The families of William Arthur Liversage and Thomas Henry Wimbush, who are on the Sandycroft War Memorial and with Edward Joseph Stenner are also on the Hawarden WW2 War Memorial, and who all gave their lives for us all, are joined through family ties, as the clues were in the last newspaper cutting of the “Roll of Honour,” below, from the 7th of October 1944, and I was able to join them together.
William Arthur Liversage was born in the December quarter of 1916, the son of John Samuel & Edith Emily Liversage, (nee Boddy), (Flintshire (Mold) HAW/21A/52). They had married on the 19th June 1909 at St. Mark’s Church, Lache-cum-Saltney, Cheshire. John Samuel Liversage, 23, a bachelor and Labourer, his address was 5, William’s Row, Bridge Street, his father was John Liversage, Labourer, his bride, Edith Emily Boddy was 20 a spinster, and lived at 2a, Bridge Street, her father, John Boddy was deceased but had been a Chainstriker. (After Banns).
Witnesses:- John Llewellyn Edwards , Florence Edwards & John Boddy.
They first appear on the 1911 census living at 27, Pheonix Street, Sandycroft, West Saltney, Flintshire (4 rooms). John Samuel, 25, was an Electric Crane Driver, his wife Edith Emily, 22, tells us that they had been married 2 years and 1 child, had been born and was still living. All had been born in the Hawarden Parish. There were 4 Boarders there as well, Albert Edward & Minnie Langley with their 2 children , Hilda Mary and Frances, spelt Francis but was a female, age 2 and 1 respectively. All apart from Minnie had been born in the Hawarden Parish as well, she had been born in Bunbury Parish, Cheshire.
Looking back on John Samuel, the 1901 census shows him living at Princess Street, Saltney, Hawarden, Flintshire with his parents and siblings. His father, John Liversage, 38 was a Mineral Water Agent born Bretton, Flintshire, his mother Elizabeth, 36, had been born in born, Bwlch Gwyn, Denbighshire and was Bilingual. John Sam., 15, was an Office Boy, born Hawarden, Emily ,13 and Annie*, 7, had been born in Bretton, Arthur, 5, Hannah 5, William, 4 and Alice, 1, had all been born in Saltney, Flintshire.
*Married Thomas WIMBUSH 1918 and whose son Thomas Henry Wimbush was also to die in WW2.
John Samuel was the brother of Edward Thomas Liversage, (born 1905) who married Violet Elizabeth Stenner in 1933, in fact the Liversage family was the connection between all three families. Connecting the three soldiers, who all gave their lives for us. William Arthur, above, Edward Joseph Stenner and Thomas Henry Wimbush, please see the newspaper cutting and 1939 National Register below#.
In 1911 the census was filled in and signed for the first time, by the householder and John Samuel’s father, John Liversage was very formal when filling the form in – first couple of lines:-
LIVERSAGE, Mr. (sic) Husband (sic), 48 (Married 25 years) Lab. Moulding Shop, Ironworks born Bretton, Flints, LIVERSAGE, Mrs (sic) Wife, 46, (10 children born, 3 died) born Bwychgwyn, Denbighshire (Bilingual), then Willie, 14, a Labourer, Annie, 15, a Tape Wrapper, Auther (sic)(Arthur?), 15, a Labourer and Edward, 5, had been born in Saltney. Also in the household was a Williams family, Edward, 35, a Mariner, born Shotton, Martha , 32, born Sandycroft and Charlotte their daughter, 10, born Shotton, Flintshire. They were living at 3, West Row, Sandycroft, Flintshire and the census form was signed by John LIVERSAGE.
The 1921 census which was taken on the 19th of June 1921, sheds a little more light on the family as they are seen living at 27, Phoenix Street, Sandycroft, Flintshire. John Samuel Liversage is head of the household and is now aged 35 years and 3 months old, he was an Electric Crane Driver for the Sandycroft Foundry Ltd., Engineering in Sandycroft. His wife Edith Emily Liversage was now 32 years and 4 months old. Their children were John Alfred Liversage was 11 years and 8 months old, Leslie Liversage was 8 years and 6 months old, Gladys May Liversage was 7 years and 1 month old and William Arther Liversage was 4 years and 8 months old, all born Hawarden, Flintshire.
