Pte 51684 Stanley Howard Allen

• Age: 21
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Thursday 12th October 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Stanley Howard was born on 23 August 1895 at 15 Caradoc Road, Bootle, and was baptized on 11 September 1895 at St. Matthew's Church, Stanley Road, Bootle.
His father Howard Henry Allen was a fancy goods salesman from Farlam, Cumberland and Stanley was the fourth child of the six children he had with two wives.

He married his first wife Mary Hill in Toxteth in 1887. Mary died aged 26 in June 1890 following the stillbirth of their second child in Toxteth. He remarried on 13th May 1894 to Jessie Isabel Hardcastle of 17 Cyprus Rd, Bootle, at St. Matthew's, Bootle. They had a son Albert Victor in 1889, another son Stanley Howard in 1895, a daughter Ethel Isabel in 1896 and  a third son Percival Leslie in 1899.

The 1901 Census shows Stanley, a scholar, aged 6 living with his siblings and parents at 23 Liscard Road, Wavertree. His father Howard H. is aged 36, a fancy goods salesman b.Farlam, Cumberland, mother Jessie I. is aged 29 b.Liverpool, children Frances A. aged 12 b.Liverpool, Albert V. aged 11 b.Liverpool, Stanley Howard aged 6 b.Seaforth, Ethel E. aged 5 b.Liverpool, and Percival L. aged 4 b.Liverpool. 

From 1903-1905 on the Electoral Roll, father Howard Henry is living at 42 Lawrence Road, Wavertree and he appears on passenger records to Canada soon after. 

The 1911 Census at 26 Corney Street, Liverpool shows 15 year old Stanley now a bakers errand boy living with his mother Jessie as head of household,  she is working as a waitress.  She advised that they have been married for 17 years and have had 3 children. There are two children in the household; Albert Victor is 21 and  a fishmonger salesman and 11 year old scholar Percival Leslie. Their father Howard Henry Allen was in Manitoba, Canada. He appears on the 1911 Canadian Census in Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada. He first arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia on the “Ionian” in 1907, and was a photographer. 

Two sons enlisted in the King's Liverpool Regiment:

Stanley Howard Allen as Private. 51684 in 19th (Pals) Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment.

Albert Victor Allen as Private. 5555 in 10th Battalion of the King's Liverpool Regiment (Liverpool Scottish). He was killed in action with the 10th Battalion on 09th September 1916 near Longueval, France. He now rests at Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, Longueval.

Just 33 days later Howard and Jessie lost another son when Stanley Howard was killed in action on 12th October 1916 at Le Transloy Ridges.

It had rained incessantly at the beginning of October 1916 and the ground was full of mud. In his book ‘The Liverpool Pals’ Graham Maddocks describes the day of the 12th of October 1916.

It was obvious that the Germans knew an attack was coming and from which direction it would be mounted. On the evening of the 11th the 20th Battalion moved up the line and dug two deep assembly trenches behind the 17th Battalion’s position for the attack the next day. The 19th Battalion also moved into its reserve positions known as Flers Trench. Although the rain has stopped, the ground was like a morass, with all the natural vegetation destroyed, it was difficult to tell exactly where the objectives lay. On the afternoon of the 12th at exactly 2.05pm, the attack began along the whole Corps line, covered by the local batteries of the Royal Field Artillery which still had line of sight. As the whistles blew, the 17th Battalion left its trenches to move forwards, at the same time No.1 and 2 Companies of the 20th Battalion moved forward and occupied the trenches vacated by the 17th. As they too went over the top, No.3 and 4 Companies took their place and waited in their turn to follow. No.2 and 3 Companies of the 19th Battalion moved up to occupy the assembly trenches dug the previous night by the 20th.

As soon as the attacking waves left their trenches the enemy artillery began to register on them and at the same time the defending infantry commenced a murderous rain of fire. Those German regiments were trained and experienced soldiers, well dug in on high ground, and for the most part, looking out on uncut wire. As such it was virtually impossible for them to miss the City Battalion men struggling to advance in the mud towards them.

Brigadier-General F.C.Stanley wrote that the Battalions were also suffering casualties due to the short shooting of the British heavy artillery fire. “I know from practical experience that they were our own guns which were shooting, and which were causing us quite a considerable number of casualties. The fault lay at that time from the fact that the heavy gunners would not send their FOO’s (Forward Observation Officers) far enough forward, but were content to observe us from right back”

Some ground was gained that day, about 150 yards, the 20th Battalion were not relieved until 24 hours later causing the men to endure another day and night in the front line trench.

Stanley's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as Stanley is commemorated 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 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.”

Notice of Albert's death appeared in the Liverpool Echo on 14th November 1916 under the header:

KILLED IN ACTION

Private A E Allen, KLR. His parents live at 41 Cecil Street, Wavertree. He was a pupil at Lawrence Street Council School. His brother Private Stanley H Allen is missing. 

Their mother Jessie claimed both pensions and effects and was then living at 41 Cecil Street, Wavertree.

It seems that his father returned to Liverpool after the war to pay his respects to his two lost sons. An incoming passenger record exists for the 07th September 1919 aboard the “Melita”, he gave the address 156 Harrowby St, the address of Emma Riden(no family connection found). 

His mother died, aged 63, in the March quarter of 1935.

His father died, aged 75, on the 07th March 1939 in Souris, Manitoba, Canada.

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