Pte 22868 William Ennis (Turton)

• Age: 21
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Monday 3rd September 1917
• Commemorated at: Torreken Farm
  Panel Ref: C.12

William Ennis who served under the name Turton (his CWGC record states, “Alias, see Ennis, the true family name”, and gives his age as 21.) was born on 03^rd October 1896 in Liverpool. He was baptised in St. Joseph’s R.C. Church, Liverpool, on 14th October 1896, his parents’ address given as 1/6 Cazneau Street. William's natural parents William Turton and Mary Murray had married on the 03rd August 1885 at St Silas' Church, Toxteth, Liverpool. William Turton was aged around 20 years and born in 1865. 

Other Turton births with mother’s maiden name Murray:  John Joseph 1886;  Margaret born on 22/9/1887, baptised C of E, died in infancy; Mary born on 19/06/89, also baptised C of E;  and David born on 13/12/91 baptised, like William, in St. Joseph’s R.C. Church.

Before William’s birth, in the 1891 census, his parents were living in Baptist Street, Islington, Liverpool, with children John and Mary, his father employed as a dock fruit porter.  His father was 25 and his mother 23, both born in Liverpool.

His mother Mary died aged 32 in June 1898 when William was one year old.

At the time of the 1901 census William Turton, 4 years old, listed as adopted son, is living with Eliza Ennis and daughters Mary E., 24, Elizabeth, 22, Margaret, 22, Ellen, 20, and Agnes, 18, at 33 Springfield, Liverpool.

However, William, age given as 2, also appears on the census with his widowed father, 35, a fish porter at the docks, at 1/6 Cazneau Street, and siblings John, 15, Mary, 12, and David, 9. It is probable that his father was unable to look after a one-year old whilst having to work and the child was fostered out.

In 1911, listed as William Turton Ennis, adopted son, still at 33 Springfield with Elizabeth Ennis, 62, born in Wexford, Ireland, four daughters and two female boarders.  Daughters Mary, Elizabeth, and Ellen work in a tobacco factory, and Agnes is a tailoress. 

The 1911 Census shows his father William aged 45 is in the Liverpool Workhouse and Infirmary Nurses House and Governors House at 131 Mount Pleasant, Liverpool. He is single and gives his occupation as a shop porter. 

William was educated at St Francis Xavier Roman Catholic School and was enrolled as Ennis.   

His adoptive mother Elizabeth Ennis died just before Christmas in 1912.

His father died in September 1914, aged 47. 

He enlisted on 09^th November, 1914 in Liverpool under his birth name of William Turton as Private 22868 in the 20th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment. He gave his age as 19 years and two months. He would have turned 18 years old the previous month and lied about his age in order to serve overseas. He gave his occupation as an upholsterer. He was described as being 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighed 110lbs, had a fresh complexion, blue eyes, red hair and gave his religion as Roman Catholic.He stated his  next of kin as his “sister Mary Turton”, 33 Springfield, St. Anne Street, later amended to foster sister Mary Ennis.

Formed in November 1914 the 20^th Battalion were originally billeted at Tournament Hall, Knotty Ash before on 29^th January 1915 they moved to the hutted accommodation purposely built at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 29th April 1915, the day before the 20th Battalion departed for further training at Belton Park, Grantham, William was posted to K.L.R. Depot but returned to the 20th Battalion two months later on 28th June 1915 whilst they were still stationed at Belton Park. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. 

He disembarked with his battalion at Boulogne on 07th November 1915.

On 24th October 1916 he was admitted with Trench foot to 96 Field Ambulance.

He was evacuated to England on 01st November 1916 on the Hospital Ship Cambria and admitted to the Ontario Military Hospital (16th Canadian General) in Orpington, Kent, on 02nd November 1916.  His medical record reports “pain in both feet shooting up to the thighs, feeling of pins and needles in soles of feet and toes, feet slightly swollen, fingertips numb. Nov. 6th developed acute tonsillitis, high white blood cell count, soles of feet peeled off”. He was discharged on 12th January 1917 and posted on 22/01/1917 to the 3rd (Garrison) Battalion.

He arrived back in France on 30th May 1917, to 24th I.B.D. at Etaples and was posted to the 11th Bn K.L.R before being transferred to the 18th Bn K.L.R on 16th June 1916, joining the battalion in the field on the 17th. He served in No.2 Company.

He was serving in the 18th Battalion when he was killed in action on the 03^rd September, 1917, during the Third Battle of Ypres. He had not yet reached his 21st birthday.

He now rests at Torreken Farm Cemetery No1, Whytschaete, Belgium. The Inscription on his headstone reads:

“ON HIS SOUL SWEET JESUS HAVE MERCY NEVER FORGOTTEN BY LOVING SISTERS”

Wytschaete was taken by the Germans early in November 1914, and was recovered by Commonwealth forces during the Battle of Messines on 7th June 1917, but fell into German hands once more on 16th April 1918. The village was retaken for the last time on 28th September.  The cemetery, begun by the 5th Dorset Regiment in June 1917 and used as a front line cemetery until April 1918, it contains 90 Commonwealth burials of the First World War and 14 German war graves.

William’s name appeared in a list of K.L.R. Killed in the Liverpool Daily Post on 08th October 1917.

In 1919 his foster sister reported that William had no living relatives (no parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, or siblings).

It has been difficult to trace his siblings with certainty. A David Turton of the right age, 13, (“found in Islington”) was admitted to the Liverpool Workhouse in August 1904 and discharged to father in September.

David Turton (however CWGC - son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Turton of 16, Ewart St., Edge Hill, Liverpool) was killed in action with the Manchester Regiment on 14/1/1915, effects and War Gratuity to sister Mary and brother John, Pte. 2305 Manchester Reg’t, also Middlesex Reg’t. This soldier, John Joseph Turton of Birchfield Street Islington, Liverpool, was awarded a disability pension in 1919.  John Joseph had a son he called David, who tragically died aged 19 in the May blitz in 1941 when the Holy Cross School shelter took a direct hit (125 people were killed).  It is not known what became of his sister Mary.

William earned his three medals, which, sadly, were returned;  the medal roll, showing 20th and 18th Bn KL.R., notes that William died intestate, no next of kin.

Correspondence in his service record notes that Miss M. Ennis had no legal claim to the medals of 22868 Pte. W. Turton.  She wrote to Infantry Records in July 1919 requesting the name and address of William’s next of kin; it is not known what response she received.  The medal index card shows an application for medals in 1923 by Mary Ennis.  His medals were retained by the War Office pending an application by a “blood relative” (note dated 24/09/23).  His medals were reissued in 1935 (to whom is not specified).  

Soldiers’ Effects shows that his Army pay and a War Gratuity of £13 were not disbursed, no next of kin.

The pension card for William Turton in the name of Miss Mary Ennis, foster sister, at 33 Springfield (later 81 Albany Road, Kensington, Liverpool) shows that she was awarded a pension of 3/- a week for one year from March 1918.

Personal items returned to Miss M. Ennis in March 1923 included 2 prayer books, 2 photos, 2 shoulder titles, disc, rosary beads with 2 emblems and a brass button. 

William is commemorated on the following Memorials:

St Francis Xavier’s R.C. School

Liverpool’s Hall of Remembrance, Panel 36.

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