L/Cpl 21944 Edward Charnock

• Age: 21
• From: Rainhill, Lancs
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Edward was born in Rainhill in the September quarter of 1894 the only son of James Charnock and his wife Elizabeth (nee Marrow). Edward had two older sisters Ida, born in 1887 and Mildred born in 1890. James came from a farming background and became a corn merchant. His parents married in 1885.

In the 1901 census James 53, a grain merchant/employer, and Elizabeth aged 44 are living at Rainhill Mount, a substantial house of 12 rooms.  The family has a domestic servant. All three children are away at boarding school. The two girls are at Belle Rive Convent run by the Sisters Faithful Companions of Jesus in Princes Park Liverpool. Edward, aged 6, is boarding at The Convent of Mercy school in Abingdon in Berkshire.

His mother, Elizabeth, died on the 18th April 1905, aged 49.  

Catholic Times and Catholic Opinion - Friday 28 April 1905 

CHARNOCK.—ApriI 18, at Rainhill Mount, Rainhill, aged 49 years, Elizabeth, the beloved wife of James Charnock.—R.I.P. 

 

The 1911 Census shows the widowed James is still living with his three children at Rainhill Mount. He’s aged 63 and retired. Ida, 24, and Mildred, 20, have no occupation. Edward, aged 16 is an apprentice in the grain trade. Also in the household is a domestic servant.

Edward enlisted in Liverpool on 09th November 1914 joining the 20th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment Private 21944. He gave his age as 20 years and his occupation as motor car mechanic. He was described as being 5' 11 and a half inches tall, weighing 156 lbs, 37” chest, with a fresh complexion, grey eyes, and dark brown hair. He gave his religion as Roman Catholic and as next of kin his father James at Rainhill Mount.

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 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. He arrived in France on 07^th November 1915.

He was appointed unpaid Lance Corporal in the field on 04th February 1916.

Edward was killed in action on the 30th July 1916, aged 21, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive. 

30th July 1916

The 20^th King’s Battalion Diary records:

“At 4.45am prompt the attack was launched. Unfortunately, a thick mist prevailed and it was impossible to see more than 10 yards ahead. This continued until about 6 o’clock when it lifted slightly, but it was still too hazy and impossible to see what was happening 100 yards ahead. This being so, it was not surprising to find that the attacking waves were experiencing great difficulty in maintaining connection.”

At 6am, Lt. RE Melly, No.1 Company, reported that his men had taken the German Maltz Horn trench.

At 6.30am, 2/Lt. CP Moore reported that he had 150 men, 4 Stokes Mortars and 2 Lewis Guns, but he was the only officer. He also said that due to the fog, both his “flanks were in the air” i.e. he was not in contact with neighbouring troops.

At 9.10am, Moore was still not in contact at his flanks, and now he had only 75 men, he had sent out 2 patrols and neither not returned. Later Moore established communication with the French on his right.

Around 10.00am, 2/Lt Musker reported that he had just over a company with him, but his left flank was suffering from German machine gun fire. Later he reported that he had over 30 casualties from the machine gun fire. His flanks were also “in the air”. No contact was made with this party until the remnants returned around 9.30pm, all runners sent were killed or missing. The War Diary states that this group had: ”held the ground won all day, and this permitted the consolidation of the ground won on the Maltz Horn ridge with little interference from the enemy”.

Relief for 20/Kings had been planned for 11.00pm, but it was 5.00am on the 31st July before it took place, ending a tragic day for the Liverpool Pals.

Casualties for 20^th Battalion were 16 Officers and 357 Other Ranks

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30^th 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 55^th Division during the early hours of the 31^st July. 

The events of 30^th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89^th 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.     

Edward was initially declared Missing in Action.

Mr. Edwin A. Alley, Y.M.C.A. Buildings, Peter Street, Manchester, made enquiries with the International Red Cross in Geneva. The reply, communicated on 13th September 1916, stated that they held no information on Edward. The ICRC enquiry card shows Mr. Alley's name was crossed out and replaced by E.G. Chorlton, 1 Mount Street.

Mr. J. Porter, of 75 Cross Lane, Newton le Willows, Lancashire, also contacted the ICRC, and received a reply dated 22nd September 1916 that they held no information.

It appears from the enquiry cards that bookkeeping errors were made by the ICRC, causing confusion between Edward Charnock and David Charnock, both of the K.L.R., and incorrect information was conveyed to interested parties:

On 29th October 1916 James Porter wrote to Infantry Records:

"Re: Pte. E. Charnock, 21944, 20th K.L.R., No.3 Coy:
With reference to your letter of the 23rd August, I shall be glad to know if you have had information ... the above...  The Red Cross Socy .. on the 4th inst., that they had information from Pte. S. J. Brown (18492) Batt: Bomber 20th Div. 12th King's Lpool, No.2 General (Quai) Havre, that he last saw Charnock wounded + in a shell hole between Ginchy + Guillemont - I take it Brown himself was wounded and in No.2 General Hospital, Havre. Could you please give me his present whereabouts.
Yours faithfully
Jas B. Porter
Military Rep."

Edward's service record includes a signed statement from November 1916 by Pte. S.J. Brown, 3rd K.L.R. (but referring to D. Charnock) as follows:

"I was present in the Support trench on the Somme on August 8th 1916.  Sergt. Wild was in charge of a Machine Gun on my left, and Pte. Charnock was with this party, in the trench known as Dummy Trench. Sergt. Wild, Pte. Charnock, Pte. Blanchard, and four others were killed outright by a shell."

His Red Cross enquiry card records a statement on 03/11/1916 by Sgt. H. D. Gates (Sgt. 13081 Henry David Gates, 1/8th K.L.R., captured at Guillemont on 08/08/1916 and held at Minden POW camp), according to which Cpl. Charnock (E), 1st Batt. (sic), was taken prisoner.

(Cpl. 23780 David Charnock of Newtown, Wigan, 1st Bn. K.L.R., was captured at Guillemont on 08/08/1916 and survived the war.)

It is not known how much of this misleading information was communicated to Edward's father, perhaps giving him false hope that his son had survived.  Eleven months after he was declared Missing, on 03/07/1917 the Army Council officially accepted Edward's death as having occurred on or since 30th July 1916.

Edward'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".

Edward earned his three medals.

His outstanding Army pay and a War Gratuity of £3 went to his father James. No pension card has been found, indicating that his father made no application.

Edward is also remembered on the following Memorials:

Cenotaph in Rainhill

St Anns Rainhill

All Saints Church

Edward is also commemorated on the family grave in St Bartholomew’s Churchyard where the gravestone inscription gives his date of death as 31st July 1916.

ALSO EDWARD, ONLY SON OF
       JAMES AND ELIZABETH CHARNOCK,
WHO WAS KILLED IN ACTION ON THE SOMME
          JULY 31ST 1916, AGED 21 YEARS

His father died on the 2nd April 1924 at the age of 76, leaving an estate of over £30,000(over £2m today), and bequeathing various sums to Catholic institutions in Rainhill. 

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