Pte 22813 John Porteous

• Age: 26
• From: Carlisle
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• D.O.W Tuesday 1st August 1916
• Commemorated at: Corbie Cc Ext
  Panel Ref: II.A.13

John Porteous was born in the fourth quarter of 1890 in Carlisle, the youngest son of James Porteous and his wife Jessie (née Livingston) who were married in 1881 in Canongate, Edinburgh. 

The 1901 Census shows the family are living at 47 Scotland Road, Carlisle. John's father, James is a 47 year old, born in Edinburgh, in 1854 and is a commercial traveller in drapery, his mother, Jessie is 44 years of age born in Glasgow in 1857, she has no occupation listed. They have three children in the household; Archie is a 14 year old draper's apprentice, William is 12 and John is 10. All three children were born in Carlisle. 

The 1911 Census shows the family are still living at 47 Scotland Road, Carlisle. His father, James, is shown as aged 54, born in Edinburgh in 1857 and is a commercial traveller in drapery, his mother, Jessie Wishart, born in Livingston is aged 55, born in Glasgow in 1856 and has no occupation listed. They have been married for 29 years and have had five children of which one died.  Three children are recorded in the household; James aged 24, born in 1887 he is a marine engineer and a resident of Glasgow, Scotland, William Matthew, is aged 22 born 1889 and is a apprentice joiner and John, is aged 20, born in 1891 is a drapers apprentice and both being born in Carlisle. 

He enlisted in Liverpool on the 17th November 1914, joining the 20th Battalion (No 3 Company) of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 22813. He gave his age as 24 years and 40 days and his occupation as a draper. He was described as being five feet eight inches tall, weighed 138lbs, with a 37” chest, had a sallow complexion with grey eyes and brown hair. He stated his religion as Presbyterian and as his next of kin, was his father, James, of 47 Scotland Road, Carlisle. 

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

He arrived in France on the 07^th November 1915.

07.11.15: Embarked for France with his Battalion.

30.07.16: Wounded in action (GSW to neck) and transferred to 5 C.C.S..

The 20^th 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 20^th Battalion were 16 Officers and 357 Other Ranks

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30^th 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 55^th Division during the early hours of the 31^st July. 

The events of 30^th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89^th 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. 

He died of wounds on the 01^st August, 1916, aged 26.

He now rests at Corbie Communal Cemetery Extension, France.

Corbie was about 20 kilometres behind the front when Commonwealth forces took over the line from Berles-au-Bois southward to the Somme in July 1915. The town immediately became a medical centre, with Nos 5 and 21 Casualty Clearing Stations based at La Neuville (the suburb across the Ancre) until October 1916 and April 1917 respectively. In November 1916 the front moved east, but the German advance in the Spring of 1918 came within 10 kilometres of the town and brought with it field ambulances of the 47th Division and the 12th Australian Field Ambulance. The communal cemetery was used for burials until May 1916, when the plot set aside was filled and the extension opened. The majority of the graves in the extension are of officers and men who died of wounds in the 1916 Battle of the Somme. The remainder relate to the fighting of 1918. The communal cemetery contains 249 First World War burials, the extension 918. The extension was designed by Charles Holden.

John earned his three medals.

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