Pte 21673 Charles Leslie Alsop

• Age: 22
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Charles Leslie Alsop was born on 02nd July 1894 at 12 Geneva Road, Fairfield, Liverpool. An announcement of Charles’s birth appeared in the Liverpool Mercury on 04 July 1894. Charles was baptized on 16th September 1894 at St. Philip’s Church, Liverpool. His parents were George Alfred Alsop a Pimlico, London born master tailor and his wife Annabella (nee Murray) who was Liverpool born. Annabella’s father and older brother were also listed as tailors in the 1881 Census. George and Annabella married in New Brighton on 22 February 1888 at St James' Church.

Their marriage was reported in the Liverpool Mercury on Thursday 23rd February 1888: 

MARRIAGES. 

ALSOP-MURRAY Feb. 22, at St James's Church, New Brighton by the Reverend J. F. Howson, vicar, George Alfred, eldest son of the late George Alsop of London, to Bella, youngest daughter of Alexander Murray of New Brighton and Tarleton Street, Liverpool. 

At the 1891 Census, the family were living at 44 Upper Parade, but by the 1892-1893 Liverpool Electoral Register, they had moved across the Mersey to 12 Geneva Road, Fairfield.

They had a total of 8 children: 4 boys and 4 girls and Charles Leslie was their fourth child. His elder siblings were George Alfred (b. 22 November 1888), Dorothy (b. March quarter of 1890), and Norah Kate (b. 02 June 1893), the first of the children born in Liverpool. After Charles, came a brother Frank, then twins Margery and Albert Edward and finally another sister Marion.

The 1901 Census shows 7 year old Charles and family at 12 Geneva Road, Elm Park, Fairfield. His father, George, is aged 44, listed as a master tailor, mother Anna B. is aged 39, children George Alfred 12 born in New Brighton, Dorothy 11 born in New Brighton, born in Liverpool are: Norah K. 8, Frank 4, Margery and Albert E. aged 1. 

In early 1908, the family lost their daughter and sister, Dorothy, aged 17. She was buried at Liverpool Cemetery on 22 January 1908.

The 1911 Census shows Charles, aged 16, a tailor's apprentice living with his parents and six remaining siblings, still at 12 Geneva Road, Elm Park, Fairfield. His father, George, is aged 54, a leather tailor, mother Anna Bella is aged 47. They advise that they ahve been married for 23 years, and have had 8 children, 7 of whom have survived. They have six children in the household; George Alfred 22 a tailor’s assistant, Norah Kate 18, Frank 14 at school, Margery and Albert Edward aged 11 at school, Marion 9 at school.  

On 11th April 1914 Charles was a witness to his elder brother George Alfred's wedding to Jessie White at St Philip's Church, Liverpool.

Later that year, on 25 September 1914, he enlisted in Liverpool joining the 19th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 21673. His occupation was recorded as a tailor's cutter, and he was described as being 5 Ft 8"tall, weighed 128 lbs, with a 37 inch chest, hazel eyes and dark brown hair. He stated his religion as Church of England and his next of kon as his father George Alfred, of 12 Geneva Road.

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. He arrived in France on 7^th November 1915.

Charles was killed in action during the attack on Guillemont on 30th July 1916, aged 22.

19^th Battalion Diary 30^th July 1916

MALTZ HORN FARM

BATTLE begun. ZERO hour 4:45 am. The Battalion reached its objective, but suffered heavy losses, and had to evacuate its position owing to no reinforcements.

Everard Wyrall gives details of the attack in his book The History of The King’s Regiment; 

"The 2nd Attack on Guillemont- 29th July 1916 the 89th Brigade the 20th King's were to attack on the right and the 19th on the left. During the evening of the 29th the night was dark and foggy when the Battalions moved off and the 19th with Lt Col G Rollo commanding, when passing the South east of the Briqueterie they were heavily shelled first with H E and then with a new kind of asphyxiating Gas shell which had curious results, at first it had no nasty effect but about 8 hrs later men began to fall sick with violent headaches and pains in the stomach. All ranks had to wear gas masks which in the darkness and mist made the going terribly difficult. It was indeed wonderful that they were able to reach their Assembly point at all. But they did and by 2.45 a.m. on the 30th July 1916 the Btn was assembled having suffered about 30 Casualties on the way up ready for the Zero hour at 4.45 a.m.

It is known that the two left Companies of the 19th under Capt. Dodd and Capt. Nicholson advanced in touch with the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on their left although they suffered many casualties from Machine gun Fire did not encounter many Germans and reached their final objective about the time allocated, beginning at once to dig in south of the orchard on the South east corner of Guillemont.  

On the left of the 19th the Scots Fusiliers most gallantly forced their way through Guillemont to the eastern side of the village but were soon overwhelmed by the enemy and few returned. 

