Pte 22488 Reginald Charles Mortimore

• Age: 21
• From: Seacombe, Cheshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• K.I.A Thursday 12th October 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Reginald Charles Mortimore was born in 1894 in Seacombe, Cheshire and was the son of Samuel George Mortimore and his wife Rachel (nee Turner) who were married in 1891 at Christ Church, Claughton. Samuel was a self employed house painter who had been born in Torpoint in Devon in 1866 and Rachel had been born in 1867 in Bebington. 

The 1901 census shows Samuel and Rachel living with their three children – Samuel George (known as George) aged 8, Reggie aged 6 and 1 year old Claude at 59 Brighton Street, Seacombe. 

The next census in 1911 records the family living at 4 Florence Road, Seacombe but without their son Claude who had sadly died aged 4 in 1903. 

Father Samuel is aged 45, still a house painter, mother Rachel is aged 44(married 20 years, 3 children, 2 still alive). Reggie’s brother George, aged 18, was working as an apprentice marine engineer and Reggie, aged 16, as a junior clerk in a shipping office. 

He enlisted in Liverpool on the 09th November 1914 joining the 20th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 22488. He is described in his enlistment papers as aged 20 years 1 month, born Seacombe occupation clerk, being 5’ 6” tall, 120 lbs in weight, 35” chest, and with brown hair and eyes and gave his religion as Church of England. 

Formed in November 1914 the 20th Battalion were originally billeted at Tournament Hall, Knotty Ash before on 29th 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.

3.4.15 - lost 2 days pay for absence 

18.8.15 - posted to 22/KLR 

28.10.15 - appointed unpaid L/Cpl 

8.3.16 - appointed paid L/Cpl 

3.5.16 - deprived of L/Cpl stripe for absence on parade 

17.5.16 - appointed paid L/Cpl 

13.6.16 - deprived of L/Cpl stripe for absence on parade 

26.7.16 - posted to 24 IBD 

27.7.16 - posted to 18/KLR at Etaples 

7.8.16 - posted to 20/KLR 

Reginald was killed in action on the 12th October 1916, aged 21, during the Battle of the Transloy Ridges which was part of the ongoing Somme Offensive.

According to the 20^th Bn War Diary, on 10th October 1916 the battalion marched from Dernancourt via Mametz to Bazentin Le Grand where it bivouacked for the night. The next day the battalion moved up to site for assembly trenches, arriving about 11 p.m., where it dug in two good trenches, Nos.1 and 2 Coys front and Nos.3 and 4 Coys in rear.

From the War Diary:

Near Eaucourt L’Abbaye.  12/10/1916. The 4^th British and 6^th French armies continued the attack. Zero 2.5 p.m.  The whole XVth Corps attacked […]  The attack of 89^th Inf Bde was carried out with 2^nd Bn Bedf Regt on right, 17^th Bn KLR on left, 20^th Bn KLR in support, 19^th Bn KLR in reserve.  Battalions attacked in four waves. On the departure of the attacking battalions Nos. 1 and 2 companies advanced, each in two waves, to garrison the front line trench vacated by 2^nd Bn Bedf Regt on right and 17^th KLR on left. On Nos 1 and 2 Coys vacating front assembly trench, it was occupied by two platoons of Nos. 3 and 4 Coys respectively, from rear assembly trench. As the assaulting waves left their trenches they were met by intense machine gun fire, especially on our left. The enemy also opened heavy barrages on our front support and assembly trenches. […] Capt. H. Beckett, commanding No.1 company, reached the front line with few casualties, but Lieut R.D. Paterson leading No.2 company was killed. His company also had few casualties. The assaulting battalions were held up by very heavy machine gun fire, and made little progress.  […] At 4.20 p.m. two platoons, No.4 Coy, under Cpl Brighouse, were sent up to reinforce the left, and No.3 Coy under Cpl Sutton followed at 4.45 p.m.  Battalion HQ moved up to front line at 4.55 and remaining two platoons of No.4 Coy moved up to join Cpl Brighouse. 

Casualties during action: 

Officers – Killed Lieut. R.D. Paterson, 2^nd Lieut G.L. Grennan, Wounded – 2^nd Lieuts A.E. Griffin, L.E. Mclean Hayes, C. Buttemer, Wounded Cpl g. Brighouse.

Other Ranks killed – 20. 

It had rained incessantly at the beginning of October 1916 and the ground was full of mud. In his book ‘The Liverpool Pals’ Graham Maddocks describes the day Reginald was killed.

