L/Cpl 21796 Edward Ernest Winkle

• Age: 24
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Edward Ernest Winkle was born on 13th February 1892 in Liverpool, the son of William Henry Winkle and his wife Ada (née Jones) who were married on the 17th September 1890 at St. Catherine's Church, Collyhurst, Manchester. William was a 26 year old clerk of St Clements, Greenheys, father, John a cashier, whilst Ada was a 26 year old teacher of 10 Buckley Street, father, Joseph an agent. Edward was baptised on 09th April 1892 at St Mary's Church of England Church, Wavertree, Liverpool, his parents’ address given as 5 Kellitt Road, and his father’s occupation as clerk. 

Before the war, Edward worked in the offices of Messrs. J. Ridgway Cooper & Co., Seel Street (tea and coffee merchant).

Edward Ernest enlisted in Liverpool on 12th November 1914 joining the 19^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private 21796. He gave his age as 22 years and 300 days, and his occupation as clerk. He was described as being 5’6” tall, weighing 124 lbs, 34” chest with a fresh complexion, grey eyes, and light brown hair. He states his religion as Church of England and gives as next of kin his father, at 7 Wood Grove, Edge Lane (later 10 Dunmore Road). 

Formed on 07^th September 1914 the 19^th Battalion trained locally at Sefton Park and remained living at home or in rented accommodation until November 1914. They then moved to the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 19th 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 07th June 1915, he was confined to barracks for 10 days and forfeited one day’s pay for being absent without leave for 12.5 hours.

He was appointed unpaid Lance Corporal on 03rd November 1915.

Edward shipped to France with his battalion from Folkestone, disembarking at Boulogne on 07th November 1915.

He was appointed paid Lance Corporal on 19th March 1916.

Edward Ernest was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 24, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive.

19^th Battalion Diary 30^th July 1916

MALTZ HORN FARM

BATTLE begun. ZERO hour 4:45 am. The Battalion reached its objective, but suffered heavy losses, and had to evacuate its position owing to no reinforcements.

Everard Wyrall gives details of the attack in his book The History of The King’s Regiment; 

"The 2nd Attack on Guillemont- 29th July 1916 the 89th Brigade the 20th King's were to attack on the right and the 19th on the left. During the evening of the 29th the night was dark and foggy when the Battalions moved off and the 19th with Lt Col G Rollo commanding, when passing the South east of the Briqueterie they were heavily shelled first with H E and then with a new kind of asphyxiating Gas shell which had curious results, at first it had no nasty effect but about 8 hrs later men began to fall sick with violent headaches and pains in the stomach. All ranks had to wear gas masks which in the darkness and mist made the going terribly difficult. It was indeed wonderful that they were able to reach their Assembly point at all. But they did and by 2.45 a.m. on the 30th July 1916 the Btn was assembled having suffered about 30 Casualties on the way up ready for the Zero hour at 4.45 a.m.

It is known that the two left Companies of the 19th under Capt. Dodd and Capt. Nicholson advanced in touch with the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on their left although they suffered many casualties from Machine gun Fire did not encounter many Germans and reached their final objective about the time allocated, beginning at once to dig in south of the orchard on the South east corner of Guillemont.  

On the left of the 19th the Scots Fusiliers most gallantly forced their way through Guillemont to the eastern side of the village but were soon overwhelmed by the enemy and few returned. 

At 8 a.m. finding that the village was not held the two left Companies of the 19th received no word from the rear or either flank believed themselves to be totally isolated so were forced to fall back and dig in, their position being untenable.

At midday the effective fighting strength of the 19th Btn was just 7 Officers and 43 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.

Casualties in the 19^th Battalion were 11 Officers and 435 Other Ranks 

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.

Edward was initially declared as Missing. His casualty form notes, “wounded to Field Ambulance, now reported wounded and missing 30/07/1916”.

In August 1916 his aunt, Mrs. McGrath, of Talbot Street, Moss Side, Manchester, wrote to the Matron of the Clearing Station Rouen (her letter was apparently forwarded to the Matron, No.6 General Hospital, Rouen):

“Dear madam, Could you give me any information of my nephew who was wounded on the 30th of July.  We have had a notice from the War Office just saying that he was wounded and we cannot get to know anything further. The boy is E. E. Winkle, 1st coy., 1st platoon, 19 Service Batt., King’s Lpool Reg.  We shall be glad to have any information at all.  Yours faithfully, C. McGrath.”

His father wrote to the Officer in Charge of Records, Fulwood Barracks, Preston, on  01st September 1916:

“Referring to my telephone conversation with you this morning, I now enclose copy of a letter received from Second Lieutenant W.A. Barton stating that my son was wounded and bandaged at furthest German trench on July 31st which the Battalion captured but could not hold, also one from a Comrade in France stating that he was killed.  I shall be glad if you would forward same to War Office for full enquiries to be made and let me know all particulars as early as possible.  Yours truly, W.H. Winkle.”

His name appeared in the list of Wounded published in the Liverpool Post & Mercury on 11th September 1916, and as Wounded and Missing on the 30th.

After forwarding the information to the War Office, Infantry Records responded on 06th October 1916 that, ”the evidence contained in the correspondence forwarded by you is not sufficiently definite to justify further enquiries being made. Lance Corporal Winkle must therefore, for the present, remain on the official list of “Missing”.

His parents also contacted the British Red Cross and the International Red Cross in Geneva, receiving replies in late September 1916 that they held no information on Edward.

His fiancee requested further information in the Wallasey News on 02nd December 1916 and the Liverpool Daily Post Monday 04th December 1916:

Lance-Corpl. E. E.Winkle, of the King's Liverpool Regt., has been missing since July 30th, on which date he was offically returned as wounded. Miss E.G.Jones, of Rosemead, Littledale-road, his fiancee, will be glad if comrades in the King's Liverpool Regt., would kindly forward any information concerning him. 

It is not known when his distressed family received official confirmation of his death.   

Edward Ernest's body was not recovered 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.”

Edward Ernest is also commemorated on the following Memorials: 

St Annes Church War Memorial, Stanley, Liverpool  

Masters and Old Boys of Birchfield County Primary School, Fairfield, Liverpool

Liverpool’s Hall of Remembrance, Panel 32 Right

He earned his three medals.

His Army pay and a War Gratuity of £7-10s went to his father.  His documents were not received in the pension office from the paymaster until 16 months later, in November 1917; a pension of 5/- a week was awarded to his mother in March 1918 (retroactive to November 1917). 

In 1919 his parents were living at 10 Dunmore Road with his siblings Harold, 25, Stanley, 23, Edith, 21, and Marjorie, 16.

His father wrote to the Anglican Cathedral to ensure that Edward's name was included in the Scroll of names that the cathedral was putting together, she wrote on 01st November 1923 from 65 Florentine Road, Stoneycroft as follows:

Rev. Cannon Divelly,

Dear Sir,

Referring to your letter of 24th Oct. I do not know if you have any page fixed for 30 July as my son Edward Ernest Winkle of the 19th Batt. K.L.R.  was killed on that date at Guillemont on the Somme. Other local men were killed in the same action. 

If you have not allotted a page to that date I should esteem it a favour if you could allott that date to the pages which his name appears.

Yours faithfully 

W H Winkle 

Edward Ernest's name does appear in the scroll.

Both his brothers served and survived the war.

Stanley served in the Welsh Guards and was awarded a partial disability pension.

Harold served with the Royal Engineers Territorial Force before the war and went to France on 26/10/1914 as a Sapper with G.H.Q. Signal Company, and ended the war as A/Cpl.  He had son in 1921 he called Edward.

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