Pte 16431 Harold Yates

• Age: 22
• From: Seacombe, Cheshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Danzig Alley Cem, Mametz
  Panel Ref: VIII.U.6

16431 Private Harold YATES, 18^th Battalion KLR.

Harold Yates was born on 18th July 1893, in Seacombe, Cheshire, the son of Isaac Yates and his wife Clara (nee Yates, who were both born in Liverpool and married on the 12th Aug 1878 at Walton-on-the-Hill. Isaac was a water inspector, father William, whilst Clara was aged 18, father Michael, both of Everton.

Harold was the youngest of their three sons.

The 1901 Census shows the family are living at 11 Wheatland Road, Poulton. Harold is 7 years of age and is living with both parents and five siblings. His father is listed as a 47 year old builders timekeeper, whilst his mother is 41 years of age. His siblings are listed as; Clara aged 17 and an apprentice bookbinder born in Liverpool as was Isaac aged 14 and an apprentice fitter. The three other siblings were born in Seacombe; Emma aged 11, William aged 9 and Gladys aged 4. 

His father, Isaac, died, aged 55, in 1909.

By 1911 the family have moved to 16 Second Avenue, Fazakerley. Harold is now 17 years of age and is shown to be employed as a clerk in a colliery office. His mother is shown as a widow and she advises that she had been married for 31 years and had 8 children, 5 of whom had survived. Harold's siblings still living at home are shown as: Emma Helen aged 21 and Elizabeth Gladys aged 14 is a scholar. 

Harold enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool on 02^nd September 1914, joining the 18th Battalion as Private 16431. He gave his age as 21 years 46 days, his place of birth as Seacombe, his occupation as clerk and his next of kin as his mother of 92 Rice Lane, Liverpool. He is described as being 5' 10", weighed 118lbs, 35” chest, with very fair physical development, a dark complexion with brown hair and eyes. NOK was mother Clara, 92 Rice Lane.  His religion is stated as Church of England. 

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. 

He crossed to France with his Battalion on board the SS Invicta on the 07^th November 1915 earning all three medals.

He was home on leave from 07^th to 19^th May 1916.

He returned to his Battalion and was killed in action during the attack at Montauban on 01st July 1916, aged 22.

18^th 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 18^th 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 death was reported in the Liverpool Daily Post on the 07th August 1916 

Killed. 

King’s (Liverpool Regiment) - Yates, 16431, H. (Walton); 

Harold now rests at Dantzig Alley Cemetery in Grave VIII Row U, Grave 6.

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 was rembered by his friend in the Liverpool Echo on the 02nd July 1918: 

ROLL OF HONOUR. 

In Memoriam. 

YATES-PITCHER-SYKES - In loving memory of my pals HAROLD YATES of Walton, STEVE PITCHER of Anfield and BILL SYKES of New Brighton, late of the 18th K.L.R., who were killed in the battle of the Somme, July 1, 1916. A. Palmer, Llandudno (late 16326.) [Pte Alexander F. 18/KLR] 

Harold is commemorated in the Hall of Remembrance in Liverpool Town Hall at Panel 30.

As of May 1919 his siblings were recorded as Isaac aged 32, of 13 Greenwich Road, Fazakerley, both Emma Helen aged 29 and Elizabeth Gladys were living at 92 Rice Lane, Walton.   

His mother died, aged 74, in 1934. 

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