An Emotive 1914-15 Star Trio
A "Sniper" Casualty with Plaque & Scroll.


To:
2087 Pte W. BEVERIDGE
F (Bootle) Coy, 1/7th Bn King's Liverpool Rgt
Arrived in France 8th March 1915.
Killed in Action 17th March.

A Tragic First Casualty After Just Nine Days in the Field

WILLIAM BEVERIDGE was the first man of 1/7th Bn Kings Liverpool Regiment to be killed in the Great War.

He arrived in France at Le Havre on 8th March 1915 and was killed in action on 17th March 1915. He was serving in F (Bootle) Company and had been in France only 9 days. This is one of the shortest periods of active service prior to loss that we've ever encountered.

[SNIPERS]
On 17th March 1915 1st Bn Herts were digging a new trench. The General Officer Commanding 2nd Division congratulated the Bn on the fine progress being made on the new trench. In the evening 4 platoons of the 7th Bn Kings Liverpool Regiment (Territorial Force) which included F (Bootle) Coy, took over and continued to dig the trench. (One platoon of 7th lost its way and did not arrive). It was during this evening digging that two men were hit by snipers. William Beveridge was killed outright and a comrade was wounded. Clearly William's body was initially recovered & buried but his grave was later lost.

William's body was lost without trace and he is commemorated with eternal honour on the Le Touret Memorial to the Missing.

[1/7th LIVERPOOL REGIMENT]
The 7th Liverpool Regt was a unit of the Territorial Force which had its HQ at 99 Park Street, Bootle. It was made up of A to D (Bootle) Coys., E (Crosby) Coy., F (Bootle) Coy, G (Southport) Coy, H (Southport and Formby) Coy. It had a Cadet Corps, Southport Cadet Corps based at 60 Scarisbrick New Road, Southport.

[4th AUGUST 1914]
They were serving with Liverpool Brigade, West Lancashire Division when war broke out in August 1914. They proceeded to France on the 8th of March 1915, landing at Le Havre and joined 6th Brigade, 2nd Division. They saw action at The Battle of Festubert and The Battle of Loos. On the 4th of September 1915 they transferred to 5th Brigade still with 2nd Division then on the 15th of November 1915 they transferred to 22nd Brigade, 7th Division. On the 7th of January 1916 they joined 165th Brigade in the newly reformed 55th (West Lancashire) Division who were concentrating in the Hallencourt area. On the 16th of February 1916 the Division relieved the French 88th Division south of Arras, they moved to The Somme in late July taking over a section of front line near the village of Guillemont. They were in action at the The Battle of Guillemont, The Battle of Ginchy, The Battle of Flers-Courcelette and The Battle of Morval. The Division moved to Flanders in october 1916 and took over the front line between Wieltje and Railway Wood. In 1917 they were in action at Pilkem Ridge and Menin Road Ridge during the Third Battle of Ypres. They moved south to Cambrai where they suffered very heavily during the German Counter Attacks on the 30th of November 1917. In the Spring of 1918 they were in action in the Battle of the Lys including the Defence of Givenchy on the 9th to the 17th of April. In October they took part in the Final Advance in Artois. After the Armistice they were ordered to advance through Belgium and occupy the Rhine bridgeheads, but these orders were with drawn and the Division was demobilised in Brussels between January and April 1919.


















A poignant and historically important assembly which starkly demonstrates the incalculable risks of just being on active service in France during the Great War where instant death could arrive out of the blue in a second.

Medals are GVF and with original mint ribbons. Plaque EF with light cleaning. Scroll was lucky to survive and came taped together with Sellotape. We have fully renovated the scroll and remounted it on a light cartridge paper backing ready for framing. With M.I.C. and rarely surviving full service papers.
An excellent group.


£695