Help appreciated with 18 Liverpool Regiment Officer

[malcolmjameswilson]

Would any forum member be aware of any biographical details regarding:

Captain Charles Heron McDiarmid, 18th Liverpool Regiment?

Wounded on 1st July 1916.
Granted a SWB. Appears to have died in 1929. 

His brother was killed with the KSOB in 1915. 

The family lived in Liverpool and also Scotland. May have been Liverpool ship owners.

I have details for the brother but little on Charles.

Any help or advice, greatly appreciated.

Kind regards, Malcolm.

[Promenade]

McDiarmid, Charles Heron: (Mr. Wilson), son of J. McDiarmid, Liverpool; brother of Kenneth McDiarmid (KOSB in Great War b. 26/10/81 - killed in action) and James Innes Aiken McDiarmid(Royal Arty in Great War b. 29/4/83) - all educated at Sedburgh; born September 18th, 1879; left July, 1898 ; Prefect. Great War :- Captain., King's Liverpool Regt. ; France 1915-1916; wounded 1916. Shipowner. Died March 29th, 1929. (Sedburgh School Register)

Promenade

[malcolmjameswilson]

Hello Promenade.

Many thanks for this. A great help and much appreciated.

Kind regards, Malcolm.

[DavidOwen]

If you haven't found it yet Charles's Officer service record is at Kew https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1120129 Either take a visit to view it or get an independent researcher to copy it for you.

[malcolmjameswilson]

Hello David.

Thank you for this. Will look into finding somebody who will copy it.

Kind regards, Malcolm.

[sadbrewer]

Kenneth's obituary provides a little more family information.

 

 

the Company address in 1908.

 

Edited 18 July , 2021 by sadbrewer

[malcolmjameswilson]

Many thanks for the obits and info. Much appreciated.

Kind regards, Malcolm.

[PRC]

On the 1881 Census of England & Wales there is a 1 year old Charles H. McDiarmid, born Scotland, who was recorded in one of the two households at 5 Devonshire Road, Toxteth Park, Liverpool. Head of the household was his father John, a General Merchant, aged 59 and born Scotland. John lives there with his 29 year old wife Mary A. born Mollington, Cheshire. The couple have two other children, Evangeline, (4) and Dora A, (2) - both born Liverpool.

May be a co-incidence but on the 1891 Census of England & Wales there is an 11 year old Charles H. McDiarmid, born Rockpool, "Kirkcubright" who was attending St Christophers' Preparatory School, 'Freelands', Bromborough, Cheshire. His parents, (John was now recorded as a shipowner), were still at 5 Devonshire Road. As well as Evangeline and Dora the family had expanded with the addition of Kenneth, (9) and James, (7).

I suspect John had been married before as John McDiarmid, a shipowner, and his wife Mary Ann Jemima McDiarmid appear on the 1898 probate calendar as executor of the will of Ian McDiarmid, also known as John the younger, a manager, who died at Devonshire Road, Liverpool on the 17th November 1897. https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/Calendar?surname=McDiarmed&yearOfDeath=1898&page=1#calendar

The 1899 probate calendar records that John McDiarmid, a shipowner of Devonshire Road, Liverpool, died at Auchenvhin, Dalbeattie, Kirkcudbrightshire on the 24th September 1899. Probate was granted at the Liverpool Court on the 9th November 1899 to Mary Ann Jemima McDiarmid, widow, and Morden Rigg, Cotton Merchant. His estate was valued at £33,248 4s 11d. https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/Calendar?surname=McDiarmed&yearOfDeath=1899#calendar
Even just allowing for inflation, in 2021 that would be roughly just under £3 million. https://www.moneysorter.co.uk/calculator_inflation2.html

I'm not finding Charles or his mother on the 1901 and 1911 Censuses of England & Wales.

The Supplement to the London Gazette dated 2nd November 1914 records that Charles Heron McDiarmid was appointed to be a temporary Captain in the 2nd City Battalion, The King's Liverpool Regiment, (this would subsequently become the 18th (Service) Battalion) with effect from the 23rd September 1914. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/28960/supplement/8856/data.pdf

His Medal Index Card, (MiC), shows he landed in France on the 7th November 1915. Four Battalions of The Kings landed in France round about that time but the January 1916 British Army Monthly List shows him on the strength of the 18th Battalion. (Column 984a). https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/122404964

War Diaries for units that fought in France and Flanders are currently among the many digitised documents held by the National Archive that can be downloaded for free. You do need to sign in with your account, but if you don't have one, even that can be set up as part of placing your first order. Just click on "sign in" and follow the instructions - no financial details required. The relevant War Diaries for the 18th Kings can be found here:-

November 1915 to June 1918: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7353640

No guarantees, but as an officer he is more likely to get a mention than an other ranks. It may be possible to work out if he returned to the Battalion after his 1916 wounding. He is still on the strength of the 18th Battalion on the January 1917 British Army Monthly List but that does not guarantee he was physically with them. (Column 984a) https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/103212649

There is a note on the MiC "Rel. Comm. 19.2.18". I'd normally expect to see that on a card for an other ranks who was commissioned - i.e. they were released from their enlistment on the 19th February 1918 in order to take a commission the next day. However given that he was already an officer I suspect it means he was released from his commission on that day - probably because of the wounds or ill-health which gave him entitlement to claim the Silver War Badge.

