Sgt 15934 Harold Eyden

• Age: 23
• From: Earlestown
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Peronne Rd Cem Maricourt
  Panel Ref: II.B.28

Harold (Harry Howard) was born in Earlestown in the March quarter of 1893, the son of Harry Eyden and his wife Jane (née Hill). His parents married in Stafford in 1883 and had nine children, three of whom died young. Harry had older siblings Grace, Fred, John (Jack), and Cicely, and a younger brother James.  Mary, born in 1887, Robert 1894, and Dorothy 1896, died in infancy..

The 1901 Census shows 8 year old Harry is living at 13 Windle Street, St Helens with his parents Harry, aged 47, who is a railway official (mineral agent), born in Stoke Bruerne, Northamptonshire and Jane aged 44 born in Stafford. He has five siblings in the household: Jane Elizabeth (16), Frederick Samuel Eyden (14), Jack F. Eyden (11), Cicely Isabel (9), James White Eyden (6).

In September 1906, at the age of 13, Harry enrolled in the Liverpool Institute School, and attended the school through 1907, the family’s address then Deane Villas, Prescot Road, St. Helens.

Harry was mentioned in the Liverpool Echo on 16th October 1909: 

DEFINITIONS. 

We award our prize of a "Post and Mercury" Fountain Pen to the following :- 

DEFINITON OF AN ACTOR. " One who works when playing and plays when working." Harry Eyden, Prescot Road, St. Helens.  

By the 1911 Census the family have moved and are resident at Deane Villas on Prescot Road, St Helens, which is an 11-room house. His father Harry, aged 57 and a native of Northamptonshire, had been married for 28 years to Jane, who originated from Stafford. Harry was an Accountant for Coal Tolls and was for many years the manager of the minerals department of the London and North Western Railway in St. Helens.  The children listed on the records are Grace, 26, and Frederick Samuel Eyden (24), both born in Rugby, Jack F Eyden (21), born in Huddersfield, Cicely (19) and Harry (18), both born in Newton-le-Willows, and James White Eyden 16, born in St Helens. Frederick Samuel Eyden and Jack F Eyden were both Clerks on the railways while Harry worked as a clerk for BI & HC Ltd in Prescot. 

Shortly after the 1911 census brothers Frederick and Jack emigrated to Canada and settled in Winnipeg. Both served in the militia before the war.

His mother died in the June quarter of 1914, aged 57, and was buried in Christ Church, Eccleston, St. Helens.

Harold enlisted under the name Harry on 01st September 1914 in Liverpool and gave his age as 21 years and seven months and his occupation as a clerk. He was described as being five feet eleven and half inches tall, weighed 137lbs, 38" chest, with a fresh complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. He stated his religion as Church of England and gave his next of kin as his father Harry at Peel Villa, Prescot Road, St. Helens.

Harry was billeted at Prescot Watch Factory from 14^th September 1914, he trained there and also at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 17th 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.

29.12.14: Appointed unpaid Lance Corporal.

5.4.15: Appointed paid Lance Corporal.

7.11.15: Promoted to Corporal to complete establishment and embarked for France with his battalion. 

15.7.16: Appointed acting Sergeant.

Harry's service record shows qualification: Grenadier.

He was serving in the 17^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Sergeant 15934 when he was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 23, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive.

17th Battalion Diary 30th July 1916

The Battalion was in support to 19 & 20 Battalions K.L.R. 2 Coys. behind 19th & 2 Coys. behind 20th. Very thick mist. The attack was pushed home to the objective in places but in the main was held up by machine gun fire from hidden machine guns.

Fighting continued all day swaying backwards and forwards until by 6pm about 300 yards in depth had been gained & consolidated all along our front.

