Pte 21663 John Youde

• Age: 31
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Guillemont Rd Cem
  Panel Ref: III.N.4

John was born in the March quarter of 1885 the son of William Edward Youde and his wife Mary Ellen (née Whitfield) who were married in St. Peter’s Church, Liverpool on 17th February 1876. William was a 27 year old baker of Benledi Street, father Thomas a labourer, whilst Mary was aged 18 of Hawkin Street, father Robert a wireman(copper). William was born in Wrexham, Ellen, as she was called, was born in St. Helens. John was the oldest surviving son he had older sisters Emily and Elizabeth, and younger siblings William, Thomas, Lillian, Bessie, and Robert.  

The 1891 Census shows the family are living at 164 Arlington Street, Kirkdale. Father William is aged 41 employed as a Dock porter, mother Mary Ellen is aged 33, children at school; Emily 12, Elizabeth 10, John 6, William 3. Thomas is 1mth. 
 
By 1901 the family are living at 77 Lemon Street, Kirkdale. Father is aged 52, still employed as a Dock porter mother Mary Ellen is aged 43, children Emily 22, Elizabeth 20, John is now 16 and is employed as a mercantile office clerk, at school are William 13, Thomas 11, Lilian 6, and Bessie 3. Robert is 3. 

On 4^th March 1916 he was appointed Acting Sergeant “for the purpose of conducting draft”.

He embarked at Folkstone for France on the 08^th March 1916 and joined the battalion at Etaples the next day. He reverted to Corporal on the 18^th March for attempting to break out of camp and stating a falsehood to the Military Police.

On 29^th March he rejoined the 19^th Battalion and reverted to Private at his own request a month later on 18^th April.

John was declared missing on 30^th July 1916 during the attack at Guillemont.

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.   

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.

His siblings paid tribute to Jack with a notice in the Liverpool Echo on 30th July 1917, under the heading, “Lost At The Battle Of Guillemont”:

“In loving memory of our brother, Private Jack Youde, K.L.R. (Pals), who fell July 30, 1916, at Guillemont.”

(Adelaide gave birth to a son she named John – in 1918)

John is commemorated in the Hall of Remembrance at Liverpool Town Hall on Panel 30.

His widow Adelaide, then living at 22 Garibaldi Street, Everton, was awarded a pension of 15s per week. 

She remarried to Alexander Wilson in 1920, and on the 1921 Census at 32 Garibaldi Street, she is aged 29, with Doris Youde 7, John Youde 3, Margaret Wilson 1, and niece Amelia Manske 19. Alexander is not present. 

On the 1939 Register the family have moved to 3 Windsor Road. Alexander(b.1891) is a joiner, Adelaide(b.1891), Margaret M.(b.1920) with John and Kathleen Youde, now married. Adelaide died aged 78 in 1970. 

His daughter Doris married and had a family and lived next door to her mother for many years.

His mother lived to the age of 93, and died in 1941.

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