Pte 16155 Isaac Allman

• Age: 24
• From: St Kilda, Victoria Australia
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Danzig Alley Cem, Mametz
  Panel Ref: X.A.3

Isaac Allman was born in the St Kilda suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia in about 1893, the son of Isaac Allman and his wife, Jane (nee Kenney) who were married on the 24th January 1887 at St Thomas' Church, Melling before emigrating. Isaac was a bricklayer of Melling, father James, whilst Jane was of Melling, father James. They had an older daughter, also Jane, who was born in Sydney, Australia in 1888/9, sadly a son John died in infancy in 1891.

Isaac snr died aged 32 in Melbourne and was buried on the 24th June 1892 at St Kilda Cemetery. 

His son's death was reported in the Melbourne Age, on the 13th June 1891: 

The Friends of Mr. ISAAC ALLMAN are informed that the remains of his late beloved son, John. will be interred in the St. Kilda Cemetery. The funeral is appointed to move from his residence, 96 Domain-street, South Yarra, THIS DAY (Saturday), the 13th inst., at 3 o'clock. 

His father's death was reported in the Melbourne Age, on the 25th June 1892: 

The Friends of the late Mr. ISAAC ALLMAN are informed that his remains will be interred in the St. Kilda Cemetery. The funeral will move from his late residence. No. 7 Neptune-street, St. Kilda, THIS DAY(Saturday), the 25th inst., at 1 o'clock. 

A O.F., COURT PRINCE of WALES, No. 3198.— 

The member of the above court and order are: 

The remains of our late Bro. ISAAC ALLMAN to the place of interment, the St. Kilda Cemetery. The funeral will leave his late residence. 7 Neptune-street, St. Kilda, TO-DAY (Saturday), at 1 p.m. 

DAVID LIND. Secretary. 

By 1896, Jane and her two children were back in the UK and Jane married John Taylor on the 21st October 1896 at Christ Church, Aughton, John was a carter on a farm, born in Melling. Jane was in fact born in Kirkby. It is likely that Isaac, her husband, had died in Australia. 

By 1901, Jane and her new husband John, aged 48, a farm carter were living at Trenchfield Cottages, Prescot Road, Aughton. Isaac is eight years old and described as a step son, he lives with his sister Jane aged 13 and born in Sydney, Australia and his two step brothers Daniel T. Taylor aged 3 born in Aughton and James aged 1 born in Liverpool. 

In 1911 they still live at the same address, have another child, a daughter Margaret Irene aged 7 and born in Aughton. Isaac is employed as a hotel clerk for a brewery. Jane declares that she has been married 14 years and has had five children, all of whom lived. It is likely that she is signifying the length of time she has been married to John Taylor but the five children include John’s two stepchildren born in Australia, ie Jane and Isaac Allman as well as Daniel Thomas, James and Margaret Irene.

Prior to the war Isaac was employed by Lever Brothers as part of their export staff based at the company offices within the Royal Liver Building.

He enlisted in Liverpool on 01st September 1914 joining the 18th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 16155, giving his age as 22 years 90 days, his occupation as an export clerk, and his next of kin as his mother, Jane Taylor, Trenchfield Cottages, Prescot Road, Aughton. He declared that he had previously served with the 9^th Kings Volunteer Battalion for 4 years. He was height 5’ 3”, weighed 110 pounds, 36” chest, fresh complexion, grey eyes, brown hair, and gave his religion as Church of England. 

From the 23^rd September 1914 he was billeted at Hooton Park Race Course and remained there until 03^rd December 1914 when they moved into the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 18th 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.

Isaac was killed in action on the opening day of the Battle of the Somme during the attack on the Glatz Redoubt. On that day, Isaac was reported wounded and missing and it was not until several months later that the Army Council declared that his date of death for all official purposes would be 01^st July 1916.

The Battalion diary records the following:

At 6.30am the artillery commenced an intensive bombardment of the enemy’s trenches. Zero Hour – 7.30 am – the battalion commenced to leave their trenches and the attack commenced. The attack was pressed with great spirit and determination in spite of heavy shelling and machine gun enfilade fire which caused casualties amounting to 2/3rds of the strength of the Battalion in action. The whole system of German trenches including the Glatz Redoubt was captured without any deviation from the scheduled programme. Consolidated positions and made strong points for defence against possible counter attacks. 