Casualties in the 17th Battalion were 15 Officers and 281 Other Ranks

Further details are reported in more detailed by Everard Wyrall in his book The History of the King’s Regiment (Liverpool) 1914-1919 Volume II 1916-1917

The 17th King’s had advanced (two companies each behind the 19th and 20th Battalions) in small columns. They too suffered heavily from machine-gun fire and were quickly absorbed into the waves that preceded them. They also shared the gains and losses of that terrible day.

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. 

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.   

He was reported as killed in action in the Liverpool Daily Post on 12th September 1916: 

Killed. 

King’s(Liverpool Regiment) Eyden, 15934, Acting-Sergt. H. (St Helens); 

Harry was buried close to where he fell. The CWGC Graves Registration form shows Unknown British Soldier of the Liverpool Regiment No.45934 (sic).  After the war when graves were concentrated, his body was exhumed and identified, and reinterred in Peronne Road Cemetery, Maricourt, France.

Maricourt was, at the beginning of the Battles of the Somme, the point of junction of the British and French forces, and within a very short distance of the front line.  The Cemetery, originally known as Maricourt Military Cemetery No.3, was begun by fighting units and Field Ambulances in the Battles of the Somme in 1916, and used until August 1917; a few graves were added later in the War, and at the Armistice it consisted of 175 graves.  It was completed after the Armistice by the concentration of graves from the battlefields in the immediate neighbourhood and from certain smaller burial grounds.  There are now 1348 casualties commemorated in this site, of which 366 are unidentified.

In November 1916 his father was notified there were no personal effects to be sent. However, Harry’s small book (Army Form B.50) was returned to father in 1918. He also received Harry’s Army pay and a War Gratuity £11-10s.  

A pension card has not been found, indicating that Harry had no dependents, or that his father did not apply for a pension.

In 1921 the Army requested the assistance of the St. Helens Police in tracing Harry’s next of kin. After making enquiries, they informed Infantry Records that his mother had died and his father had left St. Helens about twelve months ago and was believed to be residing at 28 Harboro Road, Kingsthorpe, Northampton.

Harry earned his three medals, which his father signed for.

His loss was not the only grievous loss to hit the family as two brothers were killed in 1917:

His brother Frederick Samuel enlisted in December 1914, and was wounded in the summer of 1916. He was killed in action on 09th April 1917 serving as CSM A/20049 with 16th Battalion Canadian Infantry. He left a widow and an infant son. 

He now rests at Ecoivres Military Cemetery, Mont St. Eloi, France where his headstone bears the epitaph:

“IN LOVING MEMORY OF FRED EYDEN KILLED AT VIMY SADLY MISSED BY WIFE & BOY”.

Fred's death was reported in the Liverpool Echo on 04th May 1917: 

ST. HELENS CANADIAN KILLED. 

News has been received at St. Helens that Regimental Sergeant-Major Fred S. Eyden, Canadian Scottish, was killed on April 9. He was the eldest son of Mr H. Eyden, who was for many years manager of the mineral department of the London and North-Western Railway at St. Helens. Sergt.-Major Eyden went to Canada in 1911, being engaged with the Canadian Northern Railway until war broke out. His wife is the second daughter of Mrs. Burdekin, Clifton-terrace, St Helens, and leaves a son.  

His brother James White Eyden enlisted on 03rd November 1914 and arrived in France in August 1915.  He was killed in action on 03rd May 1917 serving with the Household Battalion as Trooper 125. He was initially declared Missing, his death later presumed to have occurred on 3rd May 1917. 

He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Arras Memorial in France. 

His brother Jack enlisted in February 1916, served as a Serjeant in the 100th Bn. Canadian Expeditionary Force and fought on the Western Front.  Jack was the only brother to survive the war; he died in Winnipeg in 1958.

Harry is commemorated on the following memorials - 

Liverpool Institute

British Insulated and Helsby Cables Ltd., Prescot 

Harry and James are both commemorated in Christ Church Parish, Eccleston, St. Helens, and on the St. Helens Memorial.

Their father died in 1934, at the age of 80, living at 28 Harborough Road, Northampton. 

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