Pte 21940 Thomas Ackerley

• Age: 25
• From: Rochdale
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• K.I.A Friday 28th January 1916
• Commemorated at: Cerisy-gailly Mil Cem
  Panel Ref: II.D.28

The early life of Thomas is recorded quite comprehensively on the Childrens’ Society website and is given the Case No. 3967. There are several documents and letters in his file but the names of his immediate family have been redacted. In essence Thomas was illegitimate, and after his mother (Jane) married he was boarded out to live with two women (possibly a mother and daughter). His mother died of consumption [T.B.], date unknown. His stepfather, J.xxx of Travis Street, Manchester, continued to pay 4/- pw for his board but Thomas was found very neglected and starving by the NSPCC, for which Mrs xxx was convicted and was fined 20/-. He was in Salford Hospital at the time the application was made to transfer him out, and in September, 1893 he went to the Rochdale Home. In December, 1902 he went to work for a hairdresser, a Mr. D. Holbrook, Milman Road, Oldham, but as he was unsatisfactory was returned to Rochdale in February 1903. He left the Home at end of March 1903. 

His mother Mary Jane(nee Warrington) Ackerley was born in Timperley, Cheshire in 1857, and on the 1881 Census she appears at the Altrincham Union Workhouse, Bexton Road, Knutsford. She is a 24 year old domestic servant and is with her children Herbert, born 1877, and Annie, born 1879. 

Thomas was baptised on the 22nd January 1889 at St John the Baptist Church, Nether Knutsford, Cheshire. His mother was Jane Ackerley, a single woman of the Workhouse, Nether Knutsford. 

The 1891 census shows Thomas Ackerley, aged 2, born in Knutsford, an inmate in the Altrincham Union Workhouse, listed with his brothers, Harry, 9, born in Knutsford, and Frank, 4, born in Altrincham. Their mother, known now as Jane Ackerley, is single, aged 32, and a laundress.  

There is another note in his file that he was baptised on the 15th August 1894, his original baptism must have been missed.   

The 1901 census finds Thomas in the Diocesan Boys Home at 43 St. Albans Street, Rochdale. age 13, place of birth ‘not known’.  If this is the same Thomas Ackerley, the reason for his move to Rochdale is not known. 

On enlistment, Thomas states his occupation as steward.  The following crew lists show Thomas Ackerley, born Rochdale, except for two entries -

1911 age 21, Ivernia, 112 Empress Road, Liverpool

1911 age 22, Saxonia, 112 Empress Road - name crossed out, did not join ship

1912 age 22, Carmania, 71 Victoria Road, Seacombe (born Liverpool)

1912 age 23, Ivernia, 112 Empress St, Edge Hill (born Manchester)

1912 age 23, Carmania, 37 Linacre Lane, 3rd class waiter (address of Henry Lowe, steward in 1911)

1912 age 24, Carmania, 71 Victoria Road, Seaforth crossed out, Seacombe 

(Although these are Cunard Line ships, the name Ackerley does not appear on the Cunard WW1 Memorial.) 

On his enlistment in Liverpool on 09^th November 1914, when he joined the 20th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 21940, he stated his age as 24 years, born in Rochdale and his occupation was steward. He was described as being 5’ 4 and a half inches tall, weighing 119 lbs, 35" chest with a fresh complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. He stated his religion as Church of England. Thomas gives his next of kin as his sister Eva Barker, 48 Farnworth Street, Liverpool. There are no births for an Eva Ackerley between 1860-1900; she cannot be identified. Eva’s name was crossed out and replaced with the name of Nellie Williams, 72 Ponsonby Street.  At this address in 1911 is Ellen Jane Williams, 41, born Toxteth, and her brother Thomas 48, born Bootle.  Like Eva, her relationship to Thomas cannot be ascertained.

The 1914 Gores Liverpool places a Mrs Jane Gaskin at 48 Farnworth St when Thomas enlisted in the KLR. His “sister” Eva Barker has not been traced and was probably just boarding there, maybe a sweetheart perhaps, working on the Cunard liners as well. 

Formed in November 1914 the 20th Battalion were originally billeted at Tournament Hall, Knotty Ash before on 29th January 1915 they moved to the hutted accommodation purposely built at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 20th 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 went to France in November 1915 and was killed in action on 28^th January 1916. His identity is fully confirmed by the file as a WW1 soldier in the 20th Battalion, King’s Liverpool Regiment. There is also a photo of him during training at Belton Park in 1915.  

