Pte 36427 Richard Ellis

• Age: 30
• From: Birmingham
• Regiment: 12th KLR
• Died on Saturday 7th October 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B & 8C

Richard Ellis was born in Birmingham in the second quarter of 1886 the son of William Ellis and his wife Jane (nee Owens).

The 1891 Census finds the family living at Gladstone Street, Aston, Birmingham.

His father is 41 years old and was born in Towyn, Wales, his mother is 40 years old and was born in Wales. They have seven children recorded in the household: William is 22 years of age born in Blaenarvon, Wales, Mary E. aged 20 born in Wales, Griffith aged 17 born in Wales, James O aged 10 born in Birmingham, Richard is aged 8 and Margaret H. is aged 3 also born in Birmingham.  

The family had moved to Taliesin, South Wales in 1914.

Richard enlisted in the 21st Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 36427 before he transferred to the 12th Battalion in early 1916.

He married Margaret Ann Jones in 1916 their address being 23 Lothair Road, Anfield.

Richard was killed in action at Le Transloy on 07th October, 1916.

He was originally reported as Missing and an appeal for information was placed in the Liverpool Echo on 06th November 1916:

MISSING SOLDIER

Private Richard Ellis, K.L.R. is reported as missing since October 7. Any information will be thankfully received by his wife at 23 Lothair-road, Anfield, Liverpool.   


His body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as his name is listed on the Thiepval Memorial.

The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916.

On 01st August 1932 the Prince of Wales and the President of France inaugurated the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy. The inscription reads: “Here are recorded the names of officers and men of the British Armies who fell on the Somme battlefields between July 1915 and March 1918 but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.”

His wife Margaret gave birth to a son Richard Ernest on 04th December, 1916 just two months after Richard had been killed.

Richard's younger brother Tom was also killed in action in 1916. He was serving as Lance Corporal 27970 with the 16th Battalion of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and was killed during the fighting for Mametz Wood on 11th July, 1916, aged 19. He now rests at Dantzig Alley.

Both brothers are commemorated on the Llangynfelyn War Memorial.

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

Grateful thanks are extended to Joe Devereux for his permission to use the photograph now shon on this site.