Pte 24909 Robert Buckland

• Age: 23
• From: Birkenhead, Cheshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Robert was born in Birkenhead on 07th June 1893, the son of William Robert Buckland and his wife Mary Jane (nee Waring). His parents married in 1885  at St Saviour's Church, Oxton and had four children. Robert had two elder brothers, Nathaniel Robert, born in 1886, and William, born 1889, and a younger sister Edith Maud born in 1901.

From an early age Nathaniel lived with his maternal grandmother.

The 1891 census shows his parents and son William, age 1, in Fairview Road, Birkenhead, his father employed as a ship carpenter. Nathaniel, 5, is with grandmother Jane Waring in Tranmere.

The 1901 Census finds Robert aged 7 living with his parents and his elder brother at 29 Woodville Road in Birkenhead. His father, William Robert is a ship's carpenter and is 45 years of age, born in Carnarvonshire, whilst his mother was born in Oxton and is 36 years of age. His elder brother William was born in Oxton and is 11 years of age. 

Nathaniel (listed as Robert) lives with his grandmother in  Briardale Road Birkenhead. He is 15 years old, employed as a trap driver/stableboy.  

His father, William Robert died in Liverpool in 1908, aged 52. 

By the time of the 1911 Census, Robert is 17 years of age and a single man employed as a hairdresser. He is living in High Street, Bangor, North Wales with his aunts Sophia Buckland and Jane Buckland Jones.

Nathaniel, 25, an insurance collector, and William, 21, a steward with the White Star Line, are living in Briardale Road with grandmother Jane Waring, 73, a laundress.

His mother and Edith have not been found on the 1911 census. Edith had attended Woodchurch Road School in Birkenhead before enrolling in Arnot Street School in Liverpool in 1910; she was soon withdrawn to Northcote School, off Rice Lane, Liverpool. School records show her mother as Mary, at 18 Eton Street, Walton.

His mother remarried to William Currie in the December quarter of 1912 at St Michael's Church, Claughton. 

Before the outbreak of the war Robert was employed by the White Star Line on the SS Canada. 

He enlisted in Liverpool joining the 17^th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 24909. Newspaper reports state that he enlisted in January 1915.

He was billeted at Prescot Watch Factory, he trained there and also at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 17th 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 was initially reported Missing but later confirmed killed in action on the 30^th July 1916 at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive. 

17th Battalion Diary 30th July 1916

The Battalion was in support to 19 & 20 Battalions K.L.R. 2 Coys. behind 19th & 2 Coys. behind 20th. Very thick mist. The attack was pushed home to the objective in places but in the main was held up by machine gun fire from hidden machine guns.

Fighting continued all day swaying backwards and forwards until by 6pm about 300 yards in depth had been gained & consolidated all along our front.

Casualties in the 17th Battalion were 15 Officers and 281 Other Ranks

Further details are reported in more detailed by Everard Wyrall in his book The History of the King’s Regiment (Liverpool) 1914-1919 Volume II 1916-1917

The 17th King’s had advanced (two companies each behind the 19th and 20th Battalions) in small columns. They too suffered heavily from machine-gun fire and were quickly absorbed into the waves that preceded them. They also shared the gains and losses of that terrible day.

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30th Division held a line from the railway on the eastern side of Trones Wood , southwards and including Arrow Head Copse, to east of Maltz Horn Farm. On this line the division was relieved by the 55th Division during the early hours of the 31st July. 

The events of 30th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89th Brigade written by Brigadier General Ferdinand Stanley which gives an indication of the events of the day.

Guillemont

Well the hour to advance came, and of all bad luck in the world it was a thick fog; so thick that you couldn’t see more than about ten yards. It was next to impossible to delay the attack – it was much too big an operation- so forward they had to go. It will give some idea when I say that on one flank we had to go 1,750 yards over big rolling country. Everyone knows what it is like to cross enclosed country which you know really well in a fog and how easy it is to lose your way. Therefore, imagine these rolling hills, with no landmarks and absolutely unknown to anyone. Is it surprising that people lost their way and lost touch with those next to them? As a matter of fact, it was wonderful the way in which many men found their way right to the place we wanted to get to. But as a connected attack it was impossible.

