Lieut William Ashcroft

• Age: 36
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Friday 22nd March 1918
• Commemorated at: Savy Brit Cem
  Panel Ref: Roupy Rd Mem.68

William Ashcroft was born in 1881 in Liverpool the eldest son of Charles Wesley Ashcroft and his wife Alice Mason (nee Hutchinson) who were married in Liverpool in 1877. .

At the time of the 1891 census the family are living at 9 Derwent Square, Stonycroft, Liverpool.  William aged 9, Edward aged 9, Harold 6, Frederic 5, Alec Hutchinson 3 and Arthur aged 7 months. Charles Wesley Ashcroft was 39 and recorded as a miller, and his wife Alice was 38 (Alice was also the daughter of a corn miller). Also living in the household are Mary Lord, a 26 year old governess and Margaret Evans a 20 year old housemaid.

By the time of the 1901 census the family had moved across the River Mersey to 16 Waterford Road, Oxton, Birkenhead. Charles is recorded as a corn miller, Alice has had two more children: Robert who is now 10, and Alice aged 5. William is a Cambridge undergraduate, Edward is an office clerk in a corn millers, and Frederic and the rest of his siblings are at school. Also living in the household are Esther Lawrenson a housemaid aged 27, Pattie Wright aged 16 a childrens nurse and a kitchen maid Margaret Shone aged 15.

At the time of the 1911 Census, his parents are still living at 16 Waterford Road with four of their eight children (Alice has borne nine children but only eight had survived): William is now 29 and a solicitor, Edward 28 and a miller’s clerk, Arthur is an apprentice miller and Robert is 18 and still at school. The family have four staff: cook Annie Lawrenson, Kitchen maid Sarah Ann Hobson, housemaid Harriet Quayle and housemaid Nellie Anglesey. His brother Frederic is recorded as a visitor in the 1911 census, in the household of Clarence and Eunice Hackman in Godalming.

William was educated at Birkenhead School from 1896-1900, and as with his brothers he became a school prefect, Captain of the cricket team as well as playing for the school football XV team. After leaving school he went to Caius College, Cambridge, with a Classical Exhibition. William Ashcroft graduated with a B.A., in 1903, and then went on to gain his M.A.

On leaving university, he returned to Liverpool, where he studied law. He then served under articles with Messrs. Whitely & Co., Solicitors, of Liverpool. Eventually, he was admitted Solicitor, and stayed with the same company until 1910, when he became a partner in the firm of Dodds & Ashcroft ( later Dodds, Ashcroft & Cook ), Solicitors, of Liverpool.

William lived with his parent's at " Burwood ", 16, Waterford Road, Oxton, Birkenhead. ln his spare time he had played as a Forward, in the Birkenhead Park Rugby XV team, and for Cheshire. He also devoted a lot of time to social work in connection with the Wesleyan Church, and had been the Sunday School Superintendent at the Central Hall Mission, in Liverpool. Prior to this he had been Superintendent at the Sunday School Palm Grove Weslyan Church. He was also the Honorary Secretary of the Old Birkonian Society. For many years he played cricket for the Oxton Cricket Club, and had also been a member of the Prenton Golf Club, Birkenhead.

In September, 1914, he enlisted as  Private 15603 joining the 17th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment, and in 1915, having achieved the rank of Sergeant he took a commission in the 19th Battalion King's Liverpool Regiment. On the 7th November, 1915, he crossed to France with this battalion, serving as the 19th King's Adjutant during the Battle of the Somme, in 1916. Lieutenant Ashcroft went on to serve with his battalion until he was severely wounded in action on 9th April, 1917, which was the opening day of the Battle of Arras, and the same day that his younger brother, Second Lieutenant Frederic Ashcroft, was killed in action. At the time of his wounding, the 19th King's were in positions near Henin, to the south of Arras.

Lieutenant Ashcroft was invalided back to England, and on recovery, at his own request, he returned to his battalion in France, in January, 1918.

