Pte 24992 William Wilson

• Age: 28
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

William Wilson was born in Liverpool in 1887, the son of William and his wife Elizabeth (nee Gordon) who were married in 1881. 

At the time of the 1891 census William and Elizabeth were living at 21 Romley Street, Walton, Liverpool. William is 33 and is working as an iron turner, he had been born in Whitehaven, Cumberland. Elizabeth was 36 and had been born in Liverpool. William was 3 years old and had a baby brother Tom aged 1 and three older sisters, Jessie 9, Elizabeth 7 and 5 year old Nellie.

The 1901 census records the family living at 2 Bride Street, Walton. His father, William, is aged 46, and employed as an iron turner, his mother, Elizabeth, is aged 43. William is 13 years old, his sisters are all working – Jessie is a greengrocers shop assistant, Elizabeth is a domestic servant and Nellie is a boot shop assistant.

At the time of the 1911 Census, William’s mother and father are living together at 86 Olney Street with a lodger. Apart from William, all of their children had left home, the census shows that Elizabeth had borne 8 children, 3 of whom had died. The couple had been married for 30 years. William is found on a crew list of the Canadian Pacific Line SS “Lake Erie” in April, 1907 on the Liverpool to St John, New Brunswick route. He was a 19 year old assistant steward, his address 2 Bride St, Walton. 

William enlisted in Liverpool on or about 08th February 1915 joining the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 24992.

From the 23^rd September 1914 the 18th Battalion 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. 

William sailed to France with his Battalion on board the SS Invicta on the 07th November 1915.

He was killed in action on the 1st July 1916. The events of that day for the 18th Battalion were recorded in the Battalion diary:

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.

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

His death was reported in the Liverpool Evening Express on 27th July 1916

Private Wilson, of the Pals, 86 Olney-street, killed on July 1. 

His mother died, aged 65, on the 23rd February 1923 (from pension card). 

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