It was obvious that the Germans knew an attack was coming and from which direction it would be mounted. On the evening of the 11th the 20th Battalion moved up the line and dug two deep assembly trenches behind the 17th Battalion’s position for the attack the next day. The 19th Battalion also moved into its reserve positions known as Flers Trench. Although the rain has stopped, the ground was like a morass, with all the natural vegetation destroyed, it was difficult to tell exactly where the objectives lay. On the afternoon of the 12th at exactly 2.05pm, the attack began along the whole Corps line, covered by the local batteries of the Royal Field Artillery which still had line of sight. As the whistles blew, the 17th Battalion left its trenches to move forwards, at the same time No.1 and 2 Companies of the 20th Battalion moved forward and occupied the trenches vacated by the 17th. As they too went over the top, No.3 and 4 Companies took their place and waited in their turn to follow. No.2 and 3 Companies of the 19th Battalion moved up to occupy the assembly trenches dug the previous night by the 20th.

As soon as the attacking waves left their trenches the enemy artillery began to register on them and at the same time the defending infantry commenced a murderous rain of fire. Those German regiments were trained and experienced soldiers, well dug in on high ground, and for the most part, looking out on uncut wire. As such it was virtually impossible for them to miss the City Battalion men struggling to advance in the mud towards them.

Brigadier-General F.C.Stanley wrote that the Battalions were also suffering casualties due to the short shooting of the British heavy artillery fire. “I know from practical experience that they were our own guns which were shooting, and which were causing us quite a considerable number of casualties. The fault lay at that time from the fact that the heavy gunners would not send their FOO’s (Forward Observation Officers) far enough forward, but were content to observe us from right back”

Some ground was gained that day, about 150 yards, the 20th Battalion were not relieved until 24 hours later causing the men to endure another day and night in the front line trench.

Reginald has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme.

The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916. 

On 01st August 1932 the Prince of Wales and the President of France inaugurated the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy. The inscription reads: “Here are recorded the names of officers and men of the British Armies who fell on the Somme battlefields between July 1915 and March 1918 but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.”

His death was reported in the Wallasey News:

Killed In Action

Private Reginald C. Mortimore, of the K.L.R., the second son of Mr and Mrs S.G. Mortimore, of 4, Florence Road, Seacombe has been killed in action. He attended the Higher Elementary School, New Brighton, and was a keen footballer and swimmer. He afterwards entered the firm of Messrs. W. Lowden and Co., Water Street, Liverpool. Second Lieutenant J.C. Muir writes:- “Dear sir, - It is with the greatest regret that I have to inform you that your son, Private R.C. Mortimore, of my platoon, is missing, believed to be killed. I am afraid I cannot entertain much hope from the inquiries I have made from the boys. He was a good boy and was an excellent soldier, well-liked by his comrades. They join with me in sending their deepest sympathy. I am sure you could not have wished him to have had a more glorious end than fighting for his country. I only hope, when it is my turn to go, if it be His will, that I may go doing my bit as your son did. I have been with my platoon for a bit now, and I am very fond of my boys, and your son was one of my favourites., as he was a nice clean boy, and every time I used to censor his letters to you I thought that he was very fond of his home and people, consequently I am sure you will feel his loss very much. I cannot say how sorry I am about it. Again I tender you my deepest sympathy.” Messrs. W. Lowden and Co., Water Street, Liverpool, write:- “Dear Madam, - It was with the greatest regret we received your letter this morning. Everyone in the office liked and esteemed your brave boy, and we looked forward to a bright future for him. He has died nobly, and we can only express the deep sympathy which we one and all feel for you in your sorrow. We think it may be some consolation to you that he has given his life in such a great cause.”

Liverpool Echo 2^nd Nov 1916 

MORTIMORE - Mr and Mrs Mortimore and Son desire to thank all their relatives and friends for their kind expressions of sympathy in their sad bereavement. 4 Florence Road, Seacombe.  

Liverpool Echo 26th Oct 1918 

MORTIMORE - In sorrowful but loving 24th birthday remembrance (October 26) of REGINALD CHARLES (Reg), Liverpool Pals, presumed killed in action, in France, October 12, 1916. 

The link will never sever,  

Mother's love and remembrance lives for ever. 

• Mother 4 Florence Road, Seacombe. 

Reginald is also remembered on the Wallasey Civic Memorial and the Wallasey Roll of Honour.

Soldiers Effects and pension to mother Rachel.

Reggie’s mother died aged 72 in 1936 

Deaths Sep 1936 

Probate 1936:- 

MORTIMORE Rachel of 4 Florence Road, Wallasey Cheshire wife of Samuel George Mortimore died 12 September 1936 Probate Liverpool 12 October to Samuel George Mortimore (the younger) marine engineer. Effects £908 11s 10d. 

His father died aged 72 on the 31^st Dec 1938 and was buried in Bebington Cemetery.  

His brother George was still living in 4 Florence Street at the time of the 1939 Register, he was a marine engineer and also an A.R.P. warden.

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