The fog was intense it was practically impossible to keep direction and parties got split up. Owing to the heavy shelling all the Bosches had left their main trenches and were lying out in the open with snipers and machine guns in shell holes, so of course our fellows were the most easy prey.

It is so awfully sad now going about and finding so many splendid fellows gone.   

The Birkenhead News of 02nd September 1916 reported:

"Private R.Buckland,of the King's Liverpools, has been reported wounded and missing. He joined this regiment in January, 1915, and went to France in November last. Previously he was employed on the White Star Line on the S.S. Canada. Any information with regard to his whereabouts will be gladly received by his mother at 11, Woodville-road, Birkenhead".  

A few days later, on 07th September, another notice appeared, illustrating the confusion surrounding the circumstances of soldiers reported missing:

"Private Robert Buckland, K.L.R., was wounded on August 5; since then nothing further has been heard of him. His mother resides at 11, Woodville Road, Birkenhead."

The Liverpool Daily Post reported Robert's status on 28th September 1916: 

Previously Reported Wounded, 

Now Reported Wounded and Missing. 

King’s (Liverpools) - Brickland(sic), 24909, R. (Birkenhead); 

It was not until many months later that Robert was officially declared killed in action, posted in the Birkenhead News on 07th July 1917:

"A Sad Birthday Message - Wounded and Missing, Now Killed.

  Mrs. Currie (formerly Mrs. Buckland), of 11, Woodville Road, Birkenhead, has at last received the dreaded news from the War Office that her son, Pte. Robert Buckland, of the K.L.R., who was first reported wounded and missing on July 30th last year, was killed in action on that date. The news was received by his mother on his 24th birthday, June 7th. She had made diligent inquiries ever since he was first missing, and had received some very touching letters from his comrades and officer, who all express their deepest sorrow to her. Employed by the Royal Mail Steamship Co. as steward, he enlisted in the 1st Pals in January 1915, and sailed for France the following November. He was the youngest son of the late W. R. Buckland, who was killed nine years ago when in the employ of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board. The deceased soldier has two other brothers serving in the forces. The eldest, Gunner Nat Buckland, is in the R.F.A. He was a reservist, and was called up at the outbreak of war, and has been at the front since August 6, 1914. He is at present home on leave. The other brother, Pte. William Buckland, is in the Cheshire Regiment on home duty."

A newspaper search has failed to turn up details of his father's death.

Robert's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial in France.

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 01^st 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.”

Robert is also commemorated on the Birkenhead Cenotaph, Hamilton Square, Birkenhead.

He earned his three medals. His 1914-15 Star was issued with the regimental number 24919 and returned for amendment.

Soldiers Effects to his mother Mary J Currie, including a War Gratuity of £6-10s.

His mother was awarded a pension of 15 shillings a week from May 1917.

Robert was remembered in the Liverpool Echo on 30th July 1917, under the heading, “Lost at Battle of Guillemont”:

“In loving memory of my dear son, Robert, 1st Pals, who was killed in action July 30, 1916.

The strife is o’er,

His victory of life is won.

(Sadly missed by his Mother, Brothers, and Sister.)”

And a year later in the Liverpool Echo of 30th July 1918 shows the following:

BUCKLAND - In Loving Memory of Private ROBERT BUCKLAND, 17th King's (Liverpool) Regt..who was killed July 30 1916. Sadly missed by his Mother, Sister and brother (on active service), also his Stepfather. - 11 Woodville Road, Birkenhead.

His brother, Nathaniel, served as a Gunner with the 42nd Bde. R.F.A. (his medal roll shows he arrived overseas on 19/08/1914).  

Another brother, William, enlisted in December 1915 and served overseas with the 2nd Bn. K.L.R.  His medal index card shows multiple regimental numbers, including with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and the Cheshire Regiment. He was discharged in May 1919 with a disability pension (malaria) of 11 shillings a week for one year.

In 1939 at the outbreak of World War Two, his mother Mary Jane, then 77, and husband William Currie, a retired dock labourer, still lived at 11 Woodville Road, with Edith Maud, 38, a shop manageress.

His mother died in 1951 at the age of 86.

Grateful thanks are extended to Stephen Benson for permission to use the photograph of Robert now shown on this site: visit www.cheshireroll.co.uk  

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