Graham Maddocks provides more detail concerning the events of the day:

As the first three waves began to move forward towards the German reserve line, known as Alt Trench and then on to the Glatz Redoubt itself, they suddenly came under enfilading fire from the left. This was from a machine gun which the Germans had sited at a strong point in Alt Trench. The gun itself was protected by a party of snipers and bombers, who, hidden in a rough hedge, were dug into a position in Alt Trench, at its junction with a communication trench known as Alt Alley. These bombers and snipers were themselves protected by rifle fire from another communication trench, Train Alley which snaked back up the high ground and into Montauban itself. The machine gun fire was devastating and it is certain that nearly of the Battalion’s casualties that day were caused by that one gun.  

Lieutenant Colonel Edward Henry Trotter  wrote in the conclusion of his account of the days action:

I cannot speak to highly of the gallantry of the Officers and men. The men amply repaid the care and kindness of their Company Officers, who have always tried to lead and not to drive. As laid down in my first lecture to the Battalion when formed, in the words of Prince Kraft:

“Men follow their Officers not from fear, but from love of the Regiment where everything had always and at all times gone well with them”.    

Joe Devereux in his book A Singular Day on the Somme gives the Casualty Breakdown for the 18^th Battalion as Killed in Action 7 Officers and 165 men and of those who died in consequence of the wounds 3 Officers and 19 men a total of 194 out of a total loss for the four Liverpool Pals Battalions of 257. 

Isaac's three medals and identity disc were sent to his mother.

A number of newspaper reports recorded his wounding and death:

Ormskirk Advertiser 3rd August 1916 

AUGHTON SOLDIER WOUNDED

Official news has been received that Private Isaac Allman, of Prescot Road, Aughton, has been wounded in action on July 1st; no particulars are given as to where he is or the nature of his wounds. Private Allman joined the King's Liverpool "Pals" on their formation. He was formerly a member of the 1st Ormskirk troop of Boy Scouts, and afterwards acted as Assistant Scoutmaster.

Liverpool Echo 27th June 1917 

Ormskirk And District Casualties 

Mrs Taylor of Prescot Road, Aughton, has been notified that her so Private Isaac Allman, previously reported missing, has been killed in action. 

Ormskirk Advertiser 28th June 1917 

NEWS AT LAST - BUT BAD NEWS 

Private Isaac Allman of the King's Liverpool Regiment, son of Mrs Taylor of Prescot Road, Aughton, who has been reported missing since July 1st last year, is now presumed by the War Office to have been killed in action on that date. Mrs Taylor having received an official intimation to that effect. Information has been received by a comrade that he was killed by machine gun fire and buried where he fell, his comrade having seen his cross.

Ormskirk Advertiser 28th June 1917 

IN MEMORIAM

ALLMAN - In sad but loving memory of my dear sweetheart, Private Isaac Allman, Liverpool "Pals", previously reported missing, now presumed killed on July 1st 1916 - Mary

Liverpool Daily Post 30th June 1917 

ALLMAN - In loving memory of my dear son, Private Isaac Alllman, K.L.R., previously reported missing, now presumed killed on July 1st 1916. Deeply missed by mother and family.   

ALLMAN - In sad but sweet memory of my dear brother, Private Isaac Alllman, K.L.R., killed July 1st 1916. 

God knows he did his best; 

A British soldier laid to rest. 

- from his sister Edith. 

Liverpool Echo 1st July 1918 

ROLL OF HONOUR. 

KILLED IN ACTION. 

ALLMAN - In loving remembrance of my dear brother ISAAC ALLMAN K.L.R., killed in action, July 1, 1916. (His duty nobly done.) - Edith. 

ALLMAN - In loving memory of ISAAC ALLMAN K.L.R., killed in action, July 1, 1916. (Fondly remembered by all the family.) - Prescot Road, Aughton. 

Isaac now rests at Dantzig Alley Military Cemetery in Grave X A 3.

The village of Mametz was carried by the 7th Division on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, after very hard fighting at Dantzig Alley (a German trench) and other points. The cemetery was begun later in the same month and was used by field ambulances and fighting units until the following November. The ground was lost during the great German advance in March 1918 but regained in August, and a few graves were added to the cemetery in August and September 1918. At the Armistice, the cemetery consisted of 183 graves, now in Plot I, but it was then very greatly increased by graves (almost all of 1916) brought in from the battlefields north and east of Mametz and from certain smaller burial grounds.

Dantzig Alley British Cemetery now contains 2,053 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 518 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 17 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 71 casualties buried in other cemeteries, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.

Isaac is also commemorated on the Aughton Civic Memorial and the Lever Brothers Memorial, Port Sunlight.
 

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