A/Sgt 22507 Herbert John Padfield

• Age: 39
• From: Bristol
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Herbert John Padfield was born in Bristol in the June quarter of 1877, the youngest child and only son of John Padfield and Matilda Elizabeth (née Shellard), who married on the 0November at St Michael’s Church, Bristol. His father was born in Paulton, Somerset in 1843, the son of a carpenter, and his mother, the daughter of a pattern maker, in Bristol in 1841. They had six children. 

In 1881 the family is living at 11 Tumnell Street, Bristol. Herbert’s father is aged 40, a house carpenter, his wife Matilda is aged 38; his sisters Laura, 16, and Ada, 14, are listed as pupil teachers; Florence 12, Bessie 9, Kate 6, and Herbert, 4, are all at school. 

In 1891 the family are living at 11 Beaufort Street, Bristol. His father is a carpenter and joiner, his wife Matilda is at home, Florence, 22, is a tobacconist, Bessie, 19, is a school teacher, Kate, 16, is a boot machinist, and Herbert is 14 years old, listed as a school teacher (like his older sisters in the past, but unclear what this means, possibly some kind of tutor). His older sister Ada married Arthur Williams, a railway coach builder, in 1890 and went on to have three sons. At the 1891 census they lived at 82 Chaplin Road, St George, Bristol. The eldest sister Laura cannot be found in this census.

Herbert entered the acting field in provincial theatre and adopted the stage name Herbert de Ville. He appears in notices for stock companies in cities and towns all over England from 1899 (“Mr. Herbert de Ville was the personification of wickedness as the Malicious Monarch of Malignity”) up to 1913.

Herbert Padfield cannot be found on the 1901 census, but a Herbert de Ville, actor, age 24, born in Clifton (a Bristol suburb) is visiting Elizabeth Ridden, her daughter and uncle, at 26 Robart Street, East Stonehouse, Devon. Boarding in the household is Edward Ramsdale, 33, also an actor.

The 1901 census also find his mother separated from his father. His mother is acting as housekeeper to her two daughters Laura and Bessie who are both school teachers in a girls school in Ludlow. Her daughter Kate is a visitor in the home of her married sister Ada in Bristol. Herbert’s father is still a carpenter and is a lodger with a family in Bristol.

Herbert married  28 year old Elizabeth Ada Farmer in St. George’s, Everton, on 23rd April 1902, giving his age as 25, his occupation is erroneously given as architect, and his address as 5 Macmillan Street, Alban Parish, Rochdale (probably where he was currently appearing on stage). His wife has no occupation listed but she appears (as Ada Druce) in “The Stage” in various provincial theatre productions from 1901 to 1904. Their marriage was announced in ‘The Stage’ on 1st May 1902: “On April 24, 1902, at St. George’s, Liverpool, Herbert John Padfield (Herbert de Ville) to Elizabeth Ada Farmer (Ada Druce), eldest daughter of mariner Capt. J. Farmer, of Liverpool.”

When not engaged, Herbert’s availability was posted in “The Stage”, e.g., in February 1904 – “Disengaged, Mr. and Mrs. Herbert de Ville (Miss Ada Druce), Lead, Juv. Heavies, Stage or Bus. Mgt., 6 Long Lane, Aintree, Liverpool.”

The 1911 Census shows his mother living with sisters Laura and Bessie who were still both teachers at the girls school in Ludlow. Sister Kate is a housekeeper and living with her sister Ada’s family. Ada is also a teacher. Herbert’s father, described as a former carpenter, is in the Bristol Workhouse at Eastville.

There is an article showing Herbert as an actor in a company performing at a Theatre in Garston, Liverpool.

GARSTON

THEATRE ROYAL - Leasee and Manager, Mr D. Barnard. - The attraction here is The Silent House, a play by Mr Charles March, whose company playing the piece includes: Misses Sadie Grahame, Edie Macklin, Phillis Vaughan, Messrs Harry Lyndon, Herbert DeVille, G Gaisford, H.B. Warburton, F. Thorpe-Tracey, Jay Laurier, W. Allnutt and F.Watson.     

The Theatre Royal was opened on 03rd August 1896 having previously been known as The Garston Palace of Varieties Theatre, which closed in 1895.    

Herbert enlisted in Liverpool onthe 05th November 1914, as Private 22507, 20th Battlion of The, King’s Liverpool Regiment, giving his age as 37 years and 218 days and his occupation as actor. He was described as being 5’ 6 and a quarter inches tall, weighing 119 lbs, 34” chest, with a sallow complexion, brown eyes and dark brown hair. He stated his religion as Church of England, and his next of kin as Mrs. Elizabeth Ada Padfield, of 15 Fourth Avenue, Fazakerley, Liverpool. 

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 19th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. Herbert was appointed Acting Corporal on 25th August 1915 whilst at Belton Park. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. Herbert arrived in France on 7th November 1915 and was confirmed as Corporal on that day.

His posting to the front was announced in “The Stage” on 9th December 1915: “Cpl Padfield (Herbert De Ville), 8th Platoon, No.2 company, 20th Service Battalion, King’s Liverpool Regiment, British Expeditionary Force, France.”

