INTRODUCTION In commemorating 100 years since the outbreak of the Great War in August 1914, our minds turn to those Such was the impact of WW1 that almost immediately who were close to home and living within this parish. after peace was restored in 1918, there were We remember those who gave their lives in service to concerted efforts across the country to ensure that the our country. events were properly remembered. War memorials Almost 4,000 men from around what is now the were erected across West Lancashire and Liverpool to Metropolitan Borough of Sefton (Southport, Crosby, mark the sacrifice made by thousands of men. As well Bootle and parts of West Lancashire) died fighting in as the many civic memorials seen in parks and public the Great War. Countless men, women and children places, local churches dedicated their own memorials on the home front found their lives were changed to commemorate the men who died within their forever, whether they lost loved ones or took up new parishes. work challenges. Women replaced the work We can see later in the Exhibition how St. Nicholas’ traditionally done by men in the factories, farming, and Parish had a part to play in commemorating those who public transport. They were also employed in the lived in this parish and died fighting. Our Rose Window armouries where the demand for weapons increased and Commemorative Brass Plaque form the centre of as war progressed, or they became VAD nurses the exhibition. (Voluntary Aid Detachments). Initially men enlisted voluntarily or later joined regiments under conscription. They left their families behind to fight in the war; many never to return to their loved ones. REGINALD ACTON CHARLES WILFRED BANISTER Rank: Second Lieutenant Rank: Second Lieutenant Date of Death: 09/05/1915 Date of Death: 16/06/1915 Regiment/Service: South Lancashire Regiment 5th Bn. Age: 22 Cemetery: BAILLEUL COMMUNAL, NORD in France Regiment/Service: Royal Fusiliers 4th Bn. Grave Reference: I. 4. Memorial: YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL Belgium Panel Reference: Panel 6 and 8. Additional Information: Son of Howard Cottrell Banister, of St. Catherine's, Cadogan Gardens, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. FRED BREW Rank: Private Service No: 32168 Date of Death: 10/04/1917 Regiment/Service: East Lancashire Regiment 8th Bn. Memorial: ARRAS MEMORIAL in France Panel Ref: Bay 6. ERIC MACKIE BRIGGS Rank: Second Lieutenant Date of Death: 03/05/1917 CHARLES HENRY ASHWORTH Age: 19 Rank: Driver Service No: 12498 Regiment/Service: Lancashire Date of Death: 24/04/1917 Fusiliers 6th Bn. Age: 40 Cemetery: POINT-DU-JOUR Regiment/Service: Royal Field Artillery 9th Div. H.Q. MILITARY CEMETERY, ATHIES Cemetery: DUISANS BRITISH CEMETERY, ETRUN in France in France Grave Ref: IV. F. 16. Grave Ref: IV. E. 20. Additional Information: Son of Additional Information: Husband of Sarah Thomasina J. I. Briggs, of "Sandymount," Ashworth, of 4, Sussex St., Blundellsands, Liverpool. Blundellsands, Liverpool. Point-Du-Jour Military Cemetery CHARLES NORMAN BROCKBANK ALBERT JOHN BROCKMAN Rank: Captain Rank: Second Lieutenant Date of Death: 01/07/1916 Date of Death: 08/08/1916 Age: 32 Regiment: The King's Regiment: King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment) 4th Bn. (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Bn. Memorial: THIEPVAL MEMORIAL in France Cemetery: DANTZIG ALLEY BRITISH Panel Reference: Pier and Face 5 D and 12 B. CEMETERY, MAMETZ Grave Ref: V. U. 8. Additional Information: Son of John William & Mary Brockman Additional Information: Son of Marion Annie Brockbank, of "Ulverscroft," 19, Adelaide Terrace, Waterloo, Liverpool, and the late R. M. Henry Brockbank. An extensive biography appeared in Liverpool's Scroll of Fame. His photo appeared in the biography and is reproduced above with the kind permission of Liverpool Record Office. CAPTAIN Charles Norman Brockbank was one of the first officers to be selected from the ranks of the "Pals." Like many other young patriots, he enrolled as soon as the call to arms Thiepval Memorial sounded, and he was given his lieutenancy almost immediately. With him the gifts of leadership were transparent GEOFFREY BUNNELL BURTON and supreme. The "Pals," moreover, demanded a specially high Rank: Lieutenant standard in their officers, and in this young and faithful soldier Date of Death: 03/08/1917 they found one who worthily honoured his calling. He helped Age: 21 in the training of the brigade, and he fell at the forefront of his Regiment/Service: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 1st/6th Bn. men in that grim opening Battle of the Somme on July 1st, Cemetery: LIJSSENTHOEK MILITARY CEMETERY 1916. Further information on Charles Norman Brockbank can be found on www.merseysiderollofhonour.co.uk/database.htm Grave Reference: XV. A. 2. Additional Information: Son of George Lewis Burton and See plaque on the wall, here in St Nicholas’ Church, dedicated Katharine Mary Burton, of Blundellsands, Liverpool. to this brave soldier. KENRICK HAMMOND BURTON THOMAS CYRIL CATON Rank: Lieutenant Rank: Fitter Service No: 4072 Date of Death: 