Pte 22029 Benjamin Buckley

• Age: 35
• From: Birkenhead, Cheshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Guillemont Rd Cem
  Panel Ref: XV.M.9

Benjamin Buckley was born in Birkenhead on 29th January 1881, the son of Benjamin Buckley and his wife Elizabeth (née Taylor). His parents married in 1864 in the United Methodist Free Chapel in Baillie St, Rochdale. Benjamin had older siblings Sarah, Arthur, Samuel, Mary Taylor, and James, and a younger sister Eveline Elizabeth.  

At the time of the 1881 census the family is shown at the Water Works, Fountain Street, Tranmere, where his father, aged 48, works as an engine driver, mother Elizabeth is 42. They have six children born in Tranmere, Sarah 15 apprentice dressmaker, Arthur 13 a scholar, Samuel 11 a scholar, Mary T. 7 a scholar, James E. 4, and Benjamin is two months old. 

He was baptised on the 2nd July 1885 with his sister Elizabeth Eveline at the Wesley Methodist Church, Tranmere. 

The 1891 Census sees 10 year old scholar Benjamin living with his parents and five siblings at the Borough Road Water Works where his father, is 58 years of age and was born in Rochdale, he is a stationary engine driver, whilst his mother Elizabeth is 52 and was also born in Rochdale. His siblings are listed as all born in Birkenhead as follows: Sarah aged 25 a dressmaker, Samuel 21 a corporation clerk, Mary 17 a pupil teacher, James 14 an apprentice painter, and Elizabeth 5 a scholar.    

His father died in 1899, aged 66. 

In 1901 his widowed mother, 62, and four children are living at 76 Fountain Street, Birkenhead.  Mary, 27, is an assistant school teacher, James Edmund, 24, is a plasterer, Benjamin is 20 years old and employed as a printer and compositor, and Elizabeth, 15, has no occupation. 

His mother died in 1904 aged 66. 

In 1911 he is shown as a boarder living with his married sister Sarah and her husband William Henry Hurton at 2 Heathbank Road, Birkenhead . Benjamin is 31 years of age and is shown as a Compositor in the printing industry. His younger sister Eveline Elizabeth is also shown as a boarder in the household. 

He enlisted in Liverpool joining the 20^th Battalion (No 1 Company), The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 22029 and served in No.1 Company.

Formed in November 1914 the 20^th Battalion were originally billeted at Tournament Hall, Knotty Ash before on 29^th January 1915 they moved to the hutted accommodation purposely built 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 07^th November 1915. 

He was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 35, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive. 

30th July 1916

The 20^th King’s Battalion Diary records:

“At 4.45am prompt the attack was launched. Unfortunately, a thick mist prevailed and it was impossible to see more than 10 yards ahead. This continued until about 6 o’clock when it lifted slightly, but it was still too hazy and impossible to see what was happening 100 yards ahead. This being so, it was not surprising to find that the attacking waves were experiencing great difficulty in maintaining connection.”

At 6am, Lt. RE Melly, No.1 Company, reported that his men had taken the German Maltz Horn trench.

At 6.30am, 2/Lt. CP Moore reported that he had 150 men, 4 Stokes Mortars and 2 Lewis Guns, but he was the only officer. He also said that due to the fog, both his “flanks were in the air” i.e. he was not in contact with neighbouring troops.

At 9.10am, Moore was still not in contact at his flanks, and now he had only 75 men, he had sent out 2 patrols and neither not returned. Later Moore established communication with the French on his right.

Around 10.00am, 2/Lt Musker reported that he had just over a company with him, but his left flank was suffering from German machine gun fire. Later he reported that he had over 30 casualties from the machine gun fire. His flanks were also “in the air”. No contact was made with this party until the remnants returned around 9.30pm, all runners sent were killed or missing. The War Diary states that this group had: ”held the ground won all day, and this permitted the consolidation of the ground won on the Maltz Horn ridge with little interference from the enemy”.

Relief for 20/Kings had been planned for 11.00pm, but it was 5.00am on the 31st July before it took place, ending a tragic day for the Liverpool Pals.

Casualties for 20^th Battalion were 16 Officers and 357 Other Ranks

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30^th 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 55^th Division during the early hours of the 31^st July. 

