L/Cpl 17251 Richard Kyffin Williams

• Age: 24
• 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: VII.U.7

Richard Kyffin Williams was born in Liverpool on March 05th 1892, he was the second child and eldest son of six children born to Richard Thomas, and his wife Annie (nee Jones), who married on 14th October 1889 at St David’s Church, Liverpool, aged 22 years and 24 years respectively and both giving their address as 27 Harrowby Street, Toxteth. Thomas gave his father’s occupation as Minister and Annie was the daughter of a farmer. Both parents had been born in Wales, Richard in Llanfawr, nr Bala, and Annie in Llangwm, nr Corwen. St Davids Church was founded in 1827 for the Welsh population of Liverpool, the services were conducted in the Welsh language. Richard’s middle name Kyffin was taken from his grandfather Rev. O. Kyffin Williams, vicar of Llangwyllog-cum-Coedana, Anglesey. 

The 1901 Census find the family living at 24 Gordon Street, Wavertree. Richard K. is 9 years old and lives with his parents and for siblings. His father, Richard senior, is 33 years of age he gives his occupation as warehouse porter, whilst his mother Annie is 37. His siblings, all born in Liverpool are listed as; Ethel M. aged 10, Emlyn H.  aged 7, T. Glynn J. aged 4, and 2 year old Maldwyn D.

Sadly, in 1902 young Emlyn died aged just 8 and is buried in Toxteth Cemetery. Annie and Richard have two more sons Oswald Glyn in 1903 and Hector Hefin in 1905.

By the time of the 1911 Census, Richard senior and Annie live with their six children at 60 Thornycroft Road, Wavertree, when the father is said to be work in the cotton sample room for a firm of Cotton Merchants; Richard Kyffin is 19 years of age and is a lift attendant with the Cotton Association, and some of his older siblings are also working. Ethel May is a greengrocers shop assistant, Thomas Glyn is an electricians assistant. The younger ones, Maldwyn David, Oswald Glyn and Hector Hefin are at school. There is also a 5 year old boarder living with the family, a child of 5 years old called Thistle Johnstone who is listed as a boarder. His parents advise that they have been married for 21 years and have had seven children, one of whom have died.

Richard enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool on 01st September 1914, joining the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 17251. One of the Cotton contingent, he gave his age as 22 years 180 days, his occupation as clerk with Milligan & Mackintosh of the Liverpool Cotton Exchange and his next of kin as his father Richard Thomas of 65 Hatherley Street, later amended to 25 Coltart Road, Toxteth. He was described as being 5' 3" tall, weight 136lbs, 36" chest, with a fresh complexion with blue eyes and brown hair.

From the 23^rd September 1914 he was billeted at Hooton Park Race Course and remained there until 03^rd 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.

On 11th September 1915 he was appointed unpaid Lance Corporal and on 01st November 1915 to paid Lance Corporal. He crossed to France with his Battalion on board the SS Invicta on the 7th November 1915 and was attached to 30th Division Grenade School for training between 7th and 18th April 1916. He was granted leave in the UK between 22nd May to 1st June 1916.

Richard was killed in action at Montauban on 1st July 1916.The 18th Battalion diary for the 1st July reads:

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.

Richard's death was reported amongst other Pals in the Liverpool Evening Express on 18th July 1916: 

Local Pals Killed.  

The flag of the Liverpool Cotton Association is flying half mast in memory of Corporal A. H. Gastrell and Lance Corporal R. K. Williams of the Pals’ Battalion, King’s Liverpool Regiment, killed in action, who were formerly with Messrs. Milligan and MackIntosh, and of Private A. William Wright, a Liverpool Pal, formally with Messrs. R. and C. Gill. Other Liverpool Pals killed are Private Sydney Harris and Lance Corporal James Wood, both formerly with Messrs. Gruming and Co., Albany. Private Roderic Dexter Sharpe, aged 19, son of Mr A. Sharpe of 30 Great George Street, who had many friends in the South End. 

Richard Kyffin Williams now rests at Dantzig Alley British Cemetery, France.

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.

In a letter dated 21st July 1916, his father wrote to Infantry Records to say that he had received notification of the death of his son, Robert Thomas Williams, Lance Corporal 17251 and pointed out that while the Army number related to his son, his name was in fact Richard Kyffin not Robert Thomas. He added “we had unofficially heard that our son had been killed but unless the name is corrected your letter does not confirm this”.

Richard’s mother died, aged 52, less than a year later, and was buried in Toxteth Cemetery on 17th April 1917 in the same plot as her son Emlyn.

His father, Richard died, aged 76, in 1942 and was buried on the 30^th September.

The aforementioned mistake at the Infantry Records office was obviously rectified because his father then swore a declaration on 25th May 1919 to say that his wife was deceased and Richard Kyffin was survived by his four brothers - Thomas Glynn, 22 years; Maldwyn David,  20 years; Oswald Glyn, 17 years; and Hector Hefin 14 years; and a sister, Ethel May, 29 years, all of whom lived at 25 Coltart Road.

Richard is commemorated on the following Memorials:

Liverpool Cotton Exchange Association Ltd, previously situated at 620 Cotton Exchange Building, Edmund Street, Liverpool but now at Walker House, Exchange Flags. Liverpool.

Liverpool Hall of Remembrance Panel 34.

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