Pte 15597 John Wilson Wilson

• Age: 20
• From: Birkenhead, Cheshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

John Wilson Wilson was born in the June quarter of 1896 in Prenton, Birkenhead, the son of James Wilson and his wife Jeanie (nee Wilson) who were married on the 04th April 1883 in Larkhall, Lanarkshire(from family tree).  His father was a Corn Broker. Six children are found on censuses; a daughter, Annie Pollock, born in 1889, died young.

The 1901 Census finds the family living at 19 Greenbank Road, Birkenhead. John is 4 years of age and is living with his parents and four siblings. Both parents are shown as being 46 years of age and both born in Scotland. John's siblings all born in Birkenhead are listed as; Francis James 14, Agnes 13, Jeanie 7 and Andrew Pollock 2.  

His mother appears to have died in 1908 aged 54. 

By 1911 the family are still at 19 Greenbank Road, his father is a widower aged 56 and from Hamilton in Lanarkshire. John is 14 years of age and at school and his siblings are listed as; Francis James 24  a South American merchants clerk, Agnes 23, Jeanie 17 and Andrew Pollock 12 at school.

John played Cricket for Dingle CC who played at Prenton. They ceased playing in the 1920's.   

He enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool on 31st August 1914 joining the 17^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 15597. He gave his age as 19 years and 120 days (in fact he was only 18).  He states he is or has been an apprentice in the provision trade and has previously served one year with the O.T.C.(?).  He was described as being 5’ 6 and a half inches tall, weighing 117 lbs, 33" chest with a fresh complexion, and brown hair and eyes. He stated his religion as Presbyterian and gave his father as his next of kin at 19 Greenbank Road.

He was billeted at Prescot Watch Factory from 14^th September 1914, he trained there and also at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 17th 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. 

Whilst at Grantham on 19th August 1915 he was confined to barracks for 2 days for being in bed half an hour after reveille, and less than a week later, on the 25th, was awarded 7 days C.B. for absenting himself from duty.

After arriving at Larkhill, on 23rd September 1915, he again received 2 days C.B. for being 13 minutes late on parade.

He arrived in France on 07^th November 1915.  

On 25th March 1916, in the field, he was awarded 7 days C.B. for having a filthy greatcoat at inspection.

He was admitted to No. 27 Field Ambulance with influenza on 20th May 1916 and rejoined his unit on the 28th.

He was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916 aged 20 at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive.

17th Battalion Diary 30th July 1916

The Battalion was in support to 19 & 20 Battalions K.L.R. 2 Coys. behind 19th & 2 Coys. behind 20th. Very thick mist. The attack was pushed home to the objective in places but in the main was held up by machine gun fire from hidden machine guns.

Fighting continued all day swaying backwards and forwards until by 6pm about 300 yards in depth had been gained & consolidated all along our front.

Casualties in the 17th Battalion were 15 Officers and 281 Other Ranks

Further details are reported in more detailed by Everard Wyrall in his book The History of the King’s Regiment (Liverpool) 1914-1919 Volume II 1916-1917

The 17th King’s had advanced (two companies each behind the 19th and 20th Battalions) in small columns. They too suffered heavily from machine-gun fire and were quickly absorbed into the waves that preceded them. They also shared the gains and losses of that terrible day.

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30th 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 55th Division during the early hours of the 31st July. 

The events of 30th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89th 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.       

John's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated 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.”

John was posted as Missing in the Daily Post on 14th September 1916.

It was not until nine months later that his family received definite news which was reported in the Liverpool Daily Post on 30th April 1917:

“July 30th 1916, previously reported missing, now officially presumed killed in action, in his 20th year, John W. Wilson (K.L.R.), second son of James Wilson, of 19, Greenbank Road, Birkenhead.”

The Birkenhead News of Wednesday 02 May 1917 also reported John's death:  

Birkenhead Young Man's Fate.  

The friends of Mr. James Wilson, 19, Greenbank-road, Birkenhead, will indeed regret to learn of the loss of his second son. Private John W. Wilson, who was attached to the King's (Liverpool) Regiment. The young man had been posted as missing since July 30th, 1916, but now his death in action is officially confirmed. He was 20 years of age at the time of his death. 