At 8 a.m. finding that the village was not held the two left Companies of the 19th received no word from the rear or either flank believed themselves to be totally isolated so were forced to fall back and dig in, their position being untenable.

At midday the effective fighting strength of the 19th Btn was just 7 Officers and 43 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. 

Casualties in the 19^th Battalion were 11 Officers and 435 Other Ranks 

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.   

He was listed as wounded in the Liverpool Daily Post on Monday 11 September 1916: 

WOUNDED. 

King’s (Liverpools) - Alsop, 21673, C. L. (Liverpool); 

His mother put an appeal for information notice in the Liverpool Daily Post on Thursday 21 September 1916: 

RANK AND FILE MISSING. 

INFORMATION DESIRED.  

Mrs. Alsop, 12 Geneva-road, Elm Park. Fairfield, will be grateful for any information concerning her son, Private C. L. Alsop, K.L.R., who is reported missing.      

Charles' body was not recovered from the battlefield or was subsequently lost as he is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme at Pier 1 D 8B & 8C.

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.”

Charles earned his three medals.

His father George received his sons Army pay on 14 March 1917 of £6:2s:10d and a War Gratuity on 22 August 1919 of £8:10s. Pension records indicate that his mother, Annabella, was the specified recipient for a pension; however, it appears that the pension was refused, with final case notes made on the ledger on 11 June 1923.

Charles was remembered a year later in the Liverpool Echo on 30th July 1917, under the heading, “Lost at Battle of Guillemont”:

“In ever loving memory of Private Charles Leslie Alsop (Machine Gun Section, K.L.R. – Pals), who fell in the Battle of Guillemont, July 30, 1916. Sadly mourned by all at home and Brother Alf (wounded). – 12, Geneva Road, Elm Park, Fairfield.”

He was also remembered on the second anniversary of his death in 1918:

"Private Charles Leslie Alsop, K.L.R. (Pals), killed in action, July 30, 1916. Fondly remembered by all (Alf and Bert serving), and never forgotten by his loving Mother. - 12, Geneva Road, Fairfield."

Charles is commemorated in the Hall of Remembrance inside Liverpool Town Hall at Panel 16 Right.

Information regarding his elder brother Alf’s (George Alfred) service, referenced in the newspaper articles above, is unknown. His younger brother, Bert (Albert Edward), appears to have been in the Merchant Navy by 1929. There is also a WWI Medal Roll index card for an Albert Alsop (Pte 88843) of the King’s Liverpool Regiment; it is possible that it is the same Albert, although it cannot be verified.

In the years following the war, Charles’s family continued to live at 12 Geneva Road, Elm Park, Fairfield. Younger brother Albert Edward worked as a steward aboard various transatlantic vessels, the earliest record being from May 1927. Charles’s younger sister Margery married Percival Martindale in West Derby in the June quarter of 1927.

On the 1929-1930 Liverpool Electoral Register, parents – George and Annabella – and unmarried siblings Norah Kate, Margery, Albert Edward, and Marion are all listed at the Geneva Road address. Charles’s younger brother Frank, also unmarried, died in Warrington the September quarter of 1929, aged 32. He was buried on 02 September in Anfield (Liverpool) Cemetery in the same grave as his predeceased sister, Dorothy.

By the following year, according to the 1930-1931 Liverpool Electoral Register, the remaining family had moved to 5 Bigham Road. Around this time (18 November 1930), Albert permanently emigrated to New York, working as a steward on US vessels, as evidenced on his Declaration of Intent for US Naturalization, made on 16 August 1932, and Petition for Naturalization in spring of 1936. Records indicate that Albert may have served with US forces during WWII and could have been taken as a POW in China by the Japanese. It cannot be verified that it is the same Albert, but there are no records of anyone else of the same name.

Charles’s father, George, died on the 04th May 1933, aged 76, and was buried on 17th May alongside his predeceased children Dorothy and Frank in Anfield Cemetery.

Charles’s elder sister Norah Kate, died in the March quarter of 1937, aged 43. She was buried on 22 February in the same grave as George, Dorothy, and Frank. At the time of her death, she was living at 5 Bigham Road with mother Annabella and younger sister Marion.

Charles’s mother, Annabella, died in the September quarter of 1943, aged 80. She was buried on 20 July at Anfield Cemetery in a different grave than her predeceased family.

Charles’s remaining siblings, George Alfred, Albert Edward, Margery, and Marion died respectively in 1961 (Liverpool North), 1970 (New York), 1994 (Birkenhead), and 1966 (Liverpool North). Marion, never married, had continued to live at 5 Bigham Road and was buried alongside their mother, Annabella.

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