Pte 15840 Cyril Clatworthy Passmore

• Age: 19
• From: Widnes, Lancs
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Danzig Alley Cem, Mametz
  Panel Ref: IX.R.1

According to his enlistment record Cyril Clatworthy Passmore was born in Widnes on 04th May 1895, although his birth was actually registered in Prescot in the March quarter of 1897. It is entirely possible he lied about his age when enlisting. He was the son of George Passmore and his wife Catherine known as Kate (nee Bailey).

His parents married on the 17th May 1893 at St. Michael's Church, Ditton, Lancashire. His father was a 26 year old chemical labourer of Ditton, father Thomas a farmer, whilst Catherine was aged 19 of St Ambrose’s, Widnes, father Michael a fitter. Cyril's second name Clatworthy was his maternal grandmother's maiden name. 

Cyril was educated at Simm Cross School, Widnes and when war broke out he was a booking clerk at Hough Green Railway Station in Widnes.

The 1901 Census shows the family living at Hale Road, Ditton, Lancashire. His father, George, is aged 30, born 1871 in Exton, Somerset and is a chemical labourer, whilst his mother, Kate, is aged 27, born 1874 in Widnes and has no occupation listed. They have one son Cyril Clatworthy aged 4, born 1897 in Widnes. Another child, Thomas Egbert was born in the September quarter of 1898 but sadly died in infancy in the December quarter of the same year.

The 1911 Census shows the family still living at Hale Road, Ditton, Lancashire. Cyril's father George is now shown to be aged 43 (year of birth now showing as 1868), still employed as a chemical labourer and his wife Kate is aged 37, and has no occupation listed. They have been married for seventeen years and have had two children of which one died. Their son Cyril Clatworthy is aged 14, and at school. They also have George’s father, Thomas Passmore, a widower aged 74, born 1837 in Minehead, Somerset and was shown as a retired iron ore miner.  

Cyril enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool on 01st September 1914 joining the 17th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 15840. Gave his age as 19 years 120 days, occupation clerk, height 5' 8", weight 131lbs, 37" chest, with a fresh complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. He stated his religion as Church of England. Father George, “Ingledene”, Hale Rd, Ditton is listed as NOK. 

He was billeted at Prescot Watch Factory from 14^th September 1914, he trained there and also at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 17th 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 sailed to France with his Battalion on the 07th November 1915 and he was a member of 16 Platoon, "D" Company.

Cyril was reportedly killed by shell fire about 2pm while he was bringing in wounded from the battlefield. In common with men of the 17th Battalion who were killed in action on 01st July 1916 he is officially listed as having died 1-2 July.

17^th Battalion Diary

3.30 am the Battalion in position in assembly trenches -Battalion frontage from Maricourt – Briqueterie Rd to 100 yards west of Maricourt – Montauban Rd – 1^st wave, 2 platoons of A Company on the right and 2 platoons of B company on the left. 2^nd wave remaining platoons of these companies. 3^rd wave C Company and 4^th wave D Company in parallel trenches at about 100 yards distance. 3^rd Battalion 153^rd French Infantry on our right and 20 KLR on our left. The Battalion’s objective was Dublin Trench from Dublin Redoubt exclusive to a point 400 yards west.

7.30 am – “Zero Hour”. The assault commenced, some shelling but very slight infantry resistance and little machine gun fire encountered, the work of our artillery having been very effective on the German trenches.

8.30 am – the objective was taken at 08.30 am the French on our right gaining their’s at the same hour. Lieutenant-Colonel B C Fairfax and Commandant Le Petit commanding 3^rd Battalion 153^rd Regiment arrived together in Dublin Trench. A and B Companies dug in almost 100 yards south of Dublin Trench which the Germans shelled intermittently all day hardly touching the new trench. Casualties up to 12 noon, Captain E C Torrey commanding C Company, Lt D H Scott commanding A Company and 2^nd Lieutenant P L Wright wounded 100 other ranks. Later in the day the 90^th Brigade took Montauban and the 20^th KLR captured the Briqueterie. Lt Scott died of wounds in a French hospital at Cerisy where Captain Mirascou commanding the left Company of the French also lay wounded. Perfect liaison existed between the French and ourselves the above two officers commanding respectively our right Company and the French left Company being in constant touch. Shortly after the attack commenced the Battalion Headquarters moved to a German dugout in Favieres Support under Briqueterie Road where Commandant Le Petit also established his H.Q. During the remainder of the day there was intermittent bombardment of Dublin and Casement and  Favieres Support trenches. Rations were brought up safely at night. Disposition of the Battalion – 2 Companies in Dublin and 2 in Casement.

The original place of Cyril's grave is recorded at N.E.Maricourt, Map Sheet 64c A.10.c.1.4. He now rests at Dantzig Alley British Cemetery, France. His headstone bears the epitaph:

"PEACE PERFECT PEACE WITH LOVED ONES FAR AWAY"

The village of Mametz was carried by the 7th Division on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, after very hard fighting at Dantzig Alley (a German trench) and other points. The cemetery was begun later in the same month and was used by field ambulances and fighting units until the following November. The ground was lost during the great German advance in March 1918 but regained in August, and a few graves were added to the cemetery in August and September 1918. At the Armistice, the cemetery consisted of 183 graves, now in Plot I, but it was then very greatly increased by graves (almost all of 1916) brought in from the battlefields north and east of Mametz and from certain smaller burial grounds. 

Dantzig Alley British Cemetery now contains 2,053 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 518 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 17 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 71 casualties buried in other cemeteries, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.

A local newspaper reported his death,

DITTON "PAL" KILLED WHEN COLLECTING THE WOUNDED

It was with deep regret that the news of the death of Private Cyril C. Passmore, who was killed in action on July 1st, has been heard in Ditton. Official notice was received from the War Office on Wednesday, but the sad news had already been sent by a chum now serving in the 17th Liverpools in France. He writes:
"The attack went off splendidly, gloriously, and we met with very little obstruction, and nearly all the Germans gave themselves up to their lives. It was not until their artillery opened fire on us that we realised any danger. It was about 2 o'clock on July 1st that my dear chum, who had been sent out with a party to collect the wounded, was hit by a shell and killed instantaneously.

Soldiers Effects to father George, Pension to mother Kate.

Cyril is also commemorated on the war memorial at St Micheal's Church, Hough Green, Widnes.

His father died 25th Februay 1927, aged aged 61 and his mother died in the June quarter of 1957, aged 83. 

His father's death was reported in the Runcorn Weekly News on the 04th March 1927: 

MR. G. PASSMORE, WIDNES.  

The funeral took place at St. Luke's Church, Farnworth, on Tuesday, of Mr. George Passmore, of Ingledene, Hale Road, Ditton, who passed away on the previous Friday. The Rev. J. M. (vicar of Ditton) conducted the service. The chief mourners were Mrs. Passmore, wife ; Mr. and Mrs. W. Baggeridge, Mr. and Mrs. E. Bailey, Mr. and Mrs. J. Hart, Miss Bailey, Mrs. Baguley, Mr. and Mrs. T. Weaver, and Miss Anderson.  

Cyril's name was remembered in the Runcorn Weekly News on the 29th August 1941: 

Another Widnes member of the Pals, Private C. C. Passmore was a victim of the heavy fighting a quarter of a century ago. He was an old scholar of Simms Cross School and prior to the war was a booking clerk at Hough Green Station. Joining the first battalion of the Liverpool Pals in August 1914, he went to France in October 1915. 

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