16/06/1918 Date of Death: 01/06/1917 Regiment/Service: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 6th Bn. Age: 21 Memorial: TYNE COT MEMORIAL Regiment/Service: Australian Field Artillery 6th A.F.A. Bde. Panel Reference: Panel 31 to 34 and 162 and 162A and 163A. Cemetery: LONDON RIFLE BRIGADE CEMETERY in Belgium Additional Information: See Plaque on wall here in St Grave Reference: IV. A. 15. Nicholas’ Church dedicated to GEOFFREY BUNNELL BURTON Additional Information: Son of Edward and Fanny Jane Caton, and KENRICK HAMMOND BURTON with the following of 30, Oxford Drive, Waterloo, Liverpool, England. Inscription:- IN LOVING MEMORY OF/ LIEUT GEOFFREY BUNNELL BURTON KILLED IN ACTION 3RD AUGUST 1917/ AND/ LIEUT KENRICK HAMOND BURTON REPORTED WOUDNED AND MISSING JUN 1918/ 1 & 2/6TH (RIFLE) BATTALIONS KING'S LIVERPOOL REGIMENT/ "DULCE ET DECORUM EST PRO PATRIA MORI" London Rifle Brigade Cemetery ALFRED THOMAS CLINCH Rank: Private Service No: G/66856 Date of Death: 25/03/1918 Age: 32 Regiment/Service: Royal Fusiliers 23rd Bn. Grave Ref: XIX. Q. 3. Cemetery: DELVILLE WOOD LONGUEVAL Additional Information: Son of Harry and Sarah Clinch, of Tyne Cot Memorial Cheshire; husband of Maggie Clinch, of 7, Brighton Vale, Blundellsands, Liverpool. And also killed, his brother:- FREDERICK GREGORY COWMAN Rank: Second Lieutenant ROBERT JOSEPH COWMAN Date of Death: 28/09/1918 Rank: Corporal Service No: 16087 Age: 22 Date of Death: 12/07/1916 Regiment: King's (Liverpool Regiment) 6th Bn. Awards: DCM Age: 22 Cemetery: NOYELLES-SUR-L'ESCAUT COMMUNAL CEMETERY Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) "D" Coy. 17th Bn. EXTENSION, France. Grave Reference: II. B. 10. Memorial: THIEPVAL MEMORIAL in France Additional Information: Son of Joseph Gregory Cowman and Panel Reference: Pier & Face 1 D 8 B and 8 C Margaret Watson Cowman, of 15, Coronation Drive, Great Additional Information: Son of Joseph Gregory Cowman and Crosby, Liverpool. Frederick was still a private when he was Margaret Watson Cowman, of 15, Coronation Drive, Great awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (London Gazette th Crosby, Liverpool. Robert went missing at the Somme 19 August 1916) When the leading bayonet men in a raid sometime between the 10th and 12th July. His parents were wounded, Private Cowman at once came forward and received a letter from one of his comrades telling them that held a traverse alone with conspicuous courage and coolness. Robert had been badly wounded on the night of the 11th July His conduct conduced to the capture of a machine-gun. but no further news of his fate ever came to light. His death was "assumed by Army Council for Official purposes" to have occurred on the 12th July. THOMAS HAROLD RAYNER DANIELS Rank: Second Lieutenant Date of Death: 09/04/1916 Regiment: King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment) 6th Bn. Memorial: BASRA MEMORIAL, in Iraq Panel Reference: Panel 7 Basra Memorial, Iraq JOSIAH STANLEY DEAN JAMES HENRY GOODYEAR Rank: Captain Rank: Rifleman Service No: 1700 Date of Death: 27/05/1915 Date of Death: 13/04/1915 Age: 26 Age: 35 Regiment/Service: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 7th Bn. Regiment/Service: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 6th Bn Cemetery: BOULOGNE EASTERN CEMETERY in France Cemetery: POPERINGHE OLD MILITARY CEMETERY Grave Reference: II. A. 22. Grave Reference: II. N. 39. Additional Information: Son of Josiah and Elizabeth Emily Additional Information: Son of James Henry and Elizabeth W. Dean, of "The Dunes," Blundellsands, Liverpool. Goodyear, of "Willowbank," Blundellsands, near Liverpool. Born at Liverpool. Boulogne Eastern Cemetery HARVEY SISSON GILLANDERS Rank: Company Serjeant Major Service No: 85 Date of Death: 16/06/1915 Age: 35 Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 1st/10th Bn. Memorial: YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL in Belgium Panel Reference: Panel 4 and 6. Poperinghe Old Military Cemetery in Belgium Additional Information: Son of the late George and Anna Gillanders, of 7, Harlech Rd., Blundellsands, Liverpool. JOHN HAILWOOD Rank: Second Lieutenant Date of Death: 16/10/1918 Regiment/Service: The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment Don Communal Cemetery, Annoeullin in France Additional Information: John Hailwood was the grandfather of Caroline Hailwood (Deputy Churchwarden of St Nicholas’ and a Cemetery: DON COMMUNAL CEMETERY, ANNOEULLIN in member of the PCC). He was the son of William and Elizabeth France 1st/4th Bn. Hailwood; husband of Susie Winifred Hailwood (nee Lumby), of Grave Reference: I. A. 35. "Ingleholme," 10 Abbotsford Road, Blundellsands, Liverpool. Member of The Liverpool Stock Exchange. Native of Liverpool. John’s Headstone More information can be found in the Black Folder 1. ALLAN STANLEY HAYNES WILLIAM MARSH HIGSON Rank: Rifleman Service No: 1731 Rank: Second Lieutenant Date of Death: 05/05/1915 Date of Death: 09/04/1917 Age: 23 Age: 36 Regiment/Service: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 6th Bn. Regiment: King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment) 8th Bn.