Pte 16358 Richard Brandon Cheshire

• Age: 22
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Danzig Alley Cem, Mametz
  Panel Ref: Mem.7

16358 Private Richard Brandon CHESHIRE, 18^th Battalion KLR.

Richard Brandon (Dick) Cheshire was born in West Derby, Liverpool in May 1894, the youngest of eight children born to Samuel William Cheshire, and his wife Elizabeth (nee Roberts) who were married in Liverpool in1878. 

The 1901 Census shows the family are living at 46 Lorne Street, Fairfield, Liverpool. Dick is 6 years of age and is living with his parents and seven siblings. His father is shown as a 49 year old provisions merchant born in Rugeley, Staffordshire, whilst his mother is aged 50, and was born in Beaumaris, Anglesey. His siblings are listed as: William Brandon a 21 year old litho artist, John Samuel a 20 year old provisions clerk, Margaret Elizabeth aged 18, Thomas Harold 16, Frank 15, Gertrude Mary 13 and Albert 11. All were born in Liverpool.

By 1911 the family are still living at 46 Lorne Street. Dick is now a 16 year old student. His father, Samuel, is aged 49, still a provisions merchant, his mother Elizabeth is aged 60 and they advise that they have been married for 32 years and have had eleven children, eight of whom have survived.  His seven surviving siblings are also listed as; William Brandon 31 a lithographic artist, John Samuel 30 a provisions clerk, Margaret Elizabeth 28, Thomas Harold 26 a dental mechanic, Frank 25 a provisions clerk, Gertrude Mary 23 a milliner, and Albert 21 a lithographic artist.   

His mother, Elizabeth, died aged 61, in the September quarter of 1912. 

Richard enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool on the 02^nd September 1914, joining the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 16358. He gave his occupation as a clerk, and his age as 20 years and four months. He was described as being 5'8" tall, weighing 124lbs with a 34" chest and being of fair physical development. He was of a fresh complexion with blue eyes and brown hair. He stated his religion as being Free Church and noted his father as his next of kin.

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 crossed to France with his Battalion on the 07th November 1915 aboard the SS Invicta.

Dick was killed in action during the attack at Montauban on 01^st July 1916.

18^th Battalion Diary:

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. 

Dick was initially buried in Vernon Street Cemetery, Carnoy, his remains were lost probably through enemy shelling. He is now commemorated on the memorial in Dantzig Alley Cemetery British Cemetery, France.

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, including:-

VERNON STREET CEMETERY, CARNOY, in the valley between Carnoy and Maricourt, at a place called "Squeak Forward Position". 110 soldiers who died in July-October 1916 were buried here by the 21st Infantry Brigade and other units.

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.

Dick is also commemorated on the following Memorial:

Hall of Remembrance, Liverpool Town Hall, Panels 7 and 10 Left

Collegiate School, Shaw Street, Liverpool.

His father died, aged 75, in the September quarter of 1927.

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