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Edward Wallace
6349, Private, 13th (or 1/10th [TF] att 13th) The King’s (Liverpool Regiment)
Died of wounds, 17 August 1916, aged 39
Buried at Dive Copse British Cemetery, Sailly-le-Sec, France
CWGC registered (Mrs Wallace, “Hazel Cottage”, Somerset St, Llandudno)
Edward Wallace was born in Liverpool in 1876. He was the son of Thomas Edward Wallace, a labourer, and Alice Jane Wallace (née Kelly). Thomas Wallace died two years later and Edward’s mother married John Stackhouse in 1879. The Census for 1881 records the family living at 6 Scotland Place, Liverpool. On October 3 1900, Edward married Mary Jane Cahill at Emanuel Church, Everton. They both gave their address as 65 Ogwen Street and Edward was described as a shop assistant. On 22 February 1901, Alice Jane Wallace was born at Liverpool. The following year’s census records the family living at 9 Edge Mount, West Derby, Edward being described as a dock labourer. In April 1911, the family lived at 33 Saxony Road, Liverpool. Edward was described as a ship’s steward on the White Star Line. In September 1911, Alice Wallace attended Dyffryn Road Council School, Llandudno for three weeks; her mother was recorded as being her parent and they lived at 52 Mostyn Street. An admission to Mostyn Secondary School, Llandudno in 1914 recorded Edward Wallace as being her parent.
Edward Wallace attested to join the King’s (Liverpool Regiment) 10th (Scottish) Battalion, Territorial Force on 7 December 1915 at Liverpool. This was the last week he could volunteer before conscription was introduced. He gave his address as 52 Landseer Road, Liverpool and described himself as a munition worker. His wife’s address was noted as 26 Mostyn Street, Llandudno. He joined the Reserve and was called up on 23 February 1916.
Shortly after the outbreak of war, the 10th (Scottish) Battalion KLR had split into the 1/10th for service overseas and the 2/10th for home service as a second line battalion. The 1/10th landed in France in November 1914. The 3/10th Battalion had formed at Liverpool in May 1915 and it was to this unit where Edward Wallace was initially posted. The 3/10th was renamed the 10th (Reserve) Battalion in April 1916 when it was located at Oswestry.
Edward Wallace disembarked at Boulogne on 14 July 1916, seemingly destined for the 1/10th Battalion. However, the next entries in his record states that he proceeded to the 