Gilks, Herbert Patrick

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Herbert Patrick Gilks

235401, Private, 15th Lancashire Fusiliers
Killed in action, 10 August 1918, aged 30
No known grave (Vis-en-Artois Memorial, France)

CWGC registered (no family details)

Herbert Patrick Gilks, the son of William Gilks, a painter and decorator, and Clara Gilks (née Rogers) was born at Leamington Spa, Warwickshire in 1888. The Census for 1891 records the family living in Leamington Spa; ten years later the family lived at Kenilworth and Herbert (13) was recorded as an errand boy. The Census of 1911 records the family living at Malvern though Herbert is recorded as a porter working and living at the Imperial Hotel at Llandudno. In 1914, Herbert married Annie Pritchard and their first child Elizabeth P Gilks was born in the same year. Their second child, Zena R Gilks was born in 1916.

Herbert Gilks’ army record no longer survives but unusually, his medal records apparently show his regimental progress before and after he disembarked in a theatre of war. Combining this information with the publication Soldiers Died in the Great War, it appears that Herbert enlisted at Llandudno into the Royal Welsh Fusiliers in about June 1916. The first recorded battalion in which he served was the 3rd (Reserve) Garrison Battalion which had formed at Wrexham in February 1916 moving to Abergele, Rhyl and Oswestry. His regimental number was 51237. Later, possibly June 1916, Herbert was transferred to the 4th Reserve East Lancashire Regiment, Territorial Force with a service number of 5769. His next posting was to the 12th Battalion of the King’s Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment), Territorial Force (formed January 1917), with a service number of 265094. His last posting appears to have been to the 15th (Service) Battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers with a regimental number of 235401. The battalion had formed at Salford in September 1914, disembarking in France in November 1915.

On 8 August 1918, the 15th Lancashire Fusiliers was in the reserve prior to the Battle of Amiens. Two days later, Herbert Gilks was killed in action aged 30 and his body was never knowingly recovered.

In 1928, Annie Gilks married Thomas Williams. It was not until March 1935 when she was granted probate of Herbert’s estate.

Known memorials:

  • Vis-en-Artois Memorial, France
  • Llandudno Roll of Honour
  • Llandudno War Memorial
  • Memorial Chapel, Holy Trinity Church, Llandudno

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