July 1900, Ceylon from July 1900 - January 1901, India from January 1901 - April 1905. He then served at home until his discharge from service.  

Edward married Mary Jane Glover on 26th January 1908 at St Nicholas Church, Liverpool. Edward was a 30 year old Postman, father William, while Mary Jane was 26 years old and a spinster, her father George was deceased.  

The 1911 Census finds the family living at 11 Windermere Street, Everton. Edward M. is a 34 year old postman, his wife Mary J. is aged 29 and was born in Liverpool. They state that they have been married for 3 years and have had three children one of whom had sadly died. They have two children in the household; Edward Alexander aged 14 months and Florence May Edward aged 4 months. 

They also had a son William born in 1913.

Edward’s Service record shows that he enlisted on 21st September 1914 in Liverpool joining the 19th Battalion with the service number 21867. He was aged 37 years 10 months and was an ex soldier. He was described as being 5’6” tall,  with a 39” Chest, weighed 149lbs and had blue eyes and brown hair. he stated his religion as Church of England. His wife was resident at 82 Kilshaw Street, West Derby Road, Liverpool.

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 arrived in France on 7^th November 1915.

Edward's medical report shows that he died of pneumonia on 12th May 1918 at 13 General Hospital Boulogne. Edward had been run over when he stumbled and a lorry had passed over his body, which caused fracture of several ribs and rupture of his liver and then he develop broncho pneumonia.

He now rests at Boulogne East Cemetery, France.

Boulogne, was one of the three base ports most extensively used by the Commonwealth armies on the Western Front throughout the First World War. It was closed and cleared on the 27 August 1914 when the Allies were forced to fall back ahead of the German advance, but was opened again in October and from that month to the end of the war, Boulogne and Wimereux formed one of the chief hospital areas.

Until June 1918, the dead from the hospitals at Boulogne itself were buried in the Cimetiere de L'Est, one of the town cemeteries, the Commonwealth graves forming a long, narrow strip along the right hand edge of the cemetery. In the spring of 1918, it was found that space was running short in the Eastern Cemetery in spite of repeated extensions to the south, and the site of the new cemetery at Terlincthun was chosen.

During the Second World War, hospitals were again posted to Boulogne for a short time in May 1940. The town was taken by the Germans at the end of that month and remained in their hands until recaptured by the Canadians on 22 September 1944.

Boulogne Eastern Cemetery contains 5,577 Commonwealth burials of the First World War and 224 from the Second World War.

The Commonwealth plots were designed by Charles Holden.

This was the second grievous loss that the family had to endure in the space of just 2 weeks as Edward's brother Sydney Williams who was a Private 201930 in the 5th Kings died in France on 29th April 1918 aged 31. He now rests at Browns Road Military Cemetery.

Edward Mayall Williams is commemorated at Liverpool Main Post Office, now situated inside the Met Quarter Shopping Precinct.

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