Pte 51952 Frederick Arthur Deeley

• Age: 29
• From: Warrington, Cheshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Thursday 12th October 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Frederick Arthur Deeley was born in the June quarter of 1887 in Warrington and was the son of Frederick Alexander Deeley and his wife Emily Eliza (nee Meredith) who were married in 1882 at St Paul's Church, Warrington. 

The 1891 Census finds the family living at 52 Forshaw Street, Warrington. Frederick A. is three years old and lives with his parents and younger brother. His father, recorded as Frederic A. is a 28 year old joiner, born in Warrington, whilst his mother, Emily E. is 27 years old and was born in Daresbury, Cheshire. His brother Frank is 1 year old, born in Warrington in 1890. 

By 1901 the family have moved to 144 Longford Street, Warrington. Frederick A. is now a 13 year old newsboy living with both parents, four siblings and two cousins. His father is now 38 years of age and still a joiner, his mother is 37 years of age. His siblings are: Frank aged 11, Emily E. aged 8, Bertie M. aged 5 and Edith aged 3. His cousins are Ernest Deeely a 16 year old machine driller and Florence M. Deeley a 15 year old domestic servant. Also present is Eliza Meredith a 69 year old widow. 

His father died, aged 47, in the March quarter of 1909. 

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 83 Longford St Warrington. His mother, Emily Eliza is a widow, aged 48, born 1863 in Warrington. She advises that she had eight children, seven of whom have survived. All of her five children, declared in the household, were born in Warrington. Frederick Arthur is the eldest child and is aged 23, and his occupation is shown as a solicitors clerk. His siblings are shown as; Frank aged 21, born 1890 is a moulder, Elsie aged 18, born 1893, occupation box maker, Bertie aged 15, born in 1896 is an apprentice and Edith aged 13 born 1898 is at school. They have a Boarder Eliza Meredith aged 80, born 1831 in Liverpool.   

Frederick enlisted in Liverpool and the following report shows that he initially served in the Army Service Corps.

The photograph held on this site shows Arthur in the Glengarry of the Liverpool Scottish,  who were the 10th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment. At some point Arthur was transferred as he was serving in the 17th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 51952. 

He was killed in action on the 12th October 1916, aged 20, during the Battle of the Transloy Ridges which was part of the ongoing Somme Offensive.

17^th Bn War Diary:  Battle of Transloy Ridge –                                               

11-10-16 - Gird Trench/Gird Support – Battalion in front line and support trenches. British bombardment of enemy front line system commenced about midday.  Hostile shelling was intermittent throughout the day.

12-10-16  - Our bombardment continued. Enemy reply weak.  2.5 p.m. Zero hour. Attack on German front line system commenced.  Enemy wire was found to be uncut and attack was unsuccessful.  Hostile machine gun fire was very heavy and caused many casualties. Battalion H.Q. and Support Trench were heavily shelled throughout afternoon and evening. […] During this action all communication had to be carried out by runners and carrier pigeons as all wires were being continually cut by enemy shelling.

Casualties: 5 officers killed,  5 officers wounded, 38 OR killed, about 225 OR wounded/missing etc.

Graham Maddocks, in “Liverpool Pals” p.140, adds: “As the whistle blew, the 17^th Battalion left its trenches to move forward.  […]  As soon as the attacking waves left their trenches the enemy artillery began to register on them, and at the same time, the defending infantry commenced a murderous rain of fire.  […]  Although their numbers had been depleted by the British bombardment, they were trained and experienced soldiers, well dug in on high ground, and for the most part, looking out on uncut wire.  As such, it was virtually impossible for them to miss the City Battalion men struggling to advance in the mud towards them.   The 17^th Battalion, on the left, was particularly badly hit, as its portion of No Man’s Land contained a slight rise in the ground, and as the troops emerged onto it they were silhouetted against the sky and became easy targets.  Those on the left of the attack, who managed to avoid the hail of bullets and make it to the German wire, then found that it was totally uncut, and thus trapped, they too became easy targets, to be picked off almost at the enemy’s will.  It was hardly surprising that, seeing the first waves being wiped out, some of the following waves turned back and made for their start lines. These lines were now packed with other waves of troops, however, and the fleeing men added to the congestion already there, and became easy prey for the German gunners.  There is some evidence also, to suggest that at this stage, the British trenches were also being hit by their own heavy artillery shells which were falling short.”

His death was reported in the Warrington Guardian on 01st November 1916:

PRIVATE F A DEELEY

Mrs. E. Deeley, 83 Longford-street, Warrington has received official notification of the death in action of her son, Private Frederick Arthur Deeley, of the King's (Liverpool Regiment). Mrs. Deeley also learnt of her son's death from a comrade who had written stating that he had been killed by a shell. 

Private Deeley, who was 28 years of age, joined the Liverpool Scottish in October last year but was transferred to the King's (Liverpool Regiment) some time ago when at the front. He was for eleven years in the service of Messrs. H. B. White and Sons solicitors but at the time of enlisting was a member of the Richmond Gas Stove and Meter Co. Ltd. His early education was received at Hamilton-street, School and later at the Secondary School. 

Two younger brothers have "done their bit."  Sapper Albert Deeley of the Royal Engineers, has been on active service nearly two years, and Mr Frank Deeley, who has seven years service in the Territorial Army Service Corps. has been discharged as time expired after spending ten months at the front.  

Arthur'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.”

He was remembered on the first anniversary of his death in the St Helens Examiner on 13th October 1917 

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