Lance Corporal 17181 Edward Cottier

• Age: 23
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: 2/7 KLR
• Died on Wednesday 9th January 1918
• Commemorated at: Pont Du Hem
  Panel Ref: IV.G.8

Edward was born in Liverpool on 14th February 1894 the son of Robert and his wife Margaret Cottier (nee Woodward) who married in 1879 at St Mary's Church  in Edge Hill. He was baptised on 02nd November 1897.  He was the youngest son and the 8th of 9 children. His siblings being: Thomas, Elizabeth, Mary E., Sybil, Jessie, Catherine,  Charlotte and Emma. All were born in Liverpool.

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 25 Tintern Street, Liverpool.

Edward is 7 years of age and lives with his parents and seven siblings. His father, Robert, is a 44 year old shipwright born in Liverpool, whilst his mother is 43 years of age and was also born in Liverpool. His siblingsare recorded as; Mary E. an 18 year old boot shop assistant, Thomas H. a 17 year old apprentice joiner, Sybil M. aged 15 is an apprentice book binder, Jessie aged 13 is a scholar as are two of the remaining siblings, Catherine A. aged 11 and Charlotte aged 9. The youngest sibling is Emma aged 3. 

The 1911 Census finds the family are still living at 25 Tintern Street.

Edward is now 17 and described as a junior clerk. He lives with both parents and six siblings. His father is now aged 55 and still a shipwright, whilst his mother is 54. They advise that they have been married for 31 years and have had nine children, all of whom have survived. His siblings are recorded as; Thomas Henry a 27 year old shipwright, Sybil Mildred a 25 year old book binder, Jessie a 23 year old dressmaker, Catherine Ann a 21 year old domestic worker, Charlotte a 19 year old telephone operator and Emma a 13 year old schoolgirl.     

Edward enlisted at first available opportunity on 31st August 1914 at St George's Hall. He joined the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 17181. He gave his age as 20 years and 220 days and his occupation as a Clerk. He is described as being 5'8 and a half inches tall and weighed 138lbs.

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 arrived in France on 07^th November 1915.

He attended Grenade school in March 1916.

Edward was badly wounded in the attack at Montauban on the opening day of the Battle of the Somme on 01st July 1916 receiving a Gunshot wound to his left thigh probably from enfilading machine gun fire. Following treatment in France he returned to the UK via Rouen on 06th July 1916. An insight into the severity of his wound is that he did not return to France until he arrived at Boulogne on 17th June 1917.

Upon his return to action he was posted to the 2/7th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment on 08th July 1917. He was appointed unpaid Lance Corporal on 27th November 1917. 

Edward was killed in action on 09th January 1918 aged 23. 

Edward rests at Pont du Hem Cemetery in France.

Pont-du-Hem was in German hands from mid-April to mid-September 1918. The Cemetery was begun, in an apple-orchard, in July 1915, and used until April 1918, by fighting units and Field Ambulances; these original burials are in Plots I, II and III, and Rows A and B of Plot IV. In April and May 1918, German burials were made in Plots III and IV. After the Armistice, 426 German graves were removed to other cemeteries; the Portuguese graves of 1917-1918 were removed to the Portuguese cemetery of Richebourg-L'Avoue; and British graves were brought in from the suurounding battlefields and from smaller burial grounds.

There are now over 1,500, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, over half are unidentified and special memorials are erected to nine soldiers from the United Kingdom believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 44 soldiers from the United Kingdom, two from Canada, two from Australia and one of the Royal Guernsey Light Infantry, buried in this or other cemeteries, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire, and of five Indian soldiers whose bodies were cremated. There are 107 German burials and 1 American. The cemetery covers an area of 6,433 square metres.

His effects were returned to his mother Margaret. 

He is commemorated on the Boy Scout Roll of Honour.

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

Edward's older sister Sybil was killed in the Blitz on Liverpool on 12/03/1941, aged 55. She had married and her name was Sybil Mildred Weare and was living at 6 Loretto Road, Liverpool at the time of her death.