Unit/Regiment	2nd/23rd Bn, London Regiment
Date of Death	13/08/1918		Age at Death		21
Burial/Memorial & Reference	Lindenhoek Chalet Military Cemetery II A 1
CWGC Family Details (if shown)	Son of James and Ann Melia, of 15, Mill St., Prescot Lancs.
Census Details	1901 Census - Living at 5, Hill Street, Prescot, are James Melia (28), a coal miner, his wife Ann (26) and their children Ellen (8), Margaret (7), Mary (5), Edward (4) and James (2)
Birth/Marriage/Death Registrations
SDGW – Where Born	Prescot, Lancs	Enlisted		Liverpool	Resided	Prescot, Lancs
How Died	Killed In Action			Theatre of War	France & Flanders
Notes	Formerly 7047 RAMC
Research Ref. No.	P198

Service Details

Under the heading “This month, deaths in action”, the Parish Magazine of 24^th September 1918 reported “Lance-Corporal Edward Melia, 21, 23^rd London Regiment on 13^th August 1918 of 15, Mill Street”.

Edward Melia’s Medal Index Card

Edward Melia’s grave at Lindenhoek Chalet Military Cemetery

Unit/Regiment	17th Bn., King's (Liverpool Regiment)
Date of Death	12/06/1917		Age at Death		20
Burial/Memorial & Reference	Wimereux Communal Cemetery II M 5A
CWGC Family Details (if shown)	Son of Harold and Helen Mercer, of Prescot, Lancs
Census Details	1901 Census The family, comprising 5 year old George and his parents Harold (37, a watch wheel cutter) and Helen (35), lived at 9 King Street, Prescot
Birth/Marriage/Death Registrations	Birth registered Q3/1895, Prescot
SDGW – Where Born	St. Helens, Lancs	Enlisted			Resided	St. Helens, Lancs
How Died	Died of Wounds			Theatre of War	France & Flanders
Notes
Research Ref. No.	P311

Service Details

George Mercer’s Medal Index Card, shown below, reveals that he served with the Royal Army Medical Corps before transferring to the King’s (Liverpool) Regiment. He is also shown to have first served in the Balkans (Gallipoli), arriving there in March 1915. This must have been with RAMC, as the 17^th Battalion of the King’s did not see service in Gallipoli.

The date of his transfer to the 17^th Battalion is not known.

By early 1917, the 17^th Battalion  was in the thick of the fighting in the Ypres sector.  After this, they moved back to a rest area near Vaulx for a period of reorganization. By June, they were still in support, also carrying out training at Brandhoek.

The main action around this time was the Battle of Messines, and although the battalion were not directly involved in this, they were in the same sector, to the left. As such, they were constantly sending out patrols to try to get a clearer picture and intelligence. They were also subject to heavy enemy shelling and a small counter attack which was repulsed.

George Mercer will have been wounded in this period. He is reported to have Died of Wounds on the 12^th June and rests in Wimeraux Communal Cemetery.

 

George Mercer’s Medal Index Card shows that he first served in Gallipoli, presumably with the RAMC, before transferring to the King’s (Liverpool) Regiment and going to France

Unit/Regiment	9th Bn., Lancashire Fusiliers
Date of Death	12/08/1915		Age at Death		36
Burial/Memorial & Reference	East Mudros Military Cemetery II D 65
CWGC Family Details (if shown)	Son of James and Elizabeth Mercer. Born at Prescot, Lancs.
Census Details	1891 Census - The Mercer family lived at 9, Pottery Place, Prescot and comprised father James, a 50 year old Colliery Labourer, mother Elizabeth (43) and children Thomas (17), Jane (14), John (11), Ellen (9), Margaret (7) and William (3).
Birth/Marriage/Death Registrations
SDGW – Where Born	Prescot, Lancs	Enlisted		St Helens, Lancs	Resided
How Died	Died of Wounds			Theatre of War	Gallipoli
Notes
Research Ref. No.	P199

 

 

John Mercer’s Medal Index Card showing his arrival in Gallipoli on 11^th July 1915, less than a month before his death

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Unit/Regiment	12th Bn., King’s (Liverpool) Regiment
Date of Death			Age at Death
Burial/Memorial & Reference
Census Details	1891 Census - The Mercer family lived at 9, Pottery Place, Prescot and comprised father James, a 50 year old Colliery Labourer, mother Elizabeth (43) and children Thomas (17), Jane (14), John (11), Ellen (9), Margaret (7) and William (3).
Birth/Marriage/Death Registrations	Marriage to Elizabeth Mawdsley, Prescot, Q1/1917 followed by birth of a son, Charles E Middleton, Q4/1917, Prescot
SDGW – Where Born		Enlisted			Resided
How Died				Theatre of War
Notes	Won the Military Medal with 12 KLR. Transferred to 87982 Royal Defence Corps, possibly after being medically downgraded.
Research Ref. No.	P200

