L/Cpl 21689 Francis Carew

L/Cpl 21689 Francis CAREW, 19th KLR.

Francis Carew was born in the January quarter of 1891, the fourth child and second son of Richard Carew and his wife Mary (nee Garrity). His parents married in 1879.

On the 1881 Census the family are living at 4 Vine Grove, Seaforth. Father, Richard, is aged 30 and is a seaman born in Liverpool,  whilst mother,  Mary, is 21 years of age and was born in Litherland. Also present is her father Thomas Garrity 49 a labourer born in County Mayo, Ireland. 


According to Richard's death record at sea he was living at 49 Wordsworth Street, Bootle at the time of death.

In 1891, the year Francis was born, Mary Carew describes herself as a widow, aged 31, she is living with her widowed father, Thomas Garrity aged 69  and her four children at 9 Greenfield Lane, Litherland. Josephine is 9 born in Seaforth, Richard 7 born Litherland, Margaret 4 born Marsh Lane, Bootle and Francis is just 7 days old born in Litherland.

In 1901 she, again, describes herself as a widow, now aged 41 and working as a charwoman, living at 19 Bath Street, Waterloo. Her children are listed as; Josephine aged 18 is a laundress, Richard J. is 16, Margaret is 14, and Francis is 10.

In 1911 the only member of the family I have been able to find in the Census is Josephine, who is described as a nurse working in the Liverpool Workhouse Infirmary.

On a census record for a hotel at 97 Piccadilly, Manchester, is Mary Garrity aged 46, a housekeeper, and Frank Carew aged 23 with independent means (their birth places are not consistent, being Newcastle and Langley respectively). 

On 25th September 1914, aged 23 years and 180 days, Francis enlisted in Liverpool as Private 21689 joining the 19th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 21689. His occupation was shown as a Watchmaker. He was described as being 5' 9" tall, weight 147lbs, with a 39" chest a fresh complexion with grey eyes and dark brown hair. He states his religion as Roman Catholic.

Formed on 07^th September 1914 the 19^th Battalion trained locally at Sefton Park and remained living at home or in rented accommodation until November 1914. They then moved to the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 19th 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.

His record shows that Francis was court-martialled on 15th July 1915 for “not complying with an order “but was released, having given an acceptable explanation for his actions.

He embarked for France on 07th November 1915.

On 18th January 1916 was appointed Unpaid Lance Corporal and on 7th February was slightly wounded but remained on duty.

His Service Record shows that on 11th July 1916, aged 25 years, he was killed in action at Trones Wood. 

The murderous fighting that went on inside Trones Wood rendered it impossible to put specific dates on some of the casualties which is why many of the 17^th Battalion losses have been bracketed as killed in action between 10^th – 12th July 1916.The conditions are best described in the following passage from Everard Wyrall’s book The History of The King’s Regiment (Liverpool) Volume II.

The remembrance of Trones Wood in July 1916 to those who passed through it is of a noisome, horrible place, of a tangled mass of trees and undergrowth which had been tossed and flung about in frightful confusion by the shells of both sides. Of the ghastly dead which lay about in all directions, and of DEATH, lurking in every hole and corner with greedy hands ready to snatch the lives of the unwary. The place was Death trap, and although the attacks were made with great determination,   the presence of snipers who could not be detected and often fired into the backs of our men made the clearing of the wood impossible.

In September 1916, his mother, now living at 1 Cooper’s Row, Waterloo, writes to the Army asking if there is any further information about her son “who has been reported missing since July 11 1916”. On 12th September, she receives a negative reply, suggesting that at least until that date the military had not formally notified her of her son’s death. In fact his service record is updated on 02nd November 1916 to show that he was killed on 11th July, suggesting that in the confusion of battle the authorities were unable to ascertain what had happened to him until this date.


Francis was originally buried near Bernafay Wood. Despite the fact that a map reference is given, it would appear that his grave was subsequently destroyed as he is now 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.”

In the declaration she sent to the Infantry HQ at Preston, Mary reports that Francis’s brother, Richard aged 35 years, is “supposed to be in America”; her daughter Josephine, aged 37, is “a nurse somewhere in France”; and her other daughter has married.

His mother received his three medals. 

Soldiers Effects to mother Mary and sister Josephine, Pension to mother Mary, at 1 Coopers Row, Waterloo.

Francis is commemorated on the following Mmeorials:

Waterloo and Seaforth War Memorial in Crosby Road North (The Five Lamps”)

St. Francis Xavier College, Liverpool

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