Pte 17100 John Wilson

• Age: 36
• From: Toxteth Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Danzig Alley Cem, Mametz
  Panel Ref: Mem 11

John Wilson was born on October 19th 1879 in Toxteth, Liverpool, and was baptised on19th July the following year in St Peter's Church, Liverpool. John was the third of eleven children; two sons and nine daughters, born to John, a ship’s joiner, and his wife Mary Elizabeth (nee Trainer) who married in St Nicholas Church on the 12th March 1876. John was a joiner of Porter Street, father Robert a joiner, whilst Mary was also of Porter Street, father John a shipwright.  

In 1881 the family lived at 129 Beaufort Street. John senior was 23 and his wife Mary Elizabeth was 22. They had three children, Mary aged 4, Robert 2 and 1 year old John.

By 1891 the family lived at 4 Peel Place, off Parliament Place, Toxteth when they now had nine children including John who was 11 years and his older brother Robert and older sister Mary who at 14 was an apprentice cigar maker. She may have been working with her mother who is recorded as a cigar maker herself. There were six more siblings – Ellen aged 9, Amelia 8. Isobel 6, Martha 5, Elizabeth 3 and 1 year old Lillian.

In 1901 John Wilson, 21 years, an estate agent’s clerk, is a lodger at 99 Tiber Street, Toxteth. On leaving St Clement's School in Toxteth he took up employment as a clerk and at the outbreak of war was employed in the offices of the Cunard Steamship Company. His parents are living at 14 Whitaker Street, Toxteth with nine of their children, all daughters, including two born since the last census – Beatrice aged 9 and Gladys aged 6. The older children are working Mary, Ellen and Isobel (Bella) are cigar makers, Amelia is helping her mother at home, Martha is a vest maker, and Elizabeth, Lillian, Beatrice and Gladys are at home (presumably at school).

On 21st December 1905 John married Sarah Barrow at St Bride’s, Toxteth, when John gave his home address as 2 Hemans Street and Sarah gave hers as 39 Catharine Street. They had their first child, Elizabeth, on 18th November 1906 and their second, Amelia Rose on 19th April 1908.

John’s brother Robert married Eleanor Dixon in November 1911. His sister Elizabeth married Edward Roberts in 1902, Amelia married James Powell in 1911 and Martha married Martin Bellringer in 1912.

John leaves Heman Street by 1908 and is not found on the 1911 Census but given he was in the employ of Cunard he may well have been away at sea. His wife Sarah is a 29 year old housewife living with her two daughters Elizabeth aged 4 and Amelia aged 2 at 97 Ritson Street, Liverpool. She states that she has been married for five years and that she has had two children.

John enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool on 02nd September 1914, joining the 18th Battalion as Private 17100. He gave his age as 34 years 318 days, his occupation as clerk and his next of kin as Sarah, his wife, at 43 Tagus Street, Toxteth, later amended to 54 Carter Street. He was described as being 5'5" tall, weight 116lbs, 33” chest, with a brown complexion, brown eyes and brown hair. He stated his religion as Church of England.

On enlistment he stated that he had served with the 1st Volunteer Battalion KLR from 1899 to 1903. There is in fact a record of a John Wilson serving with 1st KLR as Private 3529 and who was taken prisoner at Guluk and not released until 23rd August 1900.

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.

John crossed to France with his Battalion on board the SS Invicta on the 07th November 1915.

He was granted leave to the UK between 22nd May and 01st June 1916.

John was killed in action on 1st July 1916 during the attack at Montauban.

The 18th Battalion events on the day of 1st July 1916:

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

“July 1, killed in action, aged 36 years, Private John Wilson, “Pals”, dearly beloved husband of Sarah Wilson, 48 Tagus Street, Liverpool. (Sadly missed by his sorrowing Wife and Children. He loved honour more than he feared death.”

And from his father:

“July 1, killed in action, aged 36 years, Private John Wilson, “Pals”, dearly beloved younger son of John and the late Mary W. Wilson, 54 Carter Street, Liverpool. Deeply mourned by Father, Sisters, and Brother”

John’s remains were not recovered after his death and he is now commemorated with a CWGC headstone on the memorial at Dantzig Alley British Cemetery.

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.

He is also remembered on the following Memorials:

St Clement's School Memorial, Beaumont Street, Toxteth

Roll of Honour of the Cunard Steamship Company Limited.

John’s mother did not live to see the death of her son. She died, aged 56, on the 29^th Sept 1915, and was buried on the 03rd October 1915 in Allerton Cemetery. 

A note on his file says that his effects were to be sent to his widow at 5 Hemans Street, Toxteth. Sarah received a pension of 21/0d per week for herself and her two daughters.

The 1939 Register shows John’s widow Sarah living in Radley Drive, Aintree, she is working as an office cleaner. Living with her are John’s sister Elizabeth, a school teacher and John’s two daughters Elizabeth and Amelia who are both working as shorthand typists.

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