National Museums Liverpool Blog - Liverpool pals

Today, we're looking at the story of Captain Frank Watson, in the run up to our First World War Family History Day at the Museum of Liverpool on Saturday.

Frank Watson originally signed up to the 17th Pals Battalion in Liverpool.

Lord Derby came up with the idea of bringing together men who worked and socialised in a fighting regiment to appeal to more men to ‘sign up’.

The response to the first adverts was so great, that Lord Derby was able to form two battalions, and by mid-October a second advertisement appealing for recruits meant that there were a total of four ‘Liverpool Pals’ battalions, and two reserve battalions. They were officially known as the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th Service Battalions of the King’s Regiment, Liverpool.

Excelling in his army career in the 17th Battalion, Frank Watson received a temporary officer’s commission and transferred to the 22nd Manchester Pals as Captain.

In April 1917, having returned to the Front after recovering from a previous wound, Frank was fatally wounded.

This is our second blog post in a series leading up to our World War One Family History Day at the Museum of Liverpool this Saturday, 24 March. Today, we look at the story of the Turner Brothers, William and Fred.

William and Fred Turner signed up as Officers to the Liverpool Scottish Battalion. William can be seen here on the far right.

Lieutenants William and Fred Turner were born in Ullet Road, Liverpool, to parents Jessie and William. Both attended the local Greenbank School, and went on to become successful sportsmen in cricket, rugby and football at Sedbergh School, Yorkshire before following in their father’s footsteps and joining the printing firm Turner & Dunnett, of which their father was Senior Partner.
The boys were among the first to ‘sign up’ and both joined the Liverpool Scottish Battalion as officers.

Fred, the younger of the two sons, was the first to go abroad arriving at the Front on 2 November, 1914. His brother William was still in England when Fred was killed within a few weeks of arriving in Belgium on January 10th, 1915, while inspecting barbed wire entanglements in front of his Platoon. He was age 26.

His Commanding Officer said in a letter:

"Fred was a gallant fellow, a universal favourite and the idol of the men under his command. His ever cheery manner and courageous bearing under all conditions endeared him to all his comrades. One of his fellow officers remarked to me that Fred Turner, above all men he had ever met, was one in whom it was impossible to find a fault, and I heartily endorse this opinion."

A Private wrote of him :

"His first thought was always of his men; when their spirits were inclined to droop he rallied them and joked with them, though he always took upon himself the most dangerous and disagreeable duties. A sniper who had tracked him along the trench picked him off."

His older brother William left for the Front straight after Fred’s memorial service two weeks later, and at the request of the men, took his brother’s command. Five months later, he too was killed leading his men in the charge of the Liverpool Scottish on June 16 1915, aged 31.

It was a day that the Liverpool Scottish underwent a terrible ordeal of fire at Hooge, when many men fell in a charge that broke the German lines. A German trench had just been captured, when a heavy shell burst, killing the men and Lieutenant William Turner.

The Rev. Alexander Connell, in an eloquent address at the Memorial Service said: “"He stepped without fuss, and at once, into his fallen brother's place. He won the affection and confidence of his men. Some of them, who have also fallen, had sworn, as we know, that for his sake, as for his brother's, if any hour of peril called them they should be found by his side, living or dead.”

Captain Noel Chavasse, Lord Derby and The King were among those who sent letters of condolence to the Turner family.

David Jones was awarded the Victoria Cross for his outstanding bravery

In the run up to our First World War Family History Day at the Museum of Liverpool on Saturday, we’ll be sharing a few stories from our collection about soldiers who fought in World War I.

Today’s story is about David Jones, VC.

David Jones, from Smithdown Lane in Edge Hill, enlisted in 1915 and was soon promoted to Sergeant.

When the officers from his platoon were killed during the battle for Guillemont, Jones took control. Jones and his men captured a key road into the village and held it for two days and nights without food or water. On the second day they drove back three enemy attacks.

