Pte 14015 David Humphreys Blackwood

• Age: 23
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: Btn
• Died on Tuesday 31st July 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

David Humphreys Blackwood was born in the March quarter of 1894, the son of David Blackwood, who was born in Newton Stewart, Scotland and his wife Martha (née Caton) who was born in Liverpool. The couple were married on the 19th November 1889 at St Simon's Church, Liverpool, David was a 34 year old barman of 10 Bridport Street, his father, John, a shipwright, whilst Martha was 23 of 18 Hilbery Street, her father, John, a brass finisher, and was David’s second wife. He married his first wife Bessie Brewer in 1880 in Stoke Damerel, Plymouth and they had three children - Ellen b.1882, William b.1883 and Samuel b.1885. All three children had been born in Devon. Bessie died, aged 29, in Liverpool in 1889. David junior was baptised on same day as his sister Lillie on the 07th September 1898 at St Jude's Church, Liverpool, his father was a labourer of 10 Elm Terrace.

His death was reported in the Liverpool Weekly Courier on Saturday 01 September 1917:   

FALLEN HEROES. 

News has been received of the death of Private D. H. Blackwood, K.L.R., aged 23, killed an action in France on July 31st. He was the youngest son of his widowed mother who resides a 25 Guildford Street, Everton.   

His name is recorded on the Menin Gate, in Ypres.  

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

Soldiers Effects, Army pay of £6 5d and a War Gratuity of £14 to his mother Martha, Pension of 8/- pw to Martha Sherman, this is his mother as she remarried in 1916 to widower Thomas Sherman.  

On the 1921 Census at 25 Guildford Street, Thomas Sherman is a 46 year old Corporation labourer, Martha is 56. Also present are his children Ellen 19, William 14, and Lilian 10, and married step-daughter and family.