Pte 17655 Edwin George Massey

• Age: 27
• From: Aston, Warwickshire
• Regiment: 13th KLR
• Died on Saturday 31st August 1918
• Commemorated at: Queant Road Cemetery, Buissy
  Panel Ref: IV.H.1

Edwin George was born in Washwood Heath, Birmingham (see service record) on the 12th October 1891. He was known as George to his family and was the son of Thomas Massey and his wife Ann (Annie) (nee Burnett). They were married on 21st May 1885 and had a total of six children; John Worsley, born in 1887, Elizabeth Ann, born in 1890, Edwin George, born in 1891, Thomas Philp, born in 1893, Harriet Burnett, born in 1894 and Ellen Brown, born in 1898 (known as Nell). The first four children were born in Warwickshire. 

By 1894 the family was living on the Wirral, where his father was a Blacking Manufacturer, in partnership with his brother, and living at 5 Marine Park in West Kirby, Wirral, Cheshire.   

In 1911 his brother Phil was a farming student living with his uncle, John Burnett, at Home Farm, Little Aston, Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire. 

George was a keen sportsman playing football and cricket, he was described as a good all round cricketer. He was a member of the Marlborough Old Boys football team that won the I Zingari Challenge Cup in 1914.

George left school at 16 and served a 6 year apprenticeship with Brown & Rawcliffe, of Pall Mall, Liverpool. They were a firm of Chrome Lithographers. He was employed by J. Howitt & Son, Chromo & Photo Lithographers & Printers, Alfred Street Mills, Nottingham when he wrote to his father on letterheaded paper on 08th September 1914:

My dear father,

Your letter to hand for which I thank you very much.

Business has become very slack with us, only one order yesterday and one today. I have made up my mind to come back and join some corps as soon as I hear from my friend Cyril Newport. It is only right that every young chap should do what little he can and I am quite willing to do my share. I shall be sorry to leave Nottingham, everyone here has shown me kindness and consideration and the guvnor himself is one of the best. I had a talk to Mr Howitt Jnr about going, but will have a word with the old gentleman when I get the opportunity.

I have no doubt whatever, that he will keep my place open for me; they have lost about eight men out of the works and he has promised to reinstate them all if they come back.

Tell Uncle I had a very enjoyable game of Golf on Saturday afternoon, it was a very "sporty" course. 18 holes. 

Give my love to all at home and kindest regards to yourself and Uncle John.

I remain,

Your loving son

George       

He attested in Liverpool on 14th September 1914, joining the 19th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 17655.  When he completed his Attestation papers he stated that he had served with the Territorial Army for four years, with the Liverpool Scottish, and served a 6 year apprenticeship with Brown and Rawcliffe, Pall Mall, Liverpool. He was described as being 6 feet tall, weighed 164 lbs, 39” chest, and had a fresh complexion with green eyes and brown hair. He gave his age as 22 years and 332 days old, religion Wesleyan, and as next of kin, his father Thomas,  of Linden House. 

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. He arrived in France on 7^th November 1915.

On the 19th September, he was appointed Lance Corporal. On the 03rd March 1915 he was promoted to Corporal, but on the 18th June 1915 he requested that he be allowed to return to the rank of Private. 

On the 14th of September 1916 he received a Good Conduct badge and professional pay class 1.

He was granted leave to the UK on the 27th August 1917 and rejoined his unit on the 11th of September 1917.

On the 24th August 1918, George was posted to the 13th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment. He was killed in action just a week later on 31st August 1918.

The Battalion War Diary records: 

August 30 – At night time the battalion moved up in preparation for an attack on Ecoust.

August 31 – the Battalion attacked and were successful in obtaining their objective as also did the 1st Gordon Highlanders on their Left.  The Battalion on the Right flank, however, did not get their objective and this necessitated a withdrawal temporarily and subsequently the Battalion re-took the objective though suffering heavy casualties. 

Estimated Casualties:  9 Officers, 200 Other Ranks.  

Private 17655 Edwin George Massey was one of those killed in action that day. 

Edwin George now rests at Queant Road British Cemetery in Buissy, France in plot 4, row H, Grave 1. 

Buissy was reached by the Third Army on 2 September 1918, after the storming of the Drocourt-Queant line, and it was evacuated by the Germans on the following day. Queant Cemetery was made by the 2nd and 57th Casualty Clearing Stations in October and November 1918. It then consisted of 71 graves (now Plot I, Rows A and B), but was greatly enlarged after the Armistice when 2200 graves were brought in from the battlefields of 1917-1918 between Arras and Bapaume.

There are now 2,377 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery. 1,441 of the burials are unidentified, but there are special memorials to 56 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials commemorate 26 casualties buried in German cemeteries in the neighbourhood, whose graves could not be found on concentration. The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

His younger brother Thomas Philp Massey was killed in action on the very same day. He now rests at Ecoust-St.Mein Cemetery in France. 

Ecoust-St. Mein was captured by the 8th and 9th Devons in a blizzard on 2 April 1917, lost on 21 March 1918, and retaken at the end of the following August by the 3rd Division. The British Cemetery was then made, in continuation of a German Extension (now removed) of the communal cemetery. The cemetery contains 151 burials of the First World War, eight of which are unidentified. The cemetery was designed by W H Cowlishaw.

Of the 143 identified casualties in this small cemetery 59 are K.L.R., all but 9 of whom are from the 13th battalion, lost in action on 31st August and 1st September in the successful attack on Ecoust.

His father advertised in the Liverpool Echo newspaper asking whether anyone knew what happened on the day that both of his sons were killed. He received a letter from Pte. C.E Foster of 3, Ridley Grove, West Kirby in response to his advert in the Liverpool Echo:

Subsequently a letter was sent dated Feb 28th 1919 to Nell Brown Massey from A. Woods of 69 Aubrey Street, Liverpool:

Their father died in August 1936. His death was reported in the local press on 12th August 1936 under the header:

DEATH OF MR THOMAS MASSEY

The death took place yesterday of Mr Thomas Massey of Linden House, Ormskirk in his 83rd year. Mr Massey, for many years, was well known in Liverpool commercial circles, being, along with his brother, Mr J W Massey, proprietors of Martindale's Limited and he was also a director of Liverpool Caterers Limited. 

Mr Massey was a keen Cricketer and for many years played with the Mosley Club, Birmingham. He was an old member of the Ormskirk Club. Two of his sons played for Ormskirk, one Mr E. G. Massey being a batsman and bowler of some promise. The latter and another brother, T. P. Massey were killed on the same day in the Great War, shortly before the Armistice.   

Mr Massey leaves a grown up family. The funeral will take place tomorrow at West Kirby Parish Church.