On 21st March 1918, following the German breakthrough at St Quentin, at 04.30am the German attack began with a rapid bombardment, and at 05.00am, the order’ Man the Battle Stations’ was given. The Battalion marched to Germaine and was then ordered to re establish the position in the front line of the Battle Zone itself, by counter attacking the Germans there. Having occupied defensive trenches, the Battalion was ordered to ‘Die or be Captured ‘as there was to be no retreat. 

On 22nd March, 1918, Lieutenant Ashcroft was killed in action, aged 36. At the time of his death, the 19th King's were dug in defensive trenches outside the walled graveyard of the village of Roupy, where they had been since 06.30 a.m. After relentless attacks throughout the day, the German's broke through at about 4.30 p.m., and killed or captured all of the men left defending the position. The rest of the 19th King's were forced to retire to the village of Fluquieres. During the action at Roupy graveyard, the battalion lost 11 officers and over 200 men killed, wounded or taken prisoner-of-war.

The CWGC Graves Registration form shows that William along with a number of others from the 19th Bn, was buried by the Germans, but after the war a Special Memorial was erected in Savy British Cemetery :  

“To the memory of these 68 British Soldiers, Killed in Action in March 1918, and buried at the time in the German Cemetery on the St. Quentin-Roupy Road, whose graves are now lost.”

The inscription on William's headstone reads:

“BY WAY OF THE CROSS HE WON THE CROWN CALLED TO HIGHER SERVICE”

His death was reported in the local press on 03rd April 1918:

ROLL OF HONOUR

Lieutenant William Ashcroft, who was killed in action on March 22nd, was 37 years old, and was the eldest son of Mr C.W Ashcroft of "Burford", Waterford Road, Oxton. He was one of six brothers who joined the army at the first call for men. He enlisted as a private and was subsequently given a commission in the King's Liverpool Regiment. He went to France with his regiment, and had seen much fighting. In one of the engagements he had been severely wounded and he had only just recovered and returned to France when he fell. Of the six brothers who joined up soon after the war started, two have now fallen, two are still fighting in France, one is with the Mesopotamia Force, and one has received his discharge from the Army 

William is also commemorated on the following memorials;

Hall of Remembrance inside Liverpool Town Hall at Panel 16 Left

Birkenhead School Chapel, and on a separate brass plaque in the same chapel

Birkenhead School Memorial Book

Prenton Golf Club

Oxton Cricket Club

Birkenhead Park Rugby Club.  

William was one of six brothers who served in the Great War and the second of three brothers to die serving as officers of the Pals Battalions. His youngest brother, Frederic, of the 18th Battalion, was killed in action at Arras, on 9th April 1917 in the same attack where William was wounded. His younger brother, Edward of the 17th Battalion died of wounds as a Prisoner of War in May 1918.

Their father Charles was made a Justice of the Peace in July 1918. An extract from the Birkenhead News on 27th July reads:

"Mr Charles Wesley Ashcroft of 16 Waterford Road, Oxton, Birkenhead is a partner in the firm of Messrs. E.Hutchinson and Sons, The Mersey Flour Mills, Burlington Street, Liverpool. Mr Ashcroft has been a leading member of the Palm Grove Wesleyan Church. He has not been an active participant in politics, although his sympathies are with the Liberal Party, but he has evinced an interest in local affairs. Mr Ashcroft in his leisure time is a keen golfer and angler. He has five sons serving their country, whilst two others have fallen during the war."

Edward's father died in 1925. Alice, his mother, made a contribution to Birkenhead School in memory of her three sons that had died in the war. The donation was to build some steps from the playing fields to the gymnasium which were finished in 1955. In 2020, The Old Birkonian Society Council organised a memorial to recognise her funding contributions and have placed a plaque in their honour by the steps. The Old Birkonian Society website has photos of the three men with a short biography of each, and photos of the steps and memorial. (obs.org.uk/news-1)

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