Capt Arthur de Bells Adam (MC)
1885 - 1916

CPL David Wallace Crawford
1887 - 1916

Lce-Corpl John Joseph Nickle
1894 - 1916

Pte 17911 Morton Neill
1897 - 1916

Lieut Edward Stanley Ashcroft
1883 - 1918

Pte 24482 Tom Pierce Greenhalgh

Age: 25
From: Elland, Yorks
Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
K.I.A Friday 7th January 1916
Commemorated at: Cerisy-gailly Mil Cem
Panel Ref: II.E.4

Tom Pierce Greenhalgh was born in Elland, Yorkshire (just south of Halifax) in late 1890, the son of Thomas Pierce Greenhalgh and his wife, Elizabeth (née Anderson). His father from Heywood, Lancashire, and his mother, born in Sunderland, married in Yorkshire in 1883 and had eight children. Tom had four older sisters: Clara, Elizabeth, Ethel, and Norah, and a younger sister Mary, all born in Elland. The family had moved to Manningham, Bradford by 1896, where Jessie and Uriah (who died in infancy) were born.

Tom was baptised in St. Mary’s, Elland, on 18th February 1891, his father’s occupation listed as foreman, malster [brewing trade].

In 1891 the family is living at 27 Bankbottom, Elland. His father is 32, a foreman malster, mother is aged 30, children Clara 7 a scholar, Elizabeth 5, Ethel 4, Sarah A. 2, and Thomas is 4 months old.

His father died aged 39 in 1899 in Bradford, when Tom was 8 years old, and his eldest sister Clara died later that year, at the age of 16.

In 1901 his widowed mother Elizabeth, 40, with six children, is head of household at 132 Farfield Street, Bradford. Daughters Elizabeth E., 15, Ethel A., 14, and Nora, 12, are employed in the silk spinning mill as piecers. Tom is 10, Mary A. 8, and Jessie E. 4.

In 1911 his mother is living at 76 Beamsley Road, Manningham, Bradford, with daughters Lizzie 25, Ethel 23 and married, Norah 22, Mary 14, and Jessie 14. His mother is 50, a silk drum feeder in a silk factory, and all five daughters are also employed in a silk factory. Tom has not been positively identified the 1911 census, or on crew or passenger lists. However, a possible entry for him is John Thomas Greenhalgh, correct age 21 and place of birth Elland, Yorkshire, is found boarding with the Thistlethwaite family at 31 Cross St, Morecambe. He is single and a compositor.

What brought Tom to Liverpool is not known, but he enlisted in the city in January or February 1915 joining the 20th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 24482.

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 30th April 1915 the 20th 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.

Tom arrived in France on 07^th November 1915.

On 5th January 1916 the battalion marched to Suzanne, arriving at 7:15 p.m. The Battalion War Diary notes, “Roads very bad. In some places ankle deep in mud.”

The War Diary records -

“6th January - 9 a.m. Inspections by company commanders: Ammunition, Arms, Accoutrements, Gas Helmets, Field Dressings, and rubbing of men’s feet previous to going to trenches.

4 p.m. The battalion paraded to march to trenches to relieve the 1st Bn D.C.L.I. The relief commenced at 5 p.m. and was completed at 8:45 p.m. Night very dark. The section taken over was A.4 at Maricourt.

7th January - Three companies in trenches, 1 company in Reserve at Maricourt. During the day situation normal, at 9:15 p.m. a grenade attack was made in A.P.1 (trench 28) by a party of about 12 or 15 of the enemy. This attack was driven off with grenades and rapid fire. The enemy ran away to our flank and a party then left their trenches and advanced on the post. This attack was stopped by machine gun and rifle fire. In the morning there appeared to be 7 dead Germans in front of our wire. Our casualties were 1 killed and 3 wounded.”

Tom was the one soldier killed and was just the second of the Pals to be killed on the Somme. There would be many more.

His death was reported in the Liverpool Echo on 21st March 1916:

"Private T.P.Greenhalgh was the first member of the 4th Liverpool "Pals" to fall, being killed in action on January 7. He was single and prior to the war worked as a lino operator for a Liverpool firm. He was the only son of Mrs.Greenhalgh, of 76,Beamsley-road, Manningham, Bradford."

Tom was buried close to where he fell and, after the war when graves were concentrated, his body was exhumed, identified by his grave cross and khaki, and reburied in Cerisy -Gailly Military Cemetery, Somme, where he now rests. His headstone bears the epitaph:

"EVER REMEMBERED BY MOTHER AND SISTERS. HE DIED FOR US".

Gailly was the site of the 39th and 13th Casualty Clearing Stations during the early part of 1917, and of the 41st Stationary Hospital from May 1917 to March 1918. The villages were then captured by the Germans, but were retaken by the Australian Corps in August 1918. Cerisy-Gailly Military Cemetery (originally called the New French Military Cemetery) was begun in February 1917 and used by medical units until March 1918. After the recapture of the village it was used by Australian units. The cemetery was increased after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the battlefields of the Somme. The cemetery now contains 745 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 114 of the burials are unidentified and special memorials commemorate five casualties buried at Maricourt and Ste. Helene whose graves could not be found. The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

Tom earned his three medals.

Tom is commemorated on St. Luke’s Church panels, Manningham, now in St. Paul’s Church.

His mother Elizabeth received Tom’s Army effects, and a War Gratuity of £3. The pension card shows Mrs. Elizabeth Greenhalgh at 76 Beamsley Road, Manningham, and a pension of 15/- a week. She later went to live with her married daughter Jessie, Mrs. Olaf Reiersen, National Industri (electrical transformers), Brakerøya, near Drammen, Norway (Jessie had married Olaf Reiersen in 1918.) Elizabeth later returned to 62 Queen Street, South Bank, Middlesborough, Yorkshire. see https://byleksikon.drmk.no/national-industri/

In 1939 his mother, now aged 78, was living with her married daughter Elizabeth at 31 Success Cottages, Houghton Le Spring, Durham. His mother lived to the age of 93 and died in Durham in 1953.

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

Killed On This Day.

(110 Years this day)
Saturday 8th January 1916.
Captain Esdaile Frederick Burkett Wyatt (MID)
34 years old

(108 Years this day)
Tuesday 8th January 1918.
Pte 266894 William Hatton
19 years old