Soldiers effects to his father. 

John was commemorated on the Dingle CC Memorial as reported under the header:

DINGLE CRICKET CLUB HONOURS THE FALLEN

Following the cricket match at Prenton on Saturday between Dingle and Rainhill the members of the first named club paid a tribute of esteem to those of their colleagues who fell in the Great War. It took the form of a small oak roll of honour board which was unveiled in their pavillion by their President, the Rev. A.E.Rowan. The board has the following members names inscribed thereon: E.W.T. Voss, J. W. Wilson, G.E Houghton, E. George, A.T.Aitken and B. Buckley. In his remarks the Rev. A.E. Rowan said it was their duty to fallen members to perpetuate their memory. They had carried their sense of sportsmanship which they had always shown on the cricket field over the water with them and there they had indeed shown their true colours. Not only were they sportsmen in the cricket field, but also in the greater game. The Rev. gentleman said he had the very sad pleasure in unveiling the board, thus placing their names in the pavillion as a record of their great sacrifice and sportsmanship. The board will hang in the pavillion and will keep the memory of those who gave their all green to all their old fellow cricketers of the Dingle club.  

John is commemorated on the following Memorials:

Men of Birkenhead Memorial

Liverpool’s Hall of Remembrance, Panel 32 Left

He earned his three medals. His father had evidently retired from the Army. In March 1919 the Hon. Lt. Colonel James Wilson applied for his son’s 1914-1915 Star.

His father received John’s Army pay and a War Gratuity of £8-10s.  A pension card has not been found, perhaps indicating that his father did not apply for a pension.

In 1919 his father provided information on John’s living relatives:  Agnes, 31, Jeanie, 25, and Andrew, 20, were living at home in Greenbank Road.  His aunt, Mrs. Anne Barrie, lived in Benthill, Hamilton, Scotland.  His elder brother Francis, 32, was in Calabar, Southern Nigeria.  (Francis had moved to Nigeria and worked as a trader. He returned to Birkenhead on visits in October 1915 and again in July 1918, as well as after the war.)

Younger brother Andrew served in the K.L.R. and later in the Labour Corps. 

His father died in 1937 aged 82. His death was reported in the Liverpool Daily Post on Tuesday 27 April 1937: 

WILSON— April 24, suddenly at his residence Clydesdale, Devonshire Park, Birkenhead, aged 82 years, Lieutenant-Colonel JAMES WILSON V.D. (late of Hamilton, Scotland) beloved husband of the late Jeanie Wilson. Service at residence, to-day (Tuesday) 1.30pm; interment at Bebington Cemetery at 2.15 pm (Friends please accept this— the only— intimation) (No mourning). 

LOSS TO CORN TRADE. 

DEATH OF LIEUT-COLONEL JAMES WILSON. 

By the death of Lieutenant-Colonel James Wilson of Clydesdale, Greenbank-road, Devonshire Park, Birkenhead, the town loses one of its oldest volunteers whose service extended back to the days before the Territorials came into existence. Lieutenant-Colonel Wilson, who was eighty-two years age, was a member of the old First Cheshire Volunteers who had their headquarters in Birkenhead. The battalion became the 4th Battalion The Cheshire Regiment(now 4/5th Battalion) on the formation of the Territorials in 1904, and he served in the battalion for years, his service extending over of about forty years. He was awarded the Volunteer Decoration, and when he retired some years ago he was given rank lieutenant-colonel. He had been connected with the corn trade in Liverpool since 1875, and was originally with the firm of H. and E. Woodward in the city, and later became member of the firm H. C. Woodward and Co., Brunswick-street, Liverpool. Subsequently he began business on his own account in the style of James Wilson and Co., with offices in Brunswick-street, Liverpool, which he carried on until his death. Colonel Wilson had been long a resident of Birkenhead, and for the greater part of the time had resided in Devonshire Park. He was a prominent member of St Paul’s Presbyterian, North-road. He had been in indifferent health since the beginning of the year and underwent an operation about fortnight ago. He leaves two sons, and two daughters. Interment to take place at Bebington Cemetery this afternoon. 

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