Pte 21714 George Stanley Muir Cole

• 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.

George Stanley Muir Cole was born on 12th October 1893 at Bankhall Street, Kirkdale, the son of Edward Cole and his wife Harriet (nee Robinson). His parents married on the 16th Sept 1889 at St Nicholas. Liverpool. Edward was a 26 year old barman of 25 Dale St, father Fernando a labourer, whilst Harriet was aged 26 of Harrowby St, father Edward deceased. The had five children, their first child, Amy Bertha, died at 10 weeks. Stanley had an elder brother and two younger sisters. He was baptised at St Peter's Church on 15th January 1894.  

The 1901 Census shows the family are living at 83 Bankhall Street, Kirkdale. This is the Royal Hotel. His father Edward is aged 37 and shown as a manager of a Public House. He was born in Kirkby in Furness, Westmorland in 1864. Stanley's mother was aged 37 and born in Birkenhead in 1864. Also present in the house are his siblings: Edward Robinson Ferdinando (named after his grandfather Ferdinando Cole) b. 1892, Harriet Sybil Elizabeth b. 1896, Hilda Mary Victoria b.1898. All of the children were born in Kirkdale. Also present in the property are Harriet Davies described as his father's Aunt, Sarah Robinson (niece) and two boarders who are both Bar men.  

Stanley attended the Collegiate School from 1905.   

The 1911 Census shows the family are now living at 83 and 85 Bankhall Street. Both parents are still present and are 47 years old, his father is still managing the Royal Hotel. Mother Harriet had been married 21 years, 5 children, 4 still alive. Edward, 19, is an architectural apprentice, Harriet is 15 and Hilda 13.  Also in the household is his aunt Agnes Ellen Robinson, 40, a domestic. Stanley, now 17, is shown as a clerk with a gas office.  

He enlisted in Liverpool on 09th November 1914 joining the 19th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 21714. He gives his age as 21 years and one month, and states he has no occupation.  He is described as being 5' 8" tall, weighing 139 lbs, 36” chest, with a fresh complexion, brown eyes and dark brown hair. He states his religion as Church of England and as next of kin his father at 83 Bankhall Street.

From November 1914 the 19th Battalion were billeted in hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 all four Liverpool 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 7th November 1915.

Whilst at Belton Park, on 14th June 1915, he overstayed his pass and was confined to barracks for 7 days, and no pass for one month.

On 18th June he was admonished for quitting defaulters parade without permission. (Defaulters parade was meant to reinforce military discipline and instil habits of routine in marginal or disorderly soldiers.)

Stanley was involved in the fighting on the Somme in July 1916. His battalion were held in reserve as a carrier battalion on 01st July 1916 during the successful capture of Montauban. They did however incur casualties on that day. Subsequent to this they were involved in clearing Tones Wood their action being between 10th -12th July. Once Trones Wood was cleared the attention was turned to the German held stronghold of Guillemont.

Stanley was part of the attack on 30th July 1916 which proved deadly. Almost 500 men were killed in action on that one day. Stanley was one of those killed in action on 30th July 1916, aged 22.

19th Battalion Diary 30th 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 30th 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 55th Division during the early hours of the 31st July.

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

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

His father sent a telegram on August 15th to Infantry Records in Preston:

"Have you had news of Pte. Stanley Cole 21714, 3 City Battn 19th Kings Lpool Regt very anxious no news for three weeks
Cole 83 Bankhall, Kirkdale, Liverpool"

Stan's body was not recovered from the battlefield or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and his name 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 01st 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.”

Liverpool Echo - Monday 21 August 1916 

KILLED IN ACTION. 

COLE - July 30, killed in action in France, Private George Stanley Muir (Stan) "Pals," second and dearly-loved son of Mr. and Mrs. E. Cole, Royal Hotel, Liverpool. 

 Father in Thy gracious keeping  

Leave me now our loved one sleeping.  

COLE - July 30, killed in action, Private Cole (Pals) - Deeply mourned by Connie and all at Ferndale-road, Waterloo.  