There is an entry in the North Wales Death indexes for the year: March quarter of 1922 – LIVERSAGE, John Samuel (Flintshire (Mold)HAW/14A/20), age 36 years, so it seems that the family were to suffer bereavement as early as 1922.
St. Ethelwold’s Church Parish Registers –Marriages – 28th January 1933 Edward Thomas Liversage, 27, Bachelor, Labourer, 88, Chester Road, Shotton, John Liversage, Deceased & Violet Elizabeth Stenner, 25, Spinster, 32, Bridge Street, Shotton, Edward Stenner, Ironworker. (After Banns).
Witnesses:- Lily Victoria Stenner & George Ledson Coppack.
# 1939 National Register for 87 Phoenix Street, Hawarden R.D., Flintshire, Wales. Edward T. Liversage was born 5th of September 1905 and was a Rope Splicer in the Steel Works, Violet E (Vivian?) Liversage*, date of birth was the 28th of December 1907 and as most women on the Register that did not do specific work or had a job, she was described as doing “Unpaid Domestic Duties,” there were 2 redacted or closed records, so I do not know who they were.
*Sister of Edward Joseph STENNER on the WW2 war Memorial at Hawarden. – Connection to EDWARD JOSEPH STENNER via LIVERSAGE Family –below:-
The 1939 National Register for 76 Phoenix Street, Sandycroft , Hawarden, shows Edith E. Liversage was born the 4th of Feb 1889, was widowed and doing “Unpaid Domestic Duties,” Leslie Liversage, born 11th of December 1912, Male, a Steel Worker – Steel Works and single, William A. Liversage, born 8th of October, 1916, Steelworker, Steel Works, Single. John W.Griffiths, born the 5th of July 1886, a married Hair Dresser.
I do not know anything about William Arthur’s childhood or teenage years, but we do know from the Royal Welsh Fusiliers Enlistment Register that William Arthur enlisted on the 15th March 1940 and that he was transferred on the 24th of November 1942 to the Durham Light Infantry, his Documents were sent to York on the 1st January 1943.
In the December quarter of 1940 William Arthur married Kathleen Veronica Boswell (Birkenhead Vol. 8a Page 1884) in Birkenhead, but I don’t know how or when he met her, but it was after he had enlisted in the March of 1940.
Excerpt from :-
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/units/248/durham-light-infantry/
8th DLI Battalion:
They served in N Africa, Gazala, Gabr el Fakri, Mersa Matruh, El Alamein, Mareth; Landing in Sicily, Primosole Bridge. The also took part in the assault landings in Normandy in June 1944 and saw action in the advance towards Germany, Villers Bocage, St Pierre la Vielle, Gheel.
Excerpt from the History of the Leopoldsburg War Cemetery on CWGC Citation for William Arthur:- Commonwealth forces did not return until September 1944, but in the intervening years, many airmen were shot down or crashed in raids on strategic objectives in Belgium, or while returning from missions over Germany. There are about 35 original burials in Leopoldsburg War Cemetery associated with isolated engagements in or near the town in May 1940. Of the remainder, some are burials from a military hospital which was established at Leopoldsburg during the latter part of 1944 and others were brought into the cemetery from the surrounding district.
The casualty List 1563 (Page 19) shows 15 men from the Durham Light Infantry dying between the 9th and the 11th of September 1944. 8 died on the 9th, 2, including William Arthur on the 10th and 5 on the 11th.
Presumably he was initially buried on the day of his death, the 10th of September at Westerloo, (Belgium), then William Arthur, along with others who can be seen on the CWGC Grave Concentration Report Form, were then reburied on the 26th of April 1946 at Leopoldsburg War Cemetery.
As can be seen below, by his Gravestone inscription, he was well loved and his name was added to the Hawarden and Sandycroft War Memorials, and was one of 3 cousins who died in WW2.
“HIS SMILING FACE HIS LOVING WAYS I WILL REMEMBER TO THE END OF MY DAYS”
