Pte 17835 Alfred Hallwood

• Age: 26
• From: Padgate, Warrington
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 26th August 1916
• Commemorated at: Lonsdale Cem, Authuille
  Panel Ref: VI.J.8

Alfred Hallwood was born in late 1899 in Padgate, a suburb of Warrington (then in Lancashire, now in Cheshire) and was the son of Alfred (Snr) Hallwood and his wife Mary (nee Burrows) of The Mount, Orford, Warrington who had married in March 1884.

He was baptised on the 29th December 1889 in St. Paul's Church, Warrington, the family’s abode given as Tidal House, Padgate, and his father’s occupation as salesman.

Alfred had two older siblings, Ida Mary, born in 1885, and John Burrows, 1887.

He was educated at Boteler Grammar School, Warrington.

The 1901 Census shows the family living at The Mount, Orford, Winwick with Hulme, Warrington. His father, Alfred Senior, is aged 46 and is a merchant’s manager, whilst his mother, Mary is aged 41 and has no occupation listed. They have two children at  home at the time of the Census, John Burrows aged 13 and Alfred (Jnr) aged 11. His sister Ida, 15, is boarding in Lytham, Lancashire.

The 1911 Census shows the family are still living at The Mount, Orford, Warrington. His father Alfred Senior is aged 56, born 1855 in Appleton, Cheshire and is a sack merchant, whilst his mother, Mary, is aged 52, born 1859 in Warrington and has no occupation listed. They have been married for 29 years at the time of the 1911 Census. The have three children in the household, They are listed as; Ida Mary aged 26, born 1885 no occupation listed, John Burrows aged 23, born 1888 is a bank clerk and Alfred (Jnr) aged 21 born 1890 is a sacks and bags clerk. They have a domestic servant Lilian Taker aged 17, born 1894 living at the address.

Examiner Newspapers reported the death of his mother, aged 51, on the 30th March 1912.

Alfred enlisted on the 23^rd September, 1914 in Liverpool, joining the 19th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 17835. He gave his age as 24 years and 292 days and stated his occupation as a clerk. He was described as being five feet six and three quarter inches tall, weighed 148lbs, fresh complexion, grey eyes, fair hair and gave his religion as Church of England.

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. 

In the Runcorn Guardian of 07th November 1914 Alfred was listed among the Old Botelerians serving with His Majesty's forces.

07.11.15: Embarked for France with his battalion.

21.02.16: Awarded 14 days Field Punishment No1 for leaving his rifle when on sentry duty on 20^th February, 1916.

11.07.16: Wounded sent to Field Ambulance.

12.07.16: Gunshot wound to left knee admitted to 38 Casualty Clearing Station.

13.07.16: Admitted Depot Boulogne.

16.07.16: Discharged to Base Depot.

19.07.16: Etaples

20.07.16: Attached to 8^th Battalion Loyal North Lancs.

26.08.16: Missing whilst serving with Loyal North Lancs.

He was serving in the 19th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 17835 attached to the Loyal North Lancs when he was killed in action on the 26th August 1916, aged 22, during the Somme offensive.

He now rests at Lonsdale Cemetery, Authuille, France following reburial.

On 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, the 32nd Division, which included the 1st Dorsets and the 11th (Lonsdale) Battalion of the Border Regt attacked the German line at this point and stormed the Leipzig Salient, but were compelled to retire later in the day. In the spring of 1917, after the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line, V Corps cleared these battlefields and made a number of new cemeteries, including Lonsdale No.1 and No.2.

Lonsdale Cemetery No.1 (the present Lonsdale Cemetery) contained originally 96 graves (now in Plot I), the great majority of which were those of officers and men of the 1st Dorsets and the 11th Borders. It was enlarged after the Armistice when graves, almost all of 1916, were brought in from the surrounding battlefields. 

Lonsdale Cemetery now contains 1,542 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 816 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 22 casualties known or believed to be buried among them.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.

