Pte 35949 Harry Wilson

He married Ada Hartley on the 18th January 1916, around the time he enlisted, at Ebenezer Chapel (Primitive Methodist), Market Stree and Skipton Road, Colne. Harry was a 22 year old cotton weaver of 21 Boundary Street, father Dick a cotton spinner, whilst Ada was aged 35 of 44 Duke Street, father Tom a grocer. No children were born to the marriage. 

He enlisted in Manchester in February 1916 and was serving in the 20^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 35949 when he was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 24, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive.

30th July 1916

The 20^th King’s Battalion Diary records:

“At 4.45am prompt the attack was launched. Unfortunately, a thick mist prevailed and it was impossible to see more than 10 yards ahead. This continued until about 6 o’clock when it lifted slightly, but it was still too hazy and impossible to see what was happening 100 yards ahead. This being so, it was not surprising to find that the attacking waves were experiencing great difficulty in maintaining connection.”

At 6am, Lt. RE Melly, No.1 Company, reported that his men had taken the German Maltz Horn trench.

At 6.30am, 2/Lt. CP Moore reported that he had 150 men, 4 Stokes Mortars and 2 Lewis Guns, but he was the only officer. He also said that due to the fog, both his “flanks were in the air” i.e. he was not in contact with neighbouring troops.

At 9.10am, Moore was still not in contact at his flanks, and now he had only 75 men, he had sent out 2 patrols and neither not returned. Later Moore established communication with the French on his right.

Around 10.00am, 2/Lt Musker reported that he had just over a company with him, but his left flank was suffering from German machine gun fire. Later he reported that he had over 30 casualties from the machine gun fire. His flanks were also “in the air”. No contact was made with this party until the remnants returned around 9.30pm, all runners sent were killed or missing. The War Diary states that this group had: ”held the ground won all day, and this permitted the consolidation of the ground won on the Maltz Horn ridge with little interference from the enemy”.

Relief for 20/Kings had been planned for 11.00pm, but it was 5.00am on the 31st July before it took place, ending a tragic day for the Liverpool Pals.

Casualties for 20^th Battalion were 16 Officers and 357 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. 

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.

He was reported Missing in the Burnley Express on 23rd September 1916:

COLNE WEAVER MISSING

Private Harry Wilson of the Kings Liverpool Regiment, the second Son of Mr Wilson of 12 Chapel Street, Colne, has been reported missing since July 31st last. His wife resides at 44 Duke Street, Colne. He is 23 years of age and was missed after his first engagement with the enemy. Before enlisting he was employed as a weaver at Garden Vale Mill, Colne.

Further details appeared in the Nelson Leader on 29th September 1916:

“Pte. Harry Wilson of the King’s Liverpool Regt., whose wife resides at 44, Duke Street, Colne, is missing.  He enlisted on February 21st this year, and had been at the front about six weeks.  Prior to enlisting he was a weaver at Messrs. Harris, Bolton & Co.”

Harry's body was not recovered from the battlefield or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.

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.”

Ada received his Army pay of £2 8s 5d and a War Gratuity of £3, and was awarded a pension of 13/9d a week from April 1917.

She remarried in 1921 to William Duerden at the Ebenezer Chapel.   

On the 1921 census his parents are living at 12 Chapel Street (very close to Boundary Street and Duke Street). His father is 56, still working as a cotton spinner with Shaw and Son Ltd., and his mother is 55, an invalid. Margaret, 21, and Norman, 14, also work in cotton mills. Married daughter Martha Ann Kershaw, her husband and son are in the household.

His mother appears to have died in 1922 aged 56, and his father in 1936 aged 70.

In 1939 Ada, 49, and her husband were living at 18 Duke Street, Colne, with Louisa Hartley, 73 (her widowed mother).   Ada died in 1960, aged 69.

Grateful thanks are extended to Colne WW1 Fb page who have given permission for us to use the photograph of Harry on this site.