Extract from the London Gazette, No. 29802 dated 24 October 1916:

“For most conspicuous bravery, devotion to duty, and ability displayed in the handling of his platoon. The platoon to which he belonged was ordered to a forward position, and during the advance came under heavy machine gun fire, the officer being killed and the platoon suffering heavy losses Serjt. Jones led-forward the remainder, occupied the position, and held it for two days and two nights without food or water, until relieved. On the second day he drove back three counter-attacks, inflicting heavy losses. His coolness was most praiseworthy. It was due entirely to his resource and example that his men retained confidence and held their post.”

Unnamed private from 12th Battalion, King’s Liverpool Regiment, 1916:

“Nothing could dismay him. At times there was enough to make one’s heart sink to the boots, but Sergeant Jones was as chipper as could be.”

David Jones was awarded the Victoria Cross for his outstanding bravery. He was killed the following month. He never wore his medal. His widow, Elizabeth, collected it from King George V in 1917. His Victoria Cross is on display in the Waterfront to Western Front special exhibition in The People’s Republic gallery. You can read about the Victoria Cross being donated to our permanent collections in a past blog.

The City Soldier's gallery features collections from The King's Regiment, and a range of helmets to try on. (c) Mark McNulty

This Saturday, 24 March, the Museum of Liverpool will be hosting a free First World War family history event to help people with their search into relatives who served in the war.

The Museum looks after the collections of The King’s Regiment in the City Soldiers gallery, which focuses on the long history of the regiment and its relationship with Liverpool. Created in 1685, The King’s Regiment is one of Britain’s oldest regiments. It has been Liverpool’s regiment since 1881, and is now amalgamated into the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment. 

We have many stories to tell about the men who served with The King’s in the First World War, which are on show in our Waterfront to Western Front special exhibition, and the City Soldiers gallery. We’ll be sharing a few stories this week in the run up to Saturday and today’s story is about David Jones, VC.

If you’re interested in finding out more, come down to the Museum of Liverpool on Saturday between 10am and 4pm, where there will be a range of family friendly activities on offer throughout the day. There will be arts and crafts for our younger visitors, performances and role players, along with talks from experts and historians and a number of local societies who will be on hand to assist with family history research.

Visitors will be able to gain access to a research database, which contains the biographical details of over 76,000 men who served in the King’s Regiment during the First World War, and experts will be available to speak to from:

• National Museums Liverpool
• The Western Front Association
• Liverpool Family History Society
• Liverpool Record Office
• The Liverpool Pals 
• The King’s Regiment Association

Soldiers often send things to their loved ones at home. During the First World War they often sent embroidered postcards, some of which are now in National Museums Liverpool's collection. The postcards, known as 'World War One Silks', were mostly produced by French and Belgian women refugees and became extremely popular with British and American servicemen on duty in France. Further information about them is on this web page about Silks.

Some of the remembrance postcards that have already been made for our banner

This Saturday you are invited to make your own postcard in remembrance of those that gave their lives during the First and Second World Wars in a free drop-in workshop, 1-4pm in the Learning base in the basement of Merseyside Maritime Museum. If you leave your postcard with us we will include it in a banner which we hope to display in the The Liverpool Pals and the First World War exhibition in the Museum of Liverpool when it opens in 2011. At the workshop this weekend you will also have the chance to find out about life in the trenches and how to trace your family’s history through military records.

The Liverpool Pals and the First World War exhibition will tell the story of the First World War as experienced by the ordinary people of Liverpool, either through participation in the fighting - focussing on the story of the Liverpool Pals – or through involvement on the Home Front. The main emphasis of the exhibition will be the particular Liverpool aspects of the story, set in a national and international context.

Lord Derby recruited one of the first Pals battalions in England from Liverpool in August 1914 when he suggested that men would volunteer if they could remain with work colleagues, family or neighbours. In effect the social structure of Liverpool was transferred to the front line. This exhibition will confront the realities of the loss of 16,700 Liverpool men, how it happened, and how it impacted on – and in some cases devastated - Liverpool communities.

Details of all events this weekend are on the Merseyside Maritime Museum's events and activities page, including this workshop and a new roleplayer performance on Sunday, 'Never at sea - the Wren's story'.