Capt Arthur de Bells Adam (MC)
1885 - 1916

CPL David Wallace Crawford
1887 - 1916

Lce-Corpl John Joseph Nickle
1894 - 1916

Pte 17911 Morton Neill
1897 - 1916

Lieut Edward Stanley Ashcroft
1883 - 1918

Pte 51583 Harold Victor Johnson

Age: 19
From: Liverpool
Regiment: 17th Bn K.L.R. 17th Btn
Died on Monday 2nd July 1917
Commemorated at: Perth Cemetery (china Wall)

Harold Victor Johnson was born on the 16th September 1897 at 25 Ashfield Edge Hill. His birth was registered in West Derby in the December quarter of 1897. He was the son of George Frederick Johnson and his wife Charlotte Elizabeth (nee Berrisford). They married on the 12th December 1896 at St Catherine's Church, Edge-Hill, Liverpool when George had his occupation as a wholesale butcher.

Harold was one of seven children of Liverpool born butcher, George Frederick Johnson and Chesterfield born Charlotte Elizabeth Berrisford.

He was Baptised with his newborn brother Frederick Berrisford Johnson at St Dunstan's Church, Edge Hiĺl on the 05th July 1899. Frederick was born on the 21st May 1899.

The 1891 Census find the family living at 16 Salisbury Road, Liverpool. His father, George F. Johnson is the head of the household, he is aged 26 and a meat salesman, his mother is also, aged 26, with no occupation listed. Harold is aged 3, Frederick B. is aged 1. The family servant Bertha Edward is aged 16.

He is shown as, aged 13, on the 1901 Census, still at 16 Salisbury Road with his parents and his brother, Frederick aged 1, and their family servant Bertha Edward aged 26.

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 16, Salisbury Road, Wavertree, Liverpool. His father, George, is aged 26, born in Liverpool in 1875 and is a meat salesman, his mother, Charlotte is also aged 26 and was born in Chesterfield, she has no occupation listed. They have two children at home at the time of the Census, Harold Victor aged 3, born 1898 and Frederick aged 1, born 1900 and both were born in Liverpool. They also have a domestic servant Bertha Edwards aged 16, born 1885 in Liverpool.

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 52 Garrick Street, Liverpool. Harold's father, George, is aged 36 and is still employed as a meat salesman, his mother, Charlotte, is aged 36 and is out of work. They have been married for fourteen years and have had seven children of which three had died. They have three sons in the household at the time of the Census, Harold Victor aged 13, is at school, Eric George aged 4, born 1907 and Sidney Thomas aged 2, born 1909.

Harold enlisted as Rifleman 4344, joining the 6th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment (Liverpool Rifles). He embarked aboard the SS Invicta from Folkestone-Boulogne on 14th July 1916, reaching the 24th Infantry Base Depot on 15th July. He then proceeded to the 11th Entrenching Battalion on 02nd August and proceeded to the 17th Battalion K.L.R. on 05th August and was posted from 05th September 1916 to the 17th Battalion K.L.R. as Private 51583.

On the 02nd July 1917, aged 19, he was killed in action in Belgium.

An In Memoriam notice was placed in the Liverpool Daily Post on Tuesday 02nd July 1918;

JOHNSON - In affectionate remembrance of Private H.V. JOHNSON, K.L.R., who made the supreme sacrifice July 2 1917 - Ever remembered by all at 63 Saxony Road.

Also in the Liverpool Echo on Monday 16th September 1918;

JOHNSON - In loving 21st birthday remembrances of our dear son, Private H. V. JOHNSON, killed in action, in France, July 2, 1917.

To an unseen grave, far away,

A sad mother's thoughts wander to-day;

Unseen by the world he stands by my side,

And whispers: “Dear mother, don't fret; death cannot divide.”

Father, Mother, and Brothers, 20, Corney-street, late 18, Plan-street.

He now rests at Perth Cemetery (China Wall), Zillebeke, Belgium.

The cemetery was begun by French troops in November 1914 (the French graves were removed after the Armistice) and adopted by the 2nd Scottish Rifles in June 1917. It was called Perth (as the predecessors of the 2nd Scottish Rifles were raised in Perth), China Wall (from the communication trench known as the Great Wall of China), or Halfway House Cemetery. The cemetery was used for front line burials until October 1917 when it occupied about half of the present Plot I and contained 130 graves. It was not used again until after the Armistice, when graves were brought in from the battlefields around Ypres and from other smaller cemeteries.

There are now 2,791 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery. 1,369 of the burials are unidentified and special memorials are erected to 27 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials bear the names of 104 casualties buried in the cemeteries concentrated here, whose graves could not be found.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

His father received his army pay arrears and his war gratuity and received the dependents pension.

The 1921 Census finds his family at 20 Corney Street, Edge Hill, Liverpool.

Charlotte E, Johnson, 1875, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England, West Derby, West Derby, Lancashire

Eric G, Johnson, 1906, Liverpool, Lancashire, England, West Derby, West Derby, Lancashire

Frederick B, Johnson, 1899, Liverpool, Lancashire, England, West Derby, West Derby, Lancashire

George F, Johnson, 1874, Liverpool, Lancashire, England, West Derby, West Derby, Lancashire

Sidney T, Johnson, 1908, Liverpool, Lancashire, England, West Derby, West Derby, Lancashire

His father died, aged 48, in the September quarter of 1923.

His mother remarried in 1924 to Arthur Henry Green in Birkenhead. As Charlotte E. Green, date of birth 02nd December 1874, she appears widowed again on the 1939 register at 351a Smithdown Road with her sons Sydney T. and Frederick B.

His mother, died aged 75, in Southport in 1950.

He is also commemorated on the Bluecoat School, Wavertree, War Memorial.

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

Killed On This Day.

(110 Years this day)
Monday 1st May 1916.
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