1st Battalion Kings Liverpool Regiment

[andrew pugh]

Good Evening

Could anybody tell me what battalions of the Kings Liverpool Regiment were in the immediate area of Lebecquiere, Delsaux Farm, Bertincourt, Haplincourt after March 1918. Especially, did the 1st Battalion take part in any actions in that area during the return push of August 1918? Your help would be most helpful. The reason I have asked this question is this. In Lebucquiere Cemetery there are the graves of an unknown Captain of The Kings Liverpool Regiment and an unknown Officer of the Kings Liverpool Regiment. I am quite sure that they could be Captain E R Last of the 1st Battalion killed on the 24/03/1918 and 2nd Lt R S Tarran also of the 1st Battalion The Kings Liverpool Regiment killed 24/03/1918. Both are listed on the Arras Memorial to the Missing. After the war there was an enquiry concerning the death of 2nd Lt Tarran and a witness stated that 2nd Lt Tarran got one all to himself, probably meaning he was killed by a shell. So when found after the war they could not identify precisely what rank of officer he was. Lebecquiere Cemetery is located very near where they were killed (in the Green Line).

The officers killed that day 24/03/1918 were

1st Battalion Captain E R Last    Arras Memorial

1st Battalion 2nd Lt R S Tarran  Arras Memorial 

1st Battalion Lt H G Thorpe Bancourt British Cemetery

19th Battalion Lt J R J Machale  Ham British Cemetery

19th Battalion Captain H L Smith   Pozieres Memorial

17th Battalion 2nd Lt W E Watson Pozieres Memorial               

The 19th and 17th Battalions were fighting further to the south on that day. There was an article called the Grave by the Roadside in the Western Front Association Bulletin 82 dated October/November 2008. The article was all about Lt Thorpe and 2nd Lt Tarran. Your thoughts and advice would be most welcome.

Regards

Andy 

[Ken Lees]

Did you get anywhere with this one, Andy?

[andrew pugh]

Hi Ken, Happy New Year to you and your family.

No I have not. I am sure that there weren't any Kings Liverpool units in that area during the British offensive of August 1918. So basically these 2 unknown officers can only belong to the 1st Battalion, and the 2 unknown officers can only be who I think they are, all the rest have been accounted for. Still more work to do on this one.

Kind Regards

Andy