Pte Richard Berry Alcock

• Age: 28
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: 4TH KINGS
• Died on Thursday 26th April 1917
• Commemorated at: Bucquoy Rd Cem Ficheux
  Panel Ref: I.C.7

Richard Berry Alcock was born in Liverpool in 1888 the son of Samuel Robert Alcock and his wife Sarah Ann (nee Berry) who married at Great Homer Street Chapel on 06th July 1877. He was the 7th of 11 children his known siblings being;  Frederick, Miriam, Bertha (died in infancy) Samuel, William (died in infancy) George, William,  Edith and Charles.

The 1891 Census shows the family, listed as Alecock, living at 48 Danby Street, Everton. His father, Samuel, is shown as a 37 year old, born in Liverpool and a saddler by trade, his mother, Sarah, is 31 and was also born in Liverpool as where her five children; Frederick B. a 12 year old scholar, Miriam aged 10 and a scholar, Samuel R. aged 7 is also a scholar, George E. is 4 and Richard B.is 2.  

By 1901 the family are living at 38 Corney Street, Liverpool. Richard B. is 12 years of age and lives with his parents and eight siblings who are listed as; Frederick B. a 22 year old butcher, Miriam aged 20, Samuel R. is a 17 year old apprentice grocer as is 14 year old George. E., William N. is 9, Arthur E. is 7, Edith M. is 5 and Charles L. is 2.

By 1911 the family have moved and are living at 17 Underley Street, Liverpool. Richard (known as Dick by the family) is now 22 and employed as a stonemason. He lives with his parents who state that they have been married for 34 years and have had 11 children, 9 of whom have survived. Those siblings listed in the property are; George a 24 year old joiner, Arthur E. a 17 year old apprentice joiner, Edith M. aged 15 and Charles L. a 12 year old scholar.

On 31st August 1912 he married Ethel Augusta Nixon at St Dunstan's Church, Edge Hill, Liverpool. They do not appear to have had children.

He enlisted in Liverpool originally joining the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 24562 before transferring to 4th Battalion of the same regiment. 

His father died in 1916.

Richard was killed on 26th April 1917. 

CWGC shows him as aged 30 but it is probable that he was 28.

Richard now rests at Bucquoy Road Cemetery, where his headstone bears the epitaph :

"THEY NEVER FAIL WHO DIE IN A GREAT CAUSE"

In November 1916, the village of Ficheux was behind the German front line, but by April 1917, the German withdrawal had taken the line considerably east of the village and in April and May, the VII Corps Main Dressing Station was posted near for the Battles of Arras. It was followed by the 20th and 43rd Casualty Clearing Stations, which remained at Boisleux-au-Mont until March 1918, and continued to use the Bucquoy Road Cemetery begun by the field ambulances. From early April to early August 1918 the cemetery was not used but in September and October, the 22nd, 30th and 33rd Casualty Clearing Stations came to Boisleux-au-Mont and extended it. By the date of the Armistice, it contained 1,166 burials but was greatly increased when graves were brought in from the surrounding battlefields and from small cemeteries in the neighbourhood.

The cemetery now contains 1,901 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 168 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 23 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials commemorate 21 casualties buried by their comrades in Henin-sur-Cojeul German Cemetery, whose graves could not be found on concentration.

The cemetery was used again in May 1940 for the burial of troops killed during the German advance. There are 136 burials and commemorations of the Second World War; 26 of the burials are unidentified and special memorials commemorate 39 soldiers whose graves in the cemetery could not be specifically located.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

Richard's wife Ethel remarried in 1919 to William R Clark.

The Alcock family suffered further grievous loss when Richard's brother George, who prior to the war worked at Lairds and served as Private 243384 of the 2/5th Battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers, died of wounds, aged 30, on 09th October 1917. George now rests at Etaples Military Cemetery in France. 

Richard and George are both commemorated on the following Memorials:

Hall of Remembrance at Liverpool Town Hall, Panel 15 Left. 

St Dunstan's Church, Edge Hill. 

His brother Charles, Private 14541 Manchester Regiment was captured at Zillebeke on 14th December 1917 and was a POW at Dulmen Camp. He survived the war but died in 1929 aged 31 . 

Another brother, William was a Pal who served with the 19th Battalion as Private 22908. He too was captured, on 22/03/1918 and was interned at Chemnitz camp. He survived the war.

Richard's mother lived until 1934, having suffered the loss of her husband and two sons within 18 months, having lost two children to deaths in infancy as well as further losses of sons Charles, Arthur and Frederick before she passed away.

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