Pte 17347 William Gulland

 

In 1891 the family is living at 18 Newark Street, Walton.

The father John aged 42, is a printer and compositor who was born in Patricroft, and his wife Jane is aged 41 and was born in Whitehaven. They have seven children, Anne Jane aged 13 born in Kirkdale, their younger children were born in Walton, John Sewell aged 11, Joyce Christine 9, Bessie 7 and William aged  5 are all scholars, Alexander is aged 4 and Elizabeth is aged1.

William attended Arnot Street School from 1892 and left school in 1899 to work as an office boy.

 

The youngest son Alexander died in 1897, aged 11, and his eldest brother John died in 1899, aged 20, leaving William as the only surviving son.

In 1911 the family is still at 18 Newark Street.

The father, now aged 62, is a compositor, and his wife Jane is 61 with no occupation listed. They have been married for 34 years and have had 8 children of which three had died. At the taking of the Census, their children are all living at the home address, Ann Jane, 33, is at home, Joyce is 29, a confectioner, Bessie, 27, is a school teacher, William is 25, employed as an insurance clerk, and Elizabeth, 21, is a clerk in the writing paper trade.

 

 

 

William enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool on 31st August 1914, as Private 17347, 19th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment, giving his age as 29 years and 59 days, and his occupation as clerk.  By this time his family have moved, as he gives his next of kin as his father, John Gulland, at 9 Longmoor Lane, Aintree.  He is described as being 5’ 4” tall, weighing 117 lbs, with a sallow complexion, grey eyes and brown hair.  He gives his religion as Church of England.

Formed on 07^th September 1914 the 19^th Battalion trained locally at Sefton Park and remained living at home or in rented accommodation until November 1914. They then moved to the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 19th 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. He arrived in France on 7^th November 1915. His service record survives and shows - 

 

18/1/1916 to Field Ambulance, sick

20/1/1916 to Dressing Station, leg ulcers

29/1/1916 rejoined unit in the field

25/2/1916 sick, to F.A.

26/2/1916 admitted 21 Casualty Clearing Station, leg ulcers

26/2/1916 admitted 2nd Canadian General Hospital, Le Tréport, ulcer, left leg

1/3/1916 to England on Hospital Ship “Brighton”, lacerated leg 

2/3/1916 posted Depot

8/6/1916 posted 22nd (Reserve) Bn

1/9/1916 posted 3rd (Garrison) Bn

 

He returned to France on 03/10/1916 from Folkestone to Boulogne and was transferred to the 20th Bn K.L.R. on 19/10/1916.

 

Sadly, not long after William returned to the front, his mother died, in December 1916, aged  67.  She was buried with baby daughter Eleanor and sons Alexander and John in Anfield Cemetery.

 

01/5/1917 to 97 F.A., trench foot

02/5/1917 admitted 6th Stationary Hospital, trench foot, mild

03/5/1917 to 7th General Hospital, Etaples

09/5/1917 to 6th Conv Depot, Etaples

22/5/1917 to 5th Conv. Depot, Etaples

19/6/1917 joined unit in the field from Infantry Base Depot

 

William was wounded in action on 31/7/1917, the first day of Third Ypres, also known as Passchendaele.  He was admitted to 96 Field Ambulance, with a shr(apnel?) wound to the right knee, then to 2nd Canadian C.C.S.  

02/8/1917 to 4th General Hospital, Camiers, gunshot wound knee, severe

06/8/1917 to 6th Conv. Depot, Etaples, GSW right knee/thigh, severe

 

He was posted to the 18th Bn K.L.R. when 20th was disbanded on 7th February 1918, serving in 1 Company, 4th Platoon.

 

William was declared Missing between 21-28 March 1918 during the German Spring Offensive.

 

A Mr. M. Hughes, of 173 Melling Road, Aintree, contacted the International Red Cross requesting information on William, Missing and Wounded 24-28 March, but was notified in a reply dated 6th June 1918 that they held no records.  (M. Hughes had not been identified; possibly a comrade from the K.L.R.)