The Battalion War Diary for 28th January 1916 records:

Maricourt. In the trenches.  During night of 27/28 the enemy had erected various small flags on and near his fire trenches. Enemy artillery very active all day.  Commenced shelling over Left Group at 5 a.m., Right Group at 7:30 a.m.  Fire, support, and communication trenches were heavily shelled in all groups at intervals during the day, a very heavy bombardment being directed on Left Group from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.  after which front line was little fired at.

MARICOURT village was shelled from 10:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.and intermittently from that hour till 11:30 p.m. the bombardment from 2 to 3:30 being the heaviest. It is estimated from the intervals between shells (when salvoes were not fired) and the number of hours the bombardment lasted [that] at least 5000 shells were fired on and over the subsector.

Casualties 2 O.R. Killed and 2 O.R. Wounded (at duty).   

Thomas was one of the Other Ranks killed. (The other O.R. killed in action was Cpl 22710 Edward Halewood.) 

On the 30th November 1916 Captain J. H. Nash wrote to the Manchester Diocesen Branch confirming the death of 21940 Ackerley. 

He was buried near to where he fell, in Maricourt Military Cemetery.  After the war when graves were concentrated, his body was identified by the cross on his grave and his khaki uniform, and he was reburied in Cerisy-Gailly Military Cemetery, Somme, where he now rests at II D 28. He was awarded all three medals.

Gailly was the site of the 39th and 13th Casualty Clearing Stations during the early part of 1917, and of the 41st Stationary Hospital from May 1917 to March 1918. The villages were then captured by the Germans, but were retaken by the Australian Corps in August 1918. Cerisy-Gailly Military Cemetery (originally called the New French Military Cemetery) was begun in February 1917 and used by medical units until March 1918. After the recapture of the village it was used by Australian units. The cemetery was increased after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the battlefields of the Somme and a number of small cemeteries including:- MARICOURT MILITARY CEMETERY which was at the South-East corner of the village, on the road to Clery. It was begun by French troops in December, 1914, and was known to the French by the name of Ferme Caudron. It was taken over by British troops in August, 1915, and used until July, 1916. It contained the graves of 887 French soldiers, 260 from the United Kingdom and six German.  The cemetery now contains 745 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 114 of the burials are unidentified and special memorials commemorate five casualties buried at Maricourt and Ste. Helene whose graves could not be found. The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

His Victory and British War Medals were returned, evidently his sisters could not be traced.  A War Gratuity of £4-10s was ‘unissued’.  No recipient for his Army Effects of £5-9s-4d is listed, nor is a pension card found, suggesting that Thomas had no dependents.  

Thomas' name was recorded on the Memorial Tablet at the Diocesen Boy's Home as reported in the Rochdale Times on the 31st October 1923:

DEDICATION OF MEMORIAL TABLET

At the second annual Old Boys' gathering at the Diocesen  Boys' Home in Castlemere Street on Saturday afternoon a memorial tablet was unveiled by Archdeacon Sale, in the presence of a goodly company to the lads who fell in the War and to the benefactors of the Home, The memorial, which has been placed in the vestibule of the Home takes the form of an oak panel on which are inscribed the words:-

"Rochdale Diocesen Boys' Home. Established in St. Alban's Street, 1891; Removed to Castlemere Street, 1913.

In proud remembrance of the lads of this Home who gave their all in the Great War 1914-19.

James W. Turner, Thomas W. Dean, Thomas Ackerley, Arthur Sunderland, Arthur Illidge, Alfred Moulson.

Legacies and donation of over £50 have been given by- 1911 Miss E. Tyler; 1918 Miss Crompton; 1922 Mr Grey; 1922 Alderman and Mrs Davidson.

In the centre of the panel there is a crest of the Homes representing the Church of Christ receiving the children in His name. In the original this crest is encircled with the motto:- "Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages." Alongside the panel was a wreath of white and bronze chrysanthemums. There are usually about 30 boys, up to the age of 16 in this Home, of which Mrs Johnson is the Matron. Archdeacon Sale is the chairman of the Local Committee. 

Grateful thanks are extended to Dave Bohl, one of the contributors to this site, who has been in touch with the Rochdale Trust and at the moment they have no record of the memorial, but are still looking. Dave is going to register it with the IWM.

Grateful thanks are extended to The Children's Society for permission to use the photograph of Thomas now shown on this website. 

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