 

 

Charles Middleton’s Medal Index Card shows that he arrived in France on 25^th September 1915 and was entitled to the 1914-1915 Star, Victory Medal and British War Medal

 

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Unit/Regiment	1st Bn., King's (Liverpool Regiment)
Date of Death	28/01/1915		Age at Death
Burial/Memorial & Reference	Le Touret Military Cemetery II C 2
Census Details
Birth/Marriage/Death Registrations
SDGW – Where Born	Liverpool	Enlisted		Seaforth, Lancs.	Resided	Prescot, Lancs
How Died	Killed In Action			Theatre of War	France & Flanders
Notes
Research Ref. No.	P201

Service Details

It seems likely that William Moore was a reservist with the King’s and was called up to the colours on the outbreak of war.

The regimental history for the 1st Battalion states that they were quartered in Talavera Barracks in Aldershot in August 1914 and that mobilising the battalion took three days, all being "ready for anything" by 8th August. But then the reservists joined them and a further few days were spent in bringing these men up to date with items such as the new short rifle, which they had not used before.

Eventually, the battalion left Aldershot on 12th August at 6 a.m. and marched to Farnborough Station were they entrained for Southampton at 8 a.m. , arriving at 9.30. They embarked aboard the S.S. Irrawaddy and steamed away at mid-day, arriving it Le Havre at dawn the following day. Private Moore was not one of those who sailed with this initial force, and he in fact only arrived in France on 29^th November.

On first arrival in France in August, the battalion was in the midst of the fighting at Mons, and the retreat from there in late August, moving on to the Battle of the Marne in early September. It was at this point that the troops settled into what became know as Trench Warfare, digging in for the first time. The initial German assault had lost steam slightly by this time, and the regimental history records several days of inactivity. 

The battalion fought on the Aisne and also in a series of minor actions in the same areas between mid-September to mid-October, all of which led up to the First Battle of Ypres. This battle consisted of the Battle of Langemarck (21^st to 24^th October, followed by the Battle of Gehuvelt (29^th – 31^st October), with many smaller actions in between the two.

The battalion diary for the 1^st November finally recorded “All quiet during the night”. The German attempt to break through on to Ypres had been defeated and bloodily repulsed. The days now consisted of constant shell-fire and even without any set piece actions, the casualties continued to mount, with 17 men killed or wounded on the 1^st.

This continued daily, with the battalion forming the line along the southern edge of Polygon Wood. During the night of 10^th/11^th November, the signs indicated an enemy attack was forthcoming, with an extremely heavy German bombardment continuing throughout the night, lifting at 6 a.m. – this was the day of the Prussian Guard attack. When the shelling ceased at 9 a.m. twenty five battalions of the Prussian Army, some 17.500 men, moved forward on the Menin Road, faced by less than 8,000 allied troops including the 1^st Battalion of the King’s.

When the roll was called at nightfall, the battalion had lost 29 men killed and wounded, but had inflicted dreadful losses on the enemy.

The battalion spend their first winter in the trenches, being billeted at Locon on New Year’s Day 1915. They were now truly engaged in trench warfare, with grenades, trench mortars and shrapnel the greatest enemy. They went back into the line of 24^th January. On the 27^th, there was lots of German activity to mark the Kaiser’s birthday and this continued to the end of the month.

Private Moores was a victim of this trench attrition, being killed in action on 28^th January. He is buried at Le Touret Military Cemetery.

Prescot Reporter 14^th September 1917. It is noted that the last of the entries form his parents has his date of death incorrectly recorded. This is most likely the date on which they were actually informed of his death.

Unit/Regiment	8th Bn., East Lancashire Regiment
Date of Death	15/07/1916		Age at Death		20
Burial/Memorial & Reference	Pozieres British Cemetery III G 42
Census Details	1901 Census - This shows Henry, aged 5, to have been born in Whiston. At the time of the census, the family are living in Flemings Yard, Pemberton, Wigan. The family is Peter, a 33 year old coal miner, his wife Margaret (29), and children Annie (9), Peter (7), Henry (5) and Margaret (3)
Birth/Marriage/Death Registrations
SDGW – Where Born	Prescot, Lancs	Enlisted		Wigan, Lancs	Resided	Hettondowns, Durham
How Died	Killed In Action			Theatre of War	France & Flanders
Notes
Research Ref. No.	P202

 

 

 

 

 

 

Henry Moorfield’s medal Index Card shows that he arrived in France on 1^st August 1915, probably serving with the Manchester Regiment prior to transfer to the East Lancashire Regiment