 

A year later, the family still had not received definite news. His eldest sister wrote to the Army on 22nd March 1919:

“Sir, As I have not received any official news about my brother, Pte. William Gulland, 1st Coy, 4th Platoon, King’s L’Pool Reg’t. (who has been missing since March 21-28, 1918) being killed, is there any hope that he is a prisoner, if not I should like a certificate of death.  My brother made a Will, which I understood him to say was left at headquarters.  Who shall I [...] to for it? Hoping to hear from you soon, Yours sincerely, Ann Jane Gulland.”

 

Infantry Records responded on 27th March:

“In reply to your letter of the 22nd inst. concerning your son the above named soldier, I am directed to say that it is regretted that no further information has been received in this Office and that he has not been traced as a Prisoner of War.  In these circumstances, and in view of the lapse of time, it is feared that the chance that he may be still alive is now small.  Every endeavor is being made to obtain complete lists of Prisoners of War, and if any information should be obtained you will be notified immediately. Regarding the Will of your son, please apply to War Office, giving the regimental number, rank, and name, from whom you will get the information required.  I am to express sympathy that it has not been possible to obtain any definite information concerning this soldier.”

 

His death was later presumed, for official purposes as having occurred on 28th March 1918, he was 32 years of age.

The Battalion Diary gives an insight into the chaotic events of the day

28^th March

At about 6am the enemy commenced to shell heavily the whole of the forward line and brought Trench Mortars and MACHINE Guns into action.

FOLIES was shelled and the area in the rear of the village as far back as LE QUESNEL.

Rations were received at dawn and parties were organised to carry them to the Companies on the right. Owing to the heavy fire, however, it was not possible to get them up.

Heavy fighting was in progress on the right from soon after dawn and at 8am the enemy was reported to be in possession of BOUCHOIR and progressing towards the BEETROOT FACTORY. About 10am  the 59^th Infy Brigade was notified that it was relieved by the French and the Battalions of that Brigade were at once withdrawn in the direction of LE QUESNEL.

At noon the enemy was bombarding the village and vicinity heavily and reports were received that he was in occupation of WARVILLERS on the left and ARVILLERS on the right.

The front line East of FOLIES continued to resist until about 2pm when the order was received from the 89^th Infy Brigade to the effect that the Battalions were relieved by the French and would withdraw at once to MEZIERES, where the men would be fed. Companies withdrew under some shelling and very heavy M.G. and rifle fire from the left , through K10 -K3 – North side LE QUESNEL to the main ROYE road and reorganised about D.29 c. The march from this point was conducted in good order despite the congested roads.

At MEZIERES it was decided to continue a rearward movement and the march was resumed via VILLERS-MOREUIL – MORISEL – ROUVREL, which village was reached about 7pm and the Battalion billeted. The men had marched 13 miles from the left position in good order and with practically no straggling. They were exhausted on arrival at ROUVREL, but in good heart.

Echelon ‘A’ of the Transport joined the Battalion at this village and the men were fed immediately on arrival. The night passed without incident.

William has no known grave and is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial in France.

The POZIERES MEMORIAL relates to the period of crisis in March and April 1918 when the Allied Fifth Army was driven back by overwhelming numbers across the former Somme battlefields, and the months that followed before the Advance to Victory, which began on 8 August 1918. The Memorial commemorates over 14,000 casualties of the United Kingdom and 300 of the South African Forces who have no known grave and who died on the Somme from 21 March to 7 August 1918.

The cemetery and memorial were designed by W.H. Cowlishaw, with sculpture by Laurence A. Turner. The memorial was unveiled by Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien on 4 August 1930.

 

He earned his three medals, which his sister Ann Jane signed for.

 

His sisters Annie, Joyce, Bessie, and Elizabeth received William’s Army effects and a War Gratuity of £20-10s.

 

The pension card in the name of his sister Ann Jane, at 9 Longmoor Lane, Aintree, shows that a pension of 9/- a week was  awarded from December 1918.

 

In 1919 his father provided information on William’s living relatives. Ann Jane, 41, Joyce, 37, Bessie, 35, and Elizabeth, 30 were living at home, at 9 Longmoor Lane, with their father.  They are still at the same address on the 1931 electoral register.  

 

His father died in 1933, aged 84.  He is buried in Kirkdale Cemetery, with daughters Joyce, Ann Jane, and Bessie, who all died in the 1930s.  William is remembered on the headstone -