Pte 24828 John Burrell

The 1901 Census shows John aged 4 with his family, now living at 12 Brenton Street, Toxteth. His father, Patrick, is 28 years of age and shown as an electric car conductor, whilst his mother Annie is 32 years of age. John has four siblings living in the household; Patrick aged 7, Sarah aged 6, Lawrence aged 3 and Margaret aged 1. The family also have a boarder living at the property.  

 

In the March quarter of 1911 John's younger sister Annie died aged 2.

 

The 1911 Census finds the family living at 24 Collins Street, Toxteth. His parents are both present, his father is aged 39, still employed as an electric car conductor, his mother's age is recorded as 42. They declare that they have been married for 19 years and have had six children, five of whom have survived. John's age is shown as 14 and he is an errand boy for a bread shop. His siblings; Patrick, 17, is a tramway point attendant, Sarah, 16, is an apprentice in a boot shop, and Lawrence, 13, and Margaret, 11, are at school.

By 1914, the family had moved to 71 Cawdor Street.

John enlisted in Liverpool joining the 17^th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 24828. Based on his regimental number and the amount of the War Gratuity, John volunteered in early January 1915. (Pte 24847 C.L.Thomson enlisted on the 07th 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.

On 07th November 1915 he reached France. He was then aged 19.

John was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 20,  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.  

He was initially reported Missing; his parents appealed for information in the local press on 01st September 1916:

"Private J. Burrell.  His parents, Mr. and Mrs. P. Burrell, reside at 71, Cawdor Street, Prince's Park, Liverpool."

They also contacted the British Red Cross for information, but just days later, on 07th September, John was confirmed Killed in Action:

"Private John Burrell, K.L.R., son of Mr. P. Burrell, 71, Cawdor Street, Prince's Park, Liverpool. Prior to the war he was employed at the Walton Tramway car shed."

John'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.”

He earned his three medals.
John's elder brother, enlisted on 03rd September 1914, he served in the R.F.A. as Corporal 13814 Patrick Burrell and was in France for 3 years 42 days from 16th February 1916 to 29th March 1919. He survived the war. Corporal 13814 P. Burrell earned a Special Mention in Dispatches (London Gazette 18/05/1917).

Evidence of Lawrence's service has not been identified.

 

On the 1921 Census at 71 Cawdor Street, his father, Patrick, is aged 49, a motorman for Liverpool Corporation, mother Anne is 52, born in Hacketstown, Carlow. Also present is Lawrence, aged 23, and grandson Joseph Hunter aged 2.  

In 1939 at the outbreak of the Second World War, his parents were living at 2 Gardner Road with married son Lawrence, a freight clerk. His father is 67, a retired tram driver, his mother is 76. They lived to see further tragedy strike the family in another war.

Lawrence's eldest son, Leading Aircraftman John Dominic Burrell, U/T Pilot (under training), R.A.F. Volunteer Reserve, was killed in a flying accident on 09th March 1943, aged 19. He now rests in St. Andrew Churchyard, Cranwell, Lincolnshire. His father, Lawrence, died the following year aged 47.

 

John's father died in 1955 at the age of 83.

John is commemorated on Ireland's National Memorial

Grateful thanks are extended to David O'Connor for helping with the biographical information contained herein.

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