The events of 30^th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89^th 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.     

Ben was buried close to where he fell and after the war when graves were concentrated his body was removed and reinterred in Guillemont Road Cemetery, where he now rests. 

Guillemont was an important point in the German defences at the beginning of the Battle of the Somme in July 1916. It was taken by the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on 30 July but the battalion was obliged to fall back, and it was again entered for a short time by the 55th (West Lancashire) Division on 8 August. On 18 August, the village was reached by the 2nd Division, and on 3 September (in the Battle of Guillemont) it was captured and cleared by the 20th (Light) and part of the 16th (Irish) Divisions. It was lost in March 1918 during the German advance, but retaken on 29 August by the 18th and 38th (Welsh) Divisions.

The cemetery was begun by fighting units (mainly of the Guards Division) and field ambulances after the Battle of Guillemont, and was closed in March 1917, when it contained 121 burials. It was greatly increased after the Armistice when graves (almost all of July-September 1916) were brought in from the battlefields immediately surrounding the village and certain smaller cemeteries, including:-

HARDECOURT FRENCH MILITARY CEMETERY. The village of Hardecourt-au-Bois was captured by French troops on the 8th July 1916, and again by the 58th (London) and 12th (Eastern) Divisions on 28 August 1918. Five British Artillerymen were buried by their unit in the French Military Cemetery, in the middle of the village, in September 1916; and in 1918 the 12th Division buried in the same cemetery 14 men of the 9th Royal Fusiliers and two of the 7th Royal Sussex.

Guillemont Road Cemetery now contains 2,263 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 1,523 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to eight casualties known or believed to be buried among them.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.

He was initially declared Missing on 30th July 1916.

On 02nd October a notice was placed in the Liverpool Echo, requesting help in finding Ben, under the heading:

“News Gladly Received”:  

“Pte. Ben Buckley, K.L.R., is reported missing since July 30th.  He resided in Birkenhead, and had been for many years in the employ of Messrs. George Miller and Co., printers, North Street, Liverpool.  Any information concerning him will be gladly received by his sister, Miss E. Buckley, 7, Heathbank Road, Birkenhead.” 

His family was not informed that he had been presumed killed in action until over ten months after he was declared missing.  They announced his death in the Echo on 5th June 1917:

“Previously reported missing July 30th, 1916, now officially reported killed, Private Ben Buckley, K.L.R., late of 7 Heathbank Road, Higher Tranmere.” 

Ben earned his three medals. 

Probate in the amount of £171-9s-5d was granted to his brother Samuel, who also received Ben’s Army effects and a War Gratuity of £7-10s.  His sister Elizabeth, at 7 Heathbank Road, was awarded a gratuity in lieu of pension. 

Soldiers effect to his brother Samuel. 

Ben was commemorated on the Dingle C.C. Memorial as reported in the Birkenhead News on Wednesday 09 June 1920 under the header: 

DINGLE CRICKET CLUB HONOURS THE FALLEN 

Following the cricket match at Prenton on Saturday between Dingle and Rainhill the members of the first named club paid a tribute of esteem to those of their colleagues who fell in the Great War. It took the form of a small oak roll of honour board which was unveiled in their pavilion by their President, the Rev. A.E.Rowan. The board has the following members names inscribed thereon: E.W.T. Voss, J. W. Wilson, G.E Houghton, E. George, A.T.Aitken and B. Buckley. In his remarks the Rev. A.E. Rowan said it was their duty to fallen members to perpetuate their memory. They had carried their sense of sportsmanship which they had always shown on the cricket field over the water with them and there they had indeed shown their true colours. Not only were they sportsmen in the cricket field, but also in the greater game. The Rev. gentleman said he had the very sad pleasure in unveiling the board, thus placing their names in the pavilion as a record of their great sacrifice and sportsmanship. The board will hang in the pavilion and will keep the memory of those who gave their all green to all their old fellow cricketers of the Dingle club.    

His brother James had a son in 1919 he called Benjamin. 

Ben is commemorated on the following Memorials

Birkenhead Cenotaph, Hamilton Square. 

Tranmere Methodist Church  

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