Pte 22948 Alphonsus Caldwell

Alphonsus was born in early 1891, the youngest son of Patrick Caldwell and his wife Ann Alice (née Hickey). Patrick, from Dublin, and Ann from Liverpool, had married on the 22nd February 1873 at Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church, Great Crosshall Street, Liverpool. They had ten children, two of whom died young. Alphonsus was the youngest of the ten children; his surviving siblings were Ann, Sarah, Patrick, Francis, Mary, Henrietta, and Gertrude. 

The 1891 Census shows the family are living at 1 Warren Street, Abercrombie, Liverpool. His father, Patrick, is aged 43, a shoemaker born in Dublin, his mother, Ann, who was born in Liverpool, and their children were all born in Liverpool, Ann J. 17 is a tailoress, Sarah 15 a scholar, Patrick 14 post office boy, Francis J. 12 a scholar, Mary J. 10 a scholar, Henrietta A. 5, Gertrude 3, and Alphonsus is aged 1mth. His sister Henrietta died not long after the census.

His mother died in 1895 aged 48, when Alphonsus was 4 years old.

Five of the children are still at 1 Warren Street in 1901.  His maternal aunt Sarah Hickey, 45, a cardboard box maker, is head of household, nieces and nephews Ann 26 tailoress, Frank 23 a coal porter, Mary 21 cardboard box maker, Gertrude 14, and Alphonsus 11. They have a domestic servant Mary Burke 67. His father is not found on the census.

By 1911 Alphonsus is at 130 Phythian Street, Kensington, Liverpool.  His brother Frederick, 32, is head of household, a watchman for Lewis & Co.  (There is no birth record for a brother Frederick; this is possibly his brother Francis, of the right age, using a different name.)  Gertrude is 23, a soap wrapper, and Alphonsus is 20, a clerk in a courier office.  His aunt Sarah Hickey, 53,  is lodging with them, as a housekeeper.  His father, 64, a shoemaker, is living at 127 Islington, a large lodging house. 

 

He enlisted on the 09th November 1914 in Liverpool joining the 20th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 22948. He gave his occupation as porter and names his aunt Sarah Hickey as next of kin and he stated his religion as Roman Catholic. He was described as being 5’ 3 and a half inches tall, and weighing 109 lbs. He had a sallow complexion, grey eyes and brown hair.

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 20th 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 7^th November 1915.

He was transferred to the 18th Battalion K.L.R., in February 1918 when the 20th was disbanded, and served in 1 Company, 4th Platoon. He was killed in action on the 28^th March 1918, aged 27, during the German Spring Offensive.

The Battalion Diary gives an insight into the chaotic events of the day

28^th March

At about 6am the enemy commenced to shell heavily the whole of the forward line and brought Trench Mortars and MACHINE Guns into action.

FOLIES was shelled and the area in the rear of the village as far back as LE QUESNEL.

Rations were received at dawn and parties were organised to carry them to the Companies on the right. Owing to the heavy fire, however, it was not possible to get them up.

Heavy fighting was in progress on the right from soon after dawn and at 8am the enemy was reported to be in possession of BOUCHOIR and progressing towards the BEETROOT FACTORY. About 10am  the 59^th Infy Brigade was notified that it was relieved by the French and the Battalions of that Brigade were at once withdrawn in the direction of LE QUESNEL.

At noon the enemy was bombarding the village and vicinity heavily and reports were received that he was in occupation of WARVILLERS on the left and ARVILLERS on the right.

The front line East of FOLIES continued to resist until about 2pm when the order was received from the 89^th Infy Brigade to the effect that the Battalions were relieved by the French and would withdraw at once to MEZIERES, where the men would be fed. Companies withdrew under some shelling and very heavy M.G. and rifle fire from the left , through K10 -K3 – North side LE QUESNEL to the main ROYE road and reorganised about D.29 c. The march from this point was conducted in good order despite the congested roads.

At MEZIERES it was decided to continue a rearward movement and the march was resumed via VILLERS-MOREUIL – MORISEL – ROUVREL, which village was reached about 7pm and the Battalion billeted. The men had marched 13 miles from the left position in good order and with practically no straggling. They were exhausted on arrival at ROUVREL, but in good heart.

Echelon ‘A’ of the Transport joined the Battalion at this village and the men were fed immediately on arrival. The night passed without incident.  

The CWGC Graves Registration form shows that Alphonsus was buried by the Germans, but after the war a Special Memorial was erected in Savy British Cemetery :  

“To the memory of these 68 British Soldiers, Killed in Action in March 1918, and buried at the time in the German Cemetery on the St. Quentin-Roupy Road, whose graves are now lost.”

Alphonsus has a CWGC headstone in Savy British Cemetery  Roupy Road Cem:  Mem. 44.

Savy was taken by the 32nd Division on the 1st April 1917, after hard fighting, and Savy Wood on the 2nd. On the 21st March 1918 Savy and Roupy were successfully defended by the 30th Division, but the line was withdrawn after nightfall. The village and the wood were retaken on the 17th September 1918 by the 34th French Division, fighting on the right of the British IX Corps.

Savy British Cemetery was made in 1919, and the graves from the battlefields and from the following small cemeteries in the neighbourhood were concentrated into it.

There are now over 850, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, more than half are unidentified. Memorials are erected in the cemetery to 68 soldiers (chiefly of the 19th King's Liverpools and the 17th Manchesters), buried by the Germans in their cemetery on the St. Quentin-Roupy road, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire.

The Cemetery covers an area of 2,555 square metres and is enclosed by a low rubble wall.

He was originally declared as Missing between 21-28 March 1918. His aunt, Miss S. Hickey, 130 Phythian Street, Low Hill, Liverpool, contacted the International Red Cross, but received a response on 13th August 1918 that they held no formation.

 

His death was later assumed, for official purposes, to have occurred on 28th March 1918.

 

His father Patrick received his Army effects, including a War Gratuity of £19-10s.