48558 Private William Edwin Noll, 13th Bn The King's Liverpool Regiment.
- Amanda T
- Mar 9, 2021
- 6 min read
William Noll was my husband's Gret Uncle and it was because of William that I started researching First World War records, after being given his medals and bible for my family-tree research.
William Noll was born on the 10th October 1893 in Liverpool, he was the first child of Edwin and Mary Noll. William was baptised in St James' Church, Toxteth on 1st November 1893 and the baptism record shows that the family lived at 50 Chester Street and Edwin was a mariner.
The 1901 census shows that William, his mother Mary, and siblings Elsie (born 1898) and Redvers (born 1900) were all at 12 Gwendoline Street, the home of Mary's mother.
At the time of the 1911 census, Edwin was again away at sea, Mary and the children (now with the addition of Mabel, born 1910) were living at 12 Gwendoline Street and William was working as a cotton clerk. We know that William worked at the Cotton Exchange in Liverpool and the photo we have of him was probably taken when he got that job.
William enlisted on 28/11/1915 in Liverpool as Rifleman 5411 in the 6th Battalion, The King's Liverpool Regiment (known as the Liverpool Rifles).
After a period of training, the battalion embarked at Folkestone for Boulogne on 15/9/1916, William arrived at 24 Infantry Base Depot 2 days later. On 24/9/1916, William was transferred to the 13th Battalion, The King's Liverpool Regiment with the new regimental number 48558. He remained with the 13th Battalion until the 18th March 1918 when he went missing in action, he was later officially presumed to have died on that date.
The day that William died was a dramatic one for his battalion; they repeatedly held off enemy attacks until eventually, with no reinforcements available, they had to withdraw. The battalion diary entry is transcribed below - places in capitals are as they were recorded in the diary, I have expanded some acronyms for clarity, comments in red are mine, and refer to the section of trench-map below.
Battalion War Diary Extract
28/3/1918
At 4:30 am the enemy put down an intense barrage on the whole of our sector. The Trench Mortar barrage on the front line was more intense than anything previously experienced. The RESERVE LINE was barraged with field guns and heavies. Under cover of this barrage, the enemy launched a terrific attack with masses of troops. In spite of the intensity of the bombardment the front line stood firm and poured a devastating fire into the enemy whose attack was beaten off with colossal casualties to the attackers.
The value of this steadfastness against tremendous odds cannot be estimated – it gave the enemy his first check at a point where he was to be subsequently checked throughout the day. The enemy came back again in a second attack with even greater numbers. The Battalion on our right were pressed back and the enemy poured in behind “C and “D” companies from the right flank. What happened on the left flank is not known. All that is known is that these two companies, attacked on all sides, mounted the parapet, and fought to the finish on the ground on which they stood.
Under cover of the barrage, the enemy came on up the hill to the reserve lines. Owing to the nature of the ground, he could not be observed along most of the battalion front until nearly on our wire. The barrage lifted and in dense waves, the Germans swept onto our lines, it was the beginning of a fierce battle which lasted until 2 pm.
The courage, coolness, and endurance of the garrison were beyond praise. Every rifle and Lewis Gun brought a tremendous volume of fire to bear on the approaching masses.
In spite of his losses, the enemy continued to push on until the thin line remaining could go no further and turned down the slope. Our men mounted the parapet to keep him under fire as long as they could keep him in sight.
The first attack on the first line had been beaten off and our line was everywhere intact.
On the right, we were in touch with the 7th Bn King's Shropshire Light Infantry, and on the left with the 1st Bn NORTHUMBERLAND FUSILIERS. Our Bn HQ on the road (N.26.c.0.8) was also the Bn HQ of the 1st Bn NORTHUMBERLAND FUSILIERS and their HQ also garrisoned the trench in this vicinity. Section N26 is circled in green on the map below.
The road- through which a trench had been dug the night before – was held by a Lewis Gun and a Rifle Grenade Post. All communication by wire was lost from the commencement of the action. Communication was however kept by lamp with the Brigade and by this means some field guns were brought to cover our front on the EASTERN side of the Henin Road. Henin Road is shown on the map.
The enemy now resumed his barrage on our position by firing green lights. An intense barrage came down for 10 or 15 minutes. As soon as it lifted the enemy immediately came on to another attack. This also was repulsed with heavy loss to the enemy. Our flanks were still intact but it was known that further to the left the enemy was making progress and our left flank was becoming exposed. Twice again the enemy fell back, each time bringing down the barrage on our position with green lights and pushing on his attack as soon as it lifted. About midday the enemy’s fourth attack penetrated on our right. A block was immediately made and maintained about 150 yards from the Road on the SOUTHERN side approximately N.25.d.7.4. A defensive flank was put out about N.25. Central and a few men lined the banks of the NEUVILLE VITASSE ROAD to guard our rear as far as was possible. During the morning one company of the 4th Bn ROYAL FUSILIERS had come up to reinforce and was distributed with two platoons on the SW side of the HENIN ROAD, and two platoons, and two platoons near the ST. MARTIN-SUR-COJEUL ROAD in N.25.a. Neuville Vitasse and St Martin Sur Cojeul are both circled in red on the map.
From midday onwards only about 500 of 600 yards of the reserve line remained in our hands, the troops on both flanks having fallen back some hundreds of yards. It was evident that when the next hostile attack came the position would inevitably be surrounded and would hold out no longer. However, it was decided to hold on, though the Brigade message informed us that no reinforcements were available. At 2 pm a message from Brigade instructed us to rendezvous in N.24. central if withdrawal became necessary. Withdrawal to support of the 4th Bn ROYAL FUSILIERS in the GREEN LINE was then decided upon and orders were issued for an immediate withdrawal. It commenced at 3.30 pm, the movement from the front line being covered by small posts and blocks and the defensive flank on the right remaining in position until all the garrison of the reserve Line had moved off to the SW of NEUVILLE VITASSE ROAD by the SUGAR FACTORY. The enemy moving forward for another attack severely harassed the withdrawal and it was only by great gallantry and initiative by individuals that the enemy was warded off until the line was clear.
By 5pm all troops had passed through the GREEN LINE with all wounded evacuated and without anyone being cut off. The Battalion re-organised under cover of the ridge in N.24.Central and at dusk moved back into Brigade Reserve and occupied trenches in M.22.c.
The sugar factory is circled in purple and the green line (British trenches) are shown in green on the original map.
I have marked the places mentioned in this diary entry on the map below. This is extracted from British trench map 51B.SW and you can view the map in detail as well as find out what this area looks like today on the National Library of Scotland website. This version of the map was created from information gathered just one week before William Noll was killed here.
We have no way of knowing exactly when and where William was killed on this day, was he one of the men who 'mounted the parapet to keep [the enemy] under fire as long as he was in sight'? Or perhaps he was in one of the companies on the left flank who 'fought to the finish on the ground on which they stood." William was officially reported missing and his body has never been found or identified so his name is commemorated on the Arras Memorial in France which is about 8 km from the area where he fell.
William's family received the official plaque and scroll as well as William's medals - the British War Medal and the Victory Medal - and among his returned possessions the bible shown below in which William wrote:
Nov 12th 1916
Whoever finds this return to my home address 12 Gwendoline St, Windsor St, Liverpool to my mother, Mrs E Noll who was the best mother a chap ever had. Signed W Noll
God Bless them all a home also my sweetheart. Wm
William's family also had his name added to the War Memorial in St James' Church, Toxteth - the church where he was baptised. The memorial no longer exists but this photo is from a family collection:
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