2nd Lieut Laurence Anthony Prendiville

• Age: 22
• From: Birkenhead, Cheshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Tuesday 31st July 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

Laurence Anthony Prendiville was born in 1895 in Birkenhead and was the son of James O'Sullivan Prendiville and his wife Agnes Mary Monica (nee Austin), of 18 Radnor Place, Birkenhead, who were married in 1879 in Birkenhead.

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 18 Radnor Place Birkenhead. His  father James is aged 58, born 1853 in Castleireland, Co.Kerry and has no occupation listed. His mother Agnes is aged 57, born 1859 and also has no occupation listed. They have been married for thirty one years and have had ten children of which two had died. They still have three of their children living with them, Hannah aged 27, born 1884 no occupation listed, James Austin aged 25, born 1886 is a game and poultry dealer and Edward aged 18, born 1893 is a cotton brokers clerk.

Prior to the outbreak of war he was articled to Mr C. Edgar Finney of Messrs: Finney, Son and Sadler, Chartered Accountants, Liverpool.

He was a keen sportsman and played cricket for Egremont Cricket Club 2^nd XI.

Laurence's father died aged 59 in the September quarter of 1913.

Laurence enlisted in December 1915 serving with the Cheshire Yeomanry as a Sergeant and Musketry Instructor. He applied for and received a commission into the 7^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment and was serving in the 18th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as a Second Lieutenant when he was killed in action on the 31st July 1917 aged 22 during the Third Battle of Ypres.

18^th Battalion

On this day, before Zero Hour, the 18^th Battalion was part of 21^st Brigade and was to form up for the attack from trenches from the area of Sanctuary Wood to Observatory Ridge but it was dark and continually falling rain gave very poor visibility. The departure of the 21^st Brigade was delayed by heavy shelling.

The 18^th King’s began to move forward in the rear of the 2^nd Battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment who had been detailed as the left attacking battalion of the 21^st Brigade.

No’s 1 and 3 Companies of the King’s led the way followed by No’s 2 and 4. In Sanctuary Wood there was considerable confusion, as a result No.2 and No.4 Companies became separated from the others, and were moved over to the left flank towards positions known as Surbiton Villas and Clapham Junction in the direction of the 90^th Brigade.

No.1 and 3 Companies were soon in action with the enemy, and were for a time, held up against an enemy strong point. They pushed forward with their right on a trench known as Jar Row and their left on the tramway south of Stirling Castle. Advance along Jar Row was held up by the Germans who put up a fierce resistance and the party was forced to withdraw.

Another group of men from No.1 and No.3 Companies led by 2^nd Lieutenant Graham were being held up by another strongpoint which was south of Stirling Castle, which was eventually stormed and taken.  Not far away from this action,  an attempt, by other men of No.1 and No.3 companies, was made to penetrate a broad belt of uncut wire, but this was covered by Machine-guns which killed almost every man attempting to pass through the two gaps that were discovered.

The situation was similar with No.2 and 4 Companies, who had attacked along the wrong axis. Their advance was met with fierce opposition, and once all the experienced officer’s had been killed or wounded, all cohesion was lost, although some men did reach and cross the Menin Road at Clapham Junction.

By that time, the situation had become extremely confused, and the whereabouts of all four companies being unknown to Battalion Headquarters, urgent attempts were made to discover their locations. Eventually by mid- afternoon, it was established that the bulk of the companies, although all mixed together, were dug in the vicinity of Stirling Castle and by mid evening, the Battalion Headquarters moved forward to meet them.

During its time in the line the 18^th Battalion lost 7 officers and 76 men killed or died of wounds and 7 officers and 177 men wounded. They were relieved on the 2^nd August.

In a letter home, written 30^th July the day before he met his death – he said:

“Few of us will ever return tomorrow, and if God desires the supreme sacrifice, “Fiat Voluntars Tua” (Thy will be done).”

His death was reported in the Liverpool Echo on 09th August 1917:

"Killed In Action": PRENDIVILLE - July 31, (Feast of St. Ignatius), killed in action, aged 22 years, Second-Lieutenant Laus A. Prendiville, attached K.L.R. (late 8th Liverpool Irish), youngest son of Mrs. Prendiville and the late J. O. S. Prendiville (on whose soul sweet Jesus have mercy). R. I. P. 

It was also reported in the Birkenhead News on 11th August 1917:

Laurence's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Belgium.

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

Soldiers Effects to mother Agnes, brothers Joseph J., James A., Edward A. , sisters Hannah Hodgkinson, and Mary. His Pension record has no award but brother John Anthony was in receipt of one.

Laurence is also commemorated on the following Memorials:

Birkenhead War Memorial, Hamilton Square,

Liverpool Society of Chartered Accountants 

St Francis Xavier’s R.C School, Everton, Liverpool

Mount St Mary's College which reads:

THIS CHAPEL WAS BUILT TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN MEMORY OF MOUNTAINEERS WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR US IN THE WAR OF 1914-1918. MAY THEIR NAMES RECORDED HERE BE WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE. 

His mother died in Colwyn Bay on 18th April 1923, aged 69. 

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