FindMyPast has a source "First World War Disability & Retirement Payments For Officers & Nurses" which shows a pension becoming payable from the 19th February 1918 as he was now a "non-effective". It gives an address of 50 Stanley Road, Hoylake, Cheshire.

As an officer he had to apply for his medals. This he did in December 1921, giving a contact address of 50 Stanley Road, Hoylake, Cheshire.

The 1929 Probate Calendar records that Charles Heron McDiarmid, of 50 Stanley Road, Hoylake, Cheshire and Cunard Building, Liverpool, died at 50 Stanley Road on the 29th March 1929. Probate was granted at the Liverpool Court on the 17th June 1929 to Mary Anne Jemima McDermid, widow, and Evangeline Anna Catherine McDermid, spinster, (so mother and unmarried sister). https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/Calendar?surname=McDiarmed&yearOfDeath=1929#calendar

(Image courtesy UK Probate Service).

His estate was valued at £35,465 2s 11d, so using the same inflation claculator, in 2021, that would equate to £1.5 million. A low quality copy of the documentation can normally be purchased for £1.50 from the probate service. It may give information on the whereabouts of Mary and Evangeline.

Forum member @davidbohl takes a keen interest in the Liverpool Pals, so may possibly be able to add something.

Hope some of that helps,
Peter

Edited 18 July , 2021 by PRC
Typo

[malcolmjameswilson]

Peter.

What can I say, but thank you! This is beyond what I thought possible. I am indebted to you.

I have the war diary. He is listed as wounded on 1st July 1916. A comprehensive report on the action is also included. How did they do it? Brave men, every one of them.

Once again, thank you.

Kind regards, Malcolm.

 

[davidbohl]

9 hours ago, PRC said:

may possibly be able to add something

My ears pricked up when I saw the name McDiarmid

We had a J.McDiarmid playing for us immediately after the war in season 1919/21, he must have been a well esteemed gentleman as he was proposed by our club founder Fred Applebee and seconded by W.B.Croxford, our Lancashire County Rep.

This is all recorded in the minutes, 31st Oct 1919. I'll do a bit more digging.

Dave

 

 

[malcolmjameswilson]

Hello Dave.

Many thanks for the reply. The chap in your list is Charles brother James if I am reading it correct. Any info would be most welcome.

Kind regards, Malcolm.

[davidbohl]

These are the McDiarmid's 1914 Gores

 

[davidbohl]

Charles' brother played a few games for the 2XV but his first game for the 1XV was on 25th Oct 1919, away at Liverpool Uni, losing 6-3, he scored 1g (penalty kick). No sign of him the next season.

 

[PRC]

10 hours ago, PRC said:

I suspect it means he was released from his commission on that day

Sorry - correct terminology would be more like that he relinquished his commission on that day. I'd normally expect to find a reference to this in the London Gazette but they do get missed, (plus the source isn't the easiest to search !).

At least as far as the records for England & Wales are concerned it doesn't look like Charles ever married.

On the 1901 Census of England & Wales there are just four servants recorded in residence at 5 Devonshire Road. I have access to a transcript version of the 1901 Census of Scotland, but I'm not find Charles or his mother there. I can't see them on outbound passenger lists although the the lists don't cover Europe. It also wouldn't cover passengers on non-commercial craft, (private yachts, etc).

By the time of the 1911 Census of England & Wales there is a Timber Merchant and his family in residence at 5 Devonshire Road. There is an elderly couple, the Bakers, living at 50 Stanley Road, Hoylake. The 1 Valentia Road, Hoylake address has three Boarders, the widower William Davidson Heyne, a Director of Private Companies in Warehousekeeping and Insurance and two of his adult children. So they could be house sitting or the householder simply wasn't there on the night of the census.

This death announcement appeared in the edition of The Times dated Friday, April 5th, 1929.

McDIARMID.-On March 29, 1929, CHARLES HERON McDIARMID, of 50, Stanley-road, Hoylake, Cheshire , and Auchevin, Rockliffe, Dalbeattie, aged 49. Interred Colvend, Dalbeattie, April 3.

Image Courtesy The Times Digital Archive.

(I'm not finding any images for headstones for the Colvend Parish Church Cemetery on either FindaGrave or Billion Graves).

Hope that helps,

[malcolmjameswilson]

Dave and Peter. 

Many thanks for you continuing help. Its much appreciated. I wouldn't have been able to have found all this. I value all your efforts.

Kind regards, Malcolm.