Pte 21736 John Henry Cyril Allday

• Age: 24
• From: Edge Hill, Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• D.O.W Friday 24th November 1916
• Commemorated at: Warlincourt Halte Brit Cem
  Panel Ref: III.G.9

John Henry Cyril Allday was born on 09th June 1892 at 13 Durning Road, Edge Hill, Liverpool to self-employed coal merchant/dealer Alfred Frances Allday and his wife Esther Rebecca (nee Williams). They married in the September quarter of 1891 and had four children, John and three daughters, their third child, daughter Norah, sadly died aged 6 months in 1901. John’s father, Alfred, was of German ancestry with the original family name of Haldock having been anglified to Allday in the mid-1800s.

The 1901 Census shows scholar John, aged 9, and sister Elsie aged 4 with their parents at 23 Boswell Street, Toxteth Park.

The 1911 Census shows 18 year old coal waggoner John with 14 year old sister Elsie and 8 year old sister Frances with both parents now living at 103 Kenmare Road, Wavertree.

On 12th November, 1914, aged 22 years 5 months, former steward John enlisted in Liverpool joining the 19th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private. 21736. He was described as being 5’ 8 and a half inches in height, weighed 132 lbs, had a 36 and a half inch chest, with grey eyes, light brown hair, with a mole on the left side of his back. His religion was stated as Church of England.

He was billeted at the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. He paraded at Knowsley Hall in December 1914 when all members of the 19th Battalion received a solid silver cap badge from Lord Derby in person. John, like many others, had his converted into a brooch which he gave to his younger sister Elsie.

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.

A month later on Thursday 20th May 1915, he enthusiastically wrote a postcard home to his sister Elsie:

Dear Elsie,

Just a few lines to let you know we are still here, we are out for all night Brigade manoeuvres tonight. We are attacking the 2nd and 4th Battls at sunrise in the morning.

Love to you all

John

While at Belton Park, Grantham on 05^th September 1915 he had a minor infringement of discipline, being AWOL from the Tattoo until 5.30 a.m. The 19^th Battalion remained at Belton Park until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. Whilst at Larkhill Camp, Salisbury Plain on 02^nd October 1915 he was AWOL again from 11.55 p.m. till 7 p.m. on 04^th October 1915. On 20^th October 1915 he was charged with a dirty rifle on Parade.

On 07^th November 1915 he sailed from Folkestone for France with the 19th Battalion arriving in Boulogne.

His Army record reflects he was in the Field from that date with the 19th Battalion until 14 June 1916 when he was admitted to field hospital with influenza and then discharged to the 30th Division Salvage Company where he served until 01st August 1916 when he re-joined the 19th Battalion. The Salvage Company was formed ahead of the Somme offensive of 1st July and was responsible for following the attacking waves to recover weapons and equipment discarded by the dead and wounded.

His record further shows that on 08th November 1916, he was wounded with a Gun Shot Wound (GSW); compound fracture femur and that he died of wounds at No 20 Casualty Clearing Station (CCS) on 24th November 1916 aged 24. The War Diary for 19th Battalion contains an entry for 8th November stating:

“In right sub-sector. Artillery quiet, nothing unusual. Weather bad. Continuous rain. Very bad for communication trenches, which fell in at places. Pte Allday and Pte Kirkham, No 2 Coy, wounded.”

John now rests with at Warlincourt Halte British Cemetery at grave III G. 9. The cemetery is in close proximity to No 20 CCS was located in 1916 where John died.

The site of the cemetery was chosen in May 1916. It was used from June 1916 to May 1917 by the 20th and 43rd Casualty Clearing Stations, in February 1917 by the 1/1st South Midland, and from April to June 1917 by the 32nd. The whole of plots VII, VIII, IX and X were filled in April and May 1917, the months of the Battles of Arras. From June 1917, the cemetery was practically unused until the fighting of May and June 1918, when field ambulances buried in it. After the Armistice the cemetery was increased by graves brought in from other smaller cemeteries.

The cemetery now contains 1,266 Commonwealth burials of the First World War. There are also 29 German and two French war graves.

The cemetery was designed by Charles Holden.

His death was reported in the Liverpool Daily Post on 26th November 1918

ALLDAY - In ever loving remembrance of Private JOHN ALLDAY, 3rd Pals, who died of wounds November 24, 1916, at the 20th Casualty Clearing Station, France, in his 24th year, the dearly loved only son of Mr and Mrs Alfred Allday 103 Kenmere Road, Sefton Park.

His Soldier Effects Record show his pay of £6 13s 3d was sent on 16^th march 1917 to his father Alfred and a War Gratuity of £8 10s also sent to his father.

John’s sister Elsie recalled that after the war, a friend who had been with him when he was wounded called at the family home in Kenmare Road to see him and was shocked to hear of his death. The individual stated that a trench had collapsed at night in heavy rain burying John and another soldier. The others dug them out and discovered that John had broken his leg and the bone was protruding. Both were manhandled to the rear and taken to the Battalion Aid Post. His comrades heard nothing more and assumed he had been evacuated to “Blighty”.

Research shows that the mortality rate in 1916 among British soldiers with a compound (open) femur fracture was 80% due to clotting, blood loss, shock to other organs or infection. Of note, new techniques for treating this type of injury in 1917, reduced the mortality rate to 20%. Research also shows that it was common practice by the RAMC to class all open wounds as GSW.

Grateful thanks are extended to Andrew Fenton for providing the wonderful photograph of John together with a copy of the postcard referred to and a photograph of John’s original resting place. In addition Andrew also provided further family details now incorporated into this biography.