On 22nd November Herbert was sent to 98 Field Ambulance with tonsilitis and rejoined his unit in the field on 26th. He was granted leave to the UK in May 1916, and appointed Acting Sergeant on 27th June 1916. On 1st July the Battle of the Somme began; Herbert survived that deadly month, which included the successful capture of Montauban and the attacks upon Trones Wood, until the 30th, when three Pals battalions were involved in the attack on the strongly fortified village of Guillemont. The attack failed, and this day became the blackest day of the war for the Liverpool Pals battalions and the City of Liverpool, with close to 500 men killed in action.

30th July 1916

The 20th King’s Battalion Diary records:

“At 4.45am prompt the attack was launched. Unfortunately, a thick mist prevailed and it was impossible to see more than 10 yards ahead. This continued until about 6 o’clock when it lifted slightly, but it was still too hazy and impossible to see what was happening 100 yards ahead. This being so, it was not surprising to find that the attacking waves were experiencing great difficulty in maintaining connection.”

At 6am, Lt. RE Melly, No.1 Company, reported that his men had taken the German Maltz Horn trench.

At 6.30am, 2/Lt. CP Moore reported that he had 150 men, 4 Stokes Mortars and 2 Lewis Guns, but he was the only officer. He also said that due to the fog, both his “flanks were in the air” i.e. he was not in contact with neighbouring troops.

At 9.10am, Moore was still not in contact at his flanks, and now he had only 75 men, he had sent out 2 patrols and neither not returned. Later Moore established communication with the French on his right.

Around 10.00am, 2/Lt Musker reported that he had just over a company with him, but his left flank was suffering from German machine gun fire. Later he reported that he had over 30 casualties from the machine gun fire. His flanks were also “in the air”. No contact was made with this party until the remnants returned around 9.30pm, all runners sent were killed or missing. The War Diary states that this group had: ”held the ground won all day, and this permitted the consolidation of the ground won on the Maltz Horn ridge with little interference from the enemy”.

Relief for 20/Kings had been planned for 11.00pm, but it was 5.00am on the 31st July before it took place, ending a tragic day for the Liverpool Pals.

Casualties for 20th Battalion were 16 Officers and 357 Other Ranks

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30th Division held a line from the railway on the eastern side of Trones Wood , southwards and including Arrow Head Copse, to east of Maltz Horn Farm. On this line the division was relieved by the 55th Division during the early hours of the 31st July.

The events of 30th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89th Brigade written by Brigadier General Ferdinand Stanley which gives an indication of the events of the day.

Guillemont

Well the hour to advance came, and of all bad luck in the world it was a thick fog; so thick that you couldn’t see more than about ten yards. It was next to impossible to delay the attack – it was much too big an operation- so forward they had to go. It will give some idea when I say that on one flank we had to go 1,750 yards over big rolling country. Everyone knows what it is like to cross enclosed country which you know really well in a fog and how easy it is to lose your way. Therefore, imagine these rolling hills, with no landmarks and absolutely unknown to anyone. Is it surprising that people lost their way and lost touch with those next to them? As a matter of fact, it was wonderful the way in which many men found their way right to the place we wanted to get to. But as a connected attack it was impossible.

The fog was intense it was practically impossible to keep direction and parties got split up. Owing to the heavy shelling all the Bosches had left their main trenches and were lying out in the open with snipers and machine guns in shell holes, so of course our fellows were the most easy prey.

It is so awfully sad now going about and finding so many splendid fellows gone.

Herbert was initially declared Wounded in Action on 30th July, but on 09th November 1916 was listed as Wounded and Missing in the  Liverpool Daily Post on Thursday 09 November 1916: 

It is not known when his widow was officially informed of his death. For official purposes, his death was later presumed on or since 30th July 1916. Herbert's body, like so many lost that day, was never recovered; he 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 children were 13, 10, and not yet two years old when Herbert was killed. His widow Elizabeth, living at Fourth Avenue, Fazakerley, received his effects of £8 3s 11d, war gratuity of £10 10s, and a pension of 28s 9d a week for herself and three children, from 23rd April 1917. Her address was later given as Ivy Villa, Rock Lane, Melling. Elizabeth was still living at this address in 1939, now aged 66, with daughter Dorothy, 33, an invoice typist, and son Herbert, 25, working in the chemical industry. His son John was married. 

Elizabeth never remarried, and died in 1963, aged 90. His son John also died in 1963, his daughter Dorothy in 1982, and son Herbert in 1993.

Herbert’s mother died in 1927, followed by his unmarried sister Bessie in 1930. Both deaths are registered in Long Ashton near Bristol, so possibly they lived together. His sister Laura was in her 70s when she married Henry Greenham, she died in 1955 at the age of 90. Sister Florence died in 1941, and his sister Ada died in 1957.

Herbert earned his three medals.

He is commemorated on the following Memorials:

Liverpool’s Hall of Remembrance, Panel 53

Emmanuel Parish Church, Fazakerley, Tablet and Screen (as J.H. Padfield).

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