Pte 17353 John Edward Gerrits

• Age: 23
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

John Edward Gerrits was born on 15th July 1893 in Liverpool, the son of John Gerrits and his wife Elizabeth (nee Chapman). He was baptised in St. Peter's Priory on 23rd July 1893. His parents were both born in Liverpool and married in Toxteth Park in 1889. They had ten children, two of whom died in infancy. John had an elder brother George, and an elder sister Elizabeth (who died at 21 months), and younger siblings Winifred Paulina, Beatrice Catherine (who died age 5 months), Gladys Kathleen, Miriam, Conrad Pierce (Percy), and twins Lilian and Rose.

On the 1891 Census his mother was employed as a feather curler and living at home with her widowed mother and two sisters at 15 Dickinson Street. His father appears to be at sea, a crew record in 1890 sees him working on the steamer “Gregory”. 

At the time of the 1901 census the 7 year old John was living with his parents at 15 Dickinson Street in Liverpool. His father, aged 35, was a tobacconist and his mother, aged 32, was a Licensed Victualler, both working on their own account at home. John had an older brother called George who was 9, and three sisters – Winifred aged 6, Gladys 3 and Miriam aged 2.

The couple went on to have a son called Conrad Pierce (Percy) in 1902, and twin daughters Rosie and Lillie in 1904.

His father died  on the 05th August 1904 at the age of 38, and was buried on 7th August, just days after the birth of the twins on 01st August, leaving his mother with eight children under the age of 14.

Probate 1904:- 

GERRITS John of Dickinson Street Liverpool licensed victualler’s manager died 5 August 1904 Administration Liverpool 25 August to Elizabeth Gerrits widow. Effects £375 15s 6d. 

By the time of the 1911 census Elizabeth, 41, was a widow living with three of her children and a general servant at 15 Dickinson Street. George, 19, is an apprentice fitter, and Percy, 10, and Rose, 6, are at school.

Neither John nor his sisters Winifred or Lilian are found on the census.  Gladys, 13, and Miriam, 12, are in a Roman Catholic orphanage in Holywell, Wales.

John was educated at St Peter’s Catholic Institute, Seel Street, Liverpool and at St Francis Xavier’s.

Prior to the outbreak of war he was apprenticed to Robinson and Price of Pembroke Street who were motorbike manufacturers.

He enlisted on 01st September 1914 at St George's Hall in Liverpool joining the 19th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 17353. He served in No.1 Company. His war record shows that his trade was as a motor mechanic. He gave his age as 21 years and 60 days and is described as being 5' 4 and a quarter inches tall, weighing 120 lbs, 35" chest, with a fresh complexion, grey eyes, and brown hair. He stated his religion as Roman Catholic and hs mother as next of kin, at 43 Cleveland Square.

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.

He was seconded to work for Armstrong Whitworth & Co during the month of June 1915. They were a major British manufacturing company, in Elswick, Newcastle Upon Tyne. The company made automobiles, armaments, and later aircraft (becoming Armstrong Siddeley).

Whilst training at Grantham, on 07th August 1915 he was admonished for absenting himself from parade. At Larkhill on 02nd October 1915 he was absent without leave from tattoo until 6:30 p.m. on 4th October, for which he was confined to barracks for 8 days and forfeited 3 days' pay.

He sailed for France with his Battalion on 07th November 1915.

On 26th January 1916 John was awarded 7 days' Field Punishment No.2 for having a dirty rifle and equipment.

He was sent to 98th Field Ambulance, sick, on 03rd February 1916 and rejoined his unit on the 09th.

On 15th June 1916 he forfeited 4 days' pay for losing anti-gas appliances.

He was killed in action on the 30th July 1916, aged 23, 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. 

John was initially reported Missing and his name appeared in the list of K.L.R. Missing in the local press on 18th September 1916.

His body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France.

The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916.

On 01st August 1932 the Prince of Wales and the President of France inaugurated the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy. The inscription reads: “Here are recorded the names of officers and men of the British Armies who fell on the Somme battlefields between July 1915 and March 1918 but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.”   

Sadly, John’s brother Percy had died in Liverpool earlier in 1916, three months before John, aged just 14.

John’s death was reported in the Liverpool Echo on 11th August 1916:

ST FRANCIS XAVIER’S OLD BOY. 

"News has been received of the death of Private John Gerrits, 43 Cleveland-square, of the "Pals. He was twenty-three years of age, and received his education at St.Peter's, Seel-street, Catholic Institute and St.Francis Xavier's. He joined the "Pals" at the outbreak of the war, previous to which he was serving his apprenticeship with Robinson and Price, Pembroke-st". 

His mother posted a notice, also in the Liverpool Echo on Friday 11 August 1916: 

KILLED IN ACTION. 

GERRITS – July 30, killed in action, Private John Gerrits, (“Pals”), 43 Cleveland Square. R.I.P. (Deeply regretted.) - From his loving Mother, Brother and Sister. 

News of his death was reported in the Liverpool Daily Post on Tuesday 01 May 1917: 

PREVIOUSLY REPORTED MISSING, NOW  

REPORTED KILLED.  

King’s(Liverpools) - Gerrits, 17353, J. E.; 

He earned his three medals.

His mother received John's outstanding Army pay and a War Gratuity of £8-10s. No pension card has been found.

In July 1917 his mother was informed there were no personal effects of John's to be sent.

In the Liverpool Echo, on the first anniversary of his death, 30th July 1917 under the heading Lost At The Battle of Guillemont, his family paid tribute to John: 

“In loving memory of John Gerrits, Liverpool Regiment (Pals), who fell in his country’s cause, July 30. - (From his loving Mother, Brother, and Sisters.)”

John's brother, George, the only surviving son, died in 1918 aged 27.

His remaining family remembered John on the second anniversary of his death in 1918: 

"In ever-loving memory of our dear John, K.L.R., killed in action, July 30, 1916. - Never forgotten by his dear Mother and Sister, Cleveland Square, Liverpool."

In 1919 his mother was living at 104 Hartington Road, Toxteth Park, with daughters Winifred, 24, Gladys, 21, Miriam, 20, and Rosie and Lillie, 14.

His mother remarried in 1923 to Henry H. Moore and on the 1939 register, she was 71, and still living at 104 Hartington Road with her husband and daughters Winifred (45, married), a hotel bar manageress, Gladys, 42, a secondary school teacher, and Rose, 35, an assistant hotel manageress.

His mother lived through the Second World War and died in 1946 aged 77. She was buried with her first husband and deceased children.

John is commemorated in St. Clare's R.C. Church, Liverpool. 

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