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Unit/Regiment	Royal Army Service Corps
Date of Death	12/06/1920	Age at Death	42
Burial/Memorial & Reference	Prescot Churchyard NP 212
Census Details	1901 Census – James Morris was aged 23 and lived at 9, Cyprus Street with his 22 year old wife, Phoebe
Birth/Marriage/Death Registrations	Marriage to Phoebe Wellings registered Prescot Q4/1900, Volume 8b, Page 1150 Death Registered Prescot, Q2/1920, Vol 8b, Page 820
Notes	James Morris’ next of kin is listed on his Medal Index Card as his wife, Phoebe, of 16, Aspinall Street, Prescot. Its is possible that they had a daughter, Norah, born around the time of her father’s death in 1920.
Research Ref. No.	P203

 

 

 

James Morris’s Medal Index Card




James Morris's grave in Prescot Churchyard

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Unit/Regiment	1st/10th Bn, King's (Liverpool Regiment)
Date of Death	16/06/1915		Age at Death		30
Burial/Memorial & Reference	Menin Gate Panel 4 and 6
CWGC Family Details (if shown)	Son of William and Margery Ellen Morris, of Ellesmere House, Denton's Green, St. Helens, Lancs
Census Details	1901 Census – The Morris family lived at 10, Cowley Hill Lane, St Helens. William Morris, aged 54, was a Corn Traveller and lived with his wife, shown as Margery Esther (sic), aged 44 and children John Reginald (16, a Works Chemists Assistant), Emma Gertrude (14), Margery Ellen (10) and Gordon Gilbert Morris, aged 4.
Birth/Marriage/Death Registrations	Birth registered Q4/1884, Prescot, Volume 8b, Page 749
SDGW – Where Born	St. Helens, Lancs	Enlisted		Liverpool	Resided	Prescot, Lancs
How Died	Killed In Action			Theatre of War	France & Flanders
Notes
Research Ref. No.	P204

Service Details

John Morris was originally from 121 Swinley Road in Wigan. He enlisted in the 10^th Battalion King’s (Liverpool Regiment), known as the Liverpool Scottish, at Liverpool on 29^th August 1914, aged 28 years and 11 months. He was employed as an Analytical Chemist, was 5' 7" tall, weighed 142 lbs and had very good physical development. By this time, his address was Lyme Grove, Prescot, but his next-of-kin was shown as his sister, Margery, who still lived at Swinley Road in Wigan.

He embarked for France at Southampton on 10^th March 1915, arriving there the following day.

At the end of the 1^st Battle of Ypres in June 1915, the German trenches between the Menin Road and the Ypres-Roulers railway formed a salient. Behind their front lines lay the Bellewaarde Ridge and lake, giving the Germans good observation over the British lines. Early in June, it was decided to attack the salient and to try to gain possession of the ridge.

Several units were to be involved in the attack, with the Liverpool Scottish, part of the second wave. During the first wave, they were to move up into the line vacated by those troops involved in the first wave and then go on to assault the third objective, the south-western corner of Bellewaarde Lake.

At 4 p.m. on the 15^th June, the Liverpool Scottish moved into position in Railway Wood. About half an hour after midnight, the Germans launched a heavy artillery barrage on the trenches, resulting in several casualties both killed and wounded.

At 4.15 a.m. on the 16^th June, following a preparatory artillery bombardment, the Liverpool Scottish left their trenches and crossed No Mans Land. Without much resistance the first German line was captured, the many dead and wounded Germans clearly showing the effect of the preliminary bombardment. The battalion then moved on and cleared the second German line without too much difficulty, but now came under fire from their own guns!

The troops had been supplied with large red and yellow screens which they were to erect to inform the artillery observers of their positions. However they could not be seen and the artillery continued to target the German lines, not realising that they had been occupied by the British troops. Although the third German line at the lake was reached, they had to withdraw due to losing heavily from their own guns. In addition, the German artillery had now started to target the battalion and counter attacks were under way. There was a great deal of hand to hand fighting in which both sides lost heavily.

By 9.30 a.m., the battalion was back in the captured German second line where they remained until relieved just before midnight.

The operation had captured around 1,000 yards of German front line trenches at heavy cost. Of the 24 officers who went into the action, only three came away unscathed, including Lt. Noel Chavasse. The battalion lost 379 other ranks killed, wounded and missing, almost half of their strength.

Private Morris was one of those killed. He has no known grave and is remembered on the Menin Gate.

After his death, his belongings were sent to his sister Margery, who still lived at the Swinley Road address. She received these in October 1915. Margery, later married and now Mrs. Boardman, wrote to the Records Office on 12^th July 1922 stating that she intended to visit the battlefields, and asking for details of her brother’s grave location.  No details of any reply are recorded, and it is not clear if she went ahead with her planned visit.

Private Morris’s medal entitlement was recorded as the 1914-1914-1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal, as shown on the Medal Index Card below.

 

 

 John Morris’s inscription on the Menin Gate