L/Cpl 266905 Wilfrid Hall

• Age: 28
• From: Ilkley, Yorkshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Tuesday 31st July 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

Wilfrid Hall was born 1897 in Ilkley, Yorkshire, the son of John Thomas Hall and his wife Martha Eleanor Walker, who were married in 1895, the marriage registered in Wharfedale. He was baptised on the 20th June 1897 in All Saints Church the C of E parish church in Ilkley.

The four year old Wilfrid was living with his parents at the time of the 1901 census at 51 Wellington Road, Ilkley. His father was 29 and was born in Didsbury, he was working as a groom at the time. His mother was 36 and was born in Leeds. John’s mother Harriet was also living with them.

The 1911 census shows Martha was undecided whether she was married( which was crossed out) or widowed. This is because her husband was an inmate at Wixley Hospital, the Yorkshire Reformatory for Inebriates. Martha was living and working as a cook and domestic in the household of 55 year old Charles Stewart, a cotton broker. 14 year old Wilfrid was also living in the household and working as a page boy and there was also a housemaid 21 year old Lydia Gibson. The house was called Cross Mount and was at Aughton near Ormskirk. Charles Stewart was married with five adult children, four of whom were present in the house, also visiting was George Frederick Campbell Browne aged 27 and his brother Murdoch aged 22. George and Murdoch are recorded on the census as actors. A few years later Murdoch would be a Captain in the Royal Marine Battalion, be awarded a Distinguished Service Cross for gallantry in the Gallipoli Peninsula, but would sadly be killed at the Battle of Ancre on November 13th 1916.

Wilfrid enlisted in Bootle, Liverpool on the 01st July 1915 and was serving in the 18th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Lance-Corporal No 266905 when he was killed in action on the 31st July 1917, aged 28, on the first day of the Third Battle of Ypres, better known as the Battle of Passchendaele.

On this day, before Zero Hour, the 18th Battalion was part of 21st Brigade and was to form up for the attack from trenches from the area of Sanctuary Wood to Observatory Ridge but it was dark and continually falling rain gave very poor visibility. The departure of the 21st Brigade was delayed by heavy shelling.

The 18th King’s began to move forward in the rear of the 2nd Battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment who had been detailed as the left attacking battalion of the 21st Brigade.

No’s 1 and 3 Companies of the King’s led the way followed by No’s 2 and 4. In Sanctuary Wood there was considerable confusion, as a result No.2 and No.4 Companies became separated from the others, and were moved over to the left flank towards positions known as Surbiton Villas and Clapham Junction in the direction of the 90th Brigade.

No.1 and 3 Companies were soon in action with the enemy, and were for a time, held up against an enemy strong point. They pushed forward with their right on a trench known as Jar Row and their left on the tramway south of Stirling Castle. Advance along Jar Row was held up by the Germans who put up a fierce resistance and the party was forced to withdraw.

Another group of men from No.1 and No.3 Companies led by 2nd Lieut. Graham were being held up by another strongpoint which was south of Stirling Castle, which was eventually stormed and taken. Not far away from this action, an attempt, by other men of No.1 and No.3 companies, was made to penetrate a broad belt of uncut wire, but this was covered by

Machine-guns which killed almost every man attempting to pass through the two gaps that were discovered.

The situation was similar with No.2 and 4 Companies, who had attacked along the wrong axis. Their advance was met with fierce opposition, and once all the experienced officer’s had been killed or wounded, all cohesion was lost, although some men did reach and cross the Menin Road at Clapham Junction.

By that time, the situation had become extremely confused, and the whereabouts of all four companies being unknown to Battalion Headquarters, urgent attempts were made to discover their locations. Eventually by mid- afternoon, it was established that the bulk of the companies, although all mixed together, were dug in the vicinity of Stirling Castle and by mid evening, the Battalion Headquarters moved forward to meet them.

During its time in the line the 18th Battalion lost 7 officers and 76 men killed or died of wounds and 7 officers and 177 men were wounded. They were relieved on the 2nd August.

His death was subsequently reported in the Southport Visitor dated 18th May 1918:

Lance Corporal Hall was the only son of Mrs Hall of Southport. He was 28 years old and had three years service with the forces. He was an instructor in musketry for 18 months. Prior to joining the army he was employed at W J Pierce's, Chapel Street.

Wilfrid's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres in Belgium.

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.

Wilfrid is also remembered on the war memorial in Southport and in Ilkley at Christchurch on The Grove.

His Soldiers Effects were unissued, Pension went to mother Martha Eleanor, 17 Weld St, Birkdale, Southport. When she died, his father John was named as the recipient.

On the 1921 census father John is an inmate at the Boston Union Workhouse, Skirbeck Rd, Boston, Lincs.

Wilfrid’s mother, Martha, died aged 60 on the 24th March 1924 in Southport and was buried on the 26th March 1924 in Holy Trinity Churchyard, Wavertree, Liverpool, her address was 12 Pine Grove, Southport.

Wilfrid's Pension stopped upon the death in 1934 of father John back in Yorkshire, he was 62.

Grateful thanks are extended to GWF member "Ilkley Remembers" who assisted with this biography and sourced the photograph now on this site. 

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