Alfred is also remembered on the Old Botlerians War Memorial Warrington.

Soldiers Effects to his father Alfred.

Probate dated 07^th September, 1918, Alfred Hallwood the younger of The Mount, Orford, Warrington, died 26^th August 1916 in France. Administration London to Alfred Hallwood, merchant. Effects:  £1657. 14s. 1d.

Alfred's death was the second loss that the family suffered in 1916 as his brother John Burrows Hallwood died in Greece on 19th January 1916, aged 28. He enlisted in Liverpool on 05th September 1914. His military record shows that John was declared Missing on 12th December 1915 and died of dysentery between 19/01/1916 and 29/03/1916. He was serving as Corporal 13664 in the King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment). He was captured by the Bulgarians and interned at Tatar-Bazardjik. 

He is commemorated on the Doiran Memorial.

The DOIRAN MEMORIAL stands roughly in the centre of the line occupied for two years by the Allies in Macedonia, but close to the western end, which was held by Commonwealth forces. It marks the scene of the fierce fighting of 1917-1918, which caused the majority of the Commonwealth battle casualties. From October 1915 to the end of November 1918, the British Salonika Force suffered some 2,800 deaths in action, 1,400 from wounds and 4,200 from sickness. The campaign afforded few successes for the Allies, and none of any importance until the last two months. The action of the Commonwealth force was hampered throughout by widespread and unavoidable sickness and by continual diplomatic and personal differences with neutrals or Allies. On one front there was a wide malarial river valley and on the other, difficult mountain ranges, and many of the roads and railways it required had to be specially constructed. The memorial serves the dual purpose of Battle Memorial of the British Salonika Force (for which a large sum of money was subscribed by the officers and men of that force), and place of commemoration for more than 2,000 Commonwealth servicemen who died in Macedonia and whose graves are not known. The memorial was designed by Sir Robert Lorimer with sculpture by Walter Gilbert. It was unveiled by Sir George Macdonogh on 25 September 1926. The memorial stands near DOIRAN MILITARY CEMETERY. The cemetery (originally known as Colonial Hill Cemetery No.2) was formed at the end of 1916 as a cemetery for the Doiran front. The graves are almost entirely those of officers and men of the 22nd and 26th Divisions and largely reflect the fighting of April and May 1917 (the attacks on the Petit-Couronne), and 18-19 September 1918 (the attacks on Pip Ridge and the Grand-Couronne). In October and November 1918, after the final advance, a few burials were added by the 25th Casualty Clearing Station. After the Armistice, graves were brought into the cemetery from the battlefields and from some small burial grounds, the most important of which was Strumnitza British Military Cemetery, north-west of Doiran, made by the 40th Casualty Clearing Station in October and November 1918. The cemetery now contains 1,338 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, 449 of them unidentified. There are also 45 Greek and one French war graves.

The St Helens Examiner of 09th August 1919 referred to peace celebrations in Orford.

ORFORD

Peace Celebrations

Fund For The Permanent Memorial

Although not favoured with ideal weather for the earlier part of the programme, the Orford peace celebrations on Saturday passed off successfully. The houses were decorated with flags and bunting and in the midst of these, conspicuous to all, was a more pathetic spectacle, the temporary memorial erected to those of the village who had made the supreme sacrifice in the war. The memorial, which stood at the entrance of Orford school, took the form of a card and enshrouded in flags and wreaths bearing the following inscription and names: "In memory of the fallen comrades. ..... Alfred Hallwood, John B. Hallwood,....". 

Soldiers Effects to father Alfred, no Pension record found for Alfred or his brother John B. which is most likely because the two brothers had no dependents and/or their father did not apply for a pension. Alfred Sr. received a War Gratuity of £7-10s for John and £9 for Alfred.

Their father died in the June quarter of 1923, aged 69, leaving over £12,000.00.

Alfred is also commemorated on the Orford Memorial Recreation Club

Both Alfred and John are commemorated on the Boteler Grammar School Memorial

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