Pte 52121 Norman Garside

• Age: 21
• From: Manchester
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 23rd June 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

Norman Garside was born 15th March 1896 in Manchester and was baptised 20th May 1896 at the Wesleyan Methodist Church, Grosvenor Street, Chorlton-upon-Medlock, Manchester. He was the son of James and Margaret Garside (nee Brierley), of 267, Heald Place, Platt Lane, Rusholme, Manchester.

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 36, Hampden Street, South Manchester. His father, James, is aged 33, born in Manchester in 1868 is a packing case maker, his mother, Margaret, is aged 32, born in Manchester in 1869 with no occupation listed. Their three children were all born in Manchester. Their children are living with them at the time of the Census, Edith is aged 8, born 1893, James is aged 6, born 1895 and Norman is aged 5, born 1896.

His father James died 15^th April, 1906 and Probate on 21^st May, 1906 shows he left his estate of £439. 17s. 9d to his wife Margaret and Sarah Elizabeth Anthony (wife of John Anthony).

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 267 Heald Place Rusholme. His mother, Margaret, is a widow aged 42, born in 1869 and has no occupation listed. She had been married for 20 years to James and they had three children, all of whom are still in the houshold; Edith  is aged 18, occupation shop assistant (leather goods), James is aged 16 and is an apprentice to an engineering chain manufacturer and Norman is aged 15 and is a clerk in a packing case manufacturer.  

He enlisted in Manchester and served origianlly as Private 2577, of the Manchester Regiment and following a transfer he was serving in the 19th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 52121 when he was killed in action on the 23^rd June, 1917 aged 21 during the Somme Offensive. 

By June 1917 the 19^th Battalion was in the Ypres salient, in the front line south of Hooge.  On the 10^th the 19^th is relieved in the line and marches back to Brandhoek.  The Battalion War Diary for 23^rd June records:  

 “At night practically all the battalion were out on a working party digging an assembly trench and suffered casualties:  7 OR killed, 13 OR wounded, 1 OR missing.” 

Norman was one of the 7 other ranks the other's being George Ashbrook, Andrew Harron, Harold Hart, Harold Mathison, Frederick Owen and Joseph Spencer mentioned in the Battalion diary.the others being referred to in the diary.

His body was not recovered or was subsequently lost and he is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres.

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

He was reported as wounded and now missing in Weekly Casualty List on 28th August 1917.

Soldiers Effects and Pension to his mother Margaret

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