Pte 17443 Vincent Michael Power

• Age: 27
• From: Forest Gate, London
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Guillemont Rd Cem
  Panel Ref: III.M.6

Vincent Michael Joseph Power was born in 1889 at Forest Gate, London, the son of Vincent Joseph Power and his wife Katherine Mary (née Cregan or Creegan) and known as Katie. His parents married on the 28th December 1886 at St Saviour’s R.C. Church, Limerick. Vincent was custom officer, a resident of London, father Patrick deceased, a merchant, whilst Katherine Mary Cregan was a resident of The Squares, Newcastle West, Limerick, father Michael J. a merchant. They had six children. 

Not long after their marriage the couple moved to the West Ham area, as all their children were born in England. Vincent had an elder sister Bernadine, a younger sister Kathleen and younger brother James Albert (who died at age 1). By 1897 his father’s work (Customs) took them to Gravesend in Kent, where Mary (May on some records), and Cyril Francis Joseph were born. All three daughters had the middle name Josephine. 

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 21 Woodstock Avenue, Redland, Bristol. His father Vincent Joseph is aged 54 born in Clonmel, Ireland in 1857 occupation shown as customs surveyor (civil servant), whilst his mother, Catherine Mary, is aged 51, born 1860 in Limerick, Ireland. They have been married for twenty four years and have had six children of which one had sadly died. Those listed on the Census are; Vincent Michael aged 21, born 1890 occupation apprentice tobacco manufacturer, May Josephine aged 13, born 1898 and Cyril Joseph aged 11, born 1900 are both at school and were both born in Gravesend, Kent. They have a domestic servant Mary Bade aged 18, born 1893 in Canning Town, London living with them. 

Vincent enlisted in Liverpool soon after war was declared in August 1914 and joined the 19^th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 17443.

Formed on 07^th September 1914 the 19^th Battalion trained locally at Sefton Park and remained living at home or in rented accommodation until November 1914. They then moved to the hutted accommodation 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. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. 

SDGW gives his residence as Bristol, but it appears that some time before the war Vincent moved to Liverpool, possibly to work in tobacco manufacturing, as his address on the probate record is given as 72 King’s Road, Bootle.

He served in No.1 Company and arrived in France on 07th November 1915, disembarking at Boulogne with his battalion.

Vincent was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 27, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive.

19^th Battalion Diary 30^th July 1916

MALTZ HORN FARM

BATTLE begun. ZERO hour 4:45 am. The Battalion reached its objective, but suffered heavy losses, and had to evacuate its position owing to no reinforcements.

Everard Wyrall gives details of the attack in his book The History of The King’s Regiment; 

"The 2nd Attack on Guillemont- 29th July 1916 the 89th Brigade the 20th King's were to attack on the right and the 19th on the left. During the evening of the 29th the night was dark and foggy when the Battalions moved off and the 19th with Lt Col G Rollo commanding, when passing the South east of the Briqueterie they were heavily shelled first with H E and then with a new kind of asphyxiating Gas shell which had curious results, at first it had no nasty effect but about 8 hrs later men began to fall sick with violent headaches and pains in the stomach. All ranks had to wear gas masks which in the darkness and mist made the going terribly difficult. It was indeed wonderful that they were able to reach their Assembly point at all. But they did and by 2.45 a.m. on the 30th July 1916 the Btn was assembled having suffered about 30 Casualties on the way up ready for the Zero hour at 4.45 a.m.

It is known that the two left Companies of the 19th under Capt. Dodd and Capt. Nicholson advanced in touch with the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on their left although they suffered many casualties from Machine gun Fire did not encounter many Germans and reached their final objective about the time allocated, beginning at once to dig in south of the orchard on the South east corner of Guillemont.  

On the left of the 19th the Scots Fusiliers most gallantly forced their way through Guillemont to the eastern side of the village but were soon overwhelmed by the enemy and few returned. 

At 8 a.m. finding that the village was not held the two left Companies of the 19th received no word from the rear or either flank believed themselves to be totally isolated so were forced to fall back and dig in, their position being untenable.

At midday the effective fighting strength of the 19th Btn was just 7 Officers and 43 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.

Casualties in the 19^th Battalion were 11 Officers and 435 Other Ranks 

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.    

Vincent was buried close to where he fell with a number of other Pals and Unknown British Soldiers.  After the war, when graves were concentrated, his body was removed and reinterred in Guillemont Road Cemetery, Somme, where he now rests. His headstone bears the epitaph:

 "R.I.P."

Guillemont was an important point in the German defences at the beginning of the Battle of the Somme in July 1916. It was taken by the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on 30 July but the battalion was obliged to fall back, and it was again entered for a short time by the 55th (West Lancashire) Division on 8 August. On 18 August, the village was reached by the 2nd Division, and on 3 September (in the Battle of Guillemont) it was captured and cleared by the 20th (Light) and part of the 16th (Irish) Divisions. It was lost in March 1918 during the German advance, but retaken on 29 August by the 18th and 38th (Welsh) Divisions.

The cemetery was begun by fighting units (mainly of the Guards Division) and field ambulances after the Battle of Guillemont, and was closed in March 1917, when it contained 121 burials. It was greatly increased after the Armistice when graves (almost all of July-September 1916) were brought in from the battlefields immediately surrounding the village and certain smaller cemeteries, including:-

HARDECOURT FRENCH MILITARY CEMETERY. The village of Hardecourt-au-Bois was captured by French troops on the 8th July 1916, and again by the 58th (London) and 12th (Eastern) Divisions on 28 August 1918. Five British Artillerymen were buried by their unit in the French Military Cemetery, in the middle of the village, in September 1916; and in 1918 the 12th Division buried in the same cemetery 14 men of the 9th Royal Fusiliers and two of the 7th Royal Sussex.

Guillemont Road Cemetery now contains 2,263 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 1,523 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to eight casualties known or believed to be buried among them.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.

He earned his three medals.

His Army pay and a War Gratuity of £8-10s went to his father.  No pension card has been found, suggesting that Vincent lived independently before enlisting, or that his parents did not apply.

Vincent died intestate, but probate was granted to his father in 1917.

His sister Bernadine married in 1914 but sadly died in 1916, aged 29. His mother died in Kent in 1929, aged 68, and his father a year later in Surrey, aged 73. 

Vincent is commemorated on the family gravestone in Arnos Vale Catholic Cemetery, Bristol;

                OF YOUR CHARITY

           PRAY FOR THE SOUL OF

        VINCENT MICHAEL POWER

        19TH KING’S L’POOL REGT.

KILLED IN ACTION AT GUILLEMONT

        JULY 30TH 1916, AGED 27

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