In February 1917 Stanley's personal belongings were sent to his father : 1 pair of field glasses in case.

The loss of Stanley was deeply felt by the family and his mother sadly passed away on 02nd March 1917 aged 53.

Liverpool Echo - Monday 05 March 1917 

COLE—March 2, at the Royal Hotel, 83 street, Kirkdale, Harriet, the dearly-loved wife of Edward Cole. Service at St. Paul's Church, Brasenose-road, Kirkdale, to-morrow (Tuesday), at 10.15 a.m. Interment at Anfield Cemetery at 11 o’clock. (Friends please accept this the intimation.) With Christ which is far better. 

His family placed a series of tributes to Stanley in the Liverpool Echo, on 30th July 1917 under the heading Lost At The Battle of Guillemont:

“In sad but loving memory of George Stanley Muir (Stan) Cole, (Pals), who was killed in action in France July 30, 1916, in his 23rd year, the second and dearly-loved son of Edward and of the late Harriet Cole, of the Royal Hotel, Bankhall, Liverpool. Dad, Brother, and Sisters.”

“In loving memory of G.S.M. (Stan) Cole, (“Pals”), killed in action July 30 1916, dear nephew of Mr. and Mrs. Macey, Edge Hill.”

“July 30, 1916, killed in action, aged 22, our dear nephew George Stanley Muir, 3rd “Pals”. Also March 2, 1917, our dear sister, Harriet, mother of above. – Mourned by all at 11 Northbrook Street.”

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

"In sad but loving memory of George Stanley Muir Cole (Pals), second and dearly-loved son of Edward and the late Harriet Cole, of the Royal Hotel, Bankhall, Liverpool, who was killed in action in France, July 30, 1916, in his 23rd year." 

"Killed in action, July 30, 1916, our dear nephew, George Stanley Muir, 3rd Pals. (Ever remembered by all at Northbrook Street; also Gladstone Road."

Stanley earned his three medals.

His father Edward received Stanley's outstanding Army pay and a War Gratuity of £7-10s. No pension card has been found, suggesting that either his father did not apply, or because Stanley was not working when he enlisted he therefore had no dependents.

In 1919 his father was still at 83 Bankhall with Edward 27, Harriet, 23, and Hilda, 21.

His father died after an operation on the 31st August 1923 at the age of 60 

Liverpool Evening Express - Saturday 01 September 1923 

COLE - Aug 31, suddenly after a serious operation, EDWARD COLE, Royal Hotel, Bankhall-street, Kirkdale. P.M. Walton Lodge, 1086, P.P.A., G.D.C., also Walton Chapter and Walton Mark. Interment Anfield Cemetery, Monday next at 4.15 p.m. No.2 section, Church of England. 

Liverpool Evening Express - Thursday 11 October 1923 

Mr Edward Cole, 83 Bankhall-street, Liverpool, licensed victualler, left gross estate £1943, net personality £350. 

Stanley is commemorated on the following Memorials:

Collegiate School Memorial on Shaw Street, Everton

St Mary with St Athanasius Church, Kirkdale but this was destroyed during the Blitz in the second world war
 
Hall of Remembrance, Liverpool Town Hall, Panel 11 Right

His elder brother Edward Robinson Ferdinando also served in the 19th Battalion as Private 21459. He was discharged to Commission on 21st February 1918. He survived the war and had a distinguished career. He was educated at Liverpool College and the University of Liverpool achieving a BArch, and FRIBA accreditation. He was a Senior Lecturer and Studio Instructor in Architecture from 1919-1949. Early in his career and before he enlisted he was a finalist at the British School at Rome 1913-1914 and following the war he was an Athens Bursar RIBA in 1932. He died on 26th September 1982 at Cirencester and we can only wonder what impression his younger brother, Stanley might have made.   

Stanley's military paraphernalia went up for auction in 2004: 

1914-15 Star (third initial given as 'N'), British War and Victory Medals together with Liverpool Pals silver cap badge with brooch fittings and scratched initials 'E.C.'; and a similar badge in bronze, all in good or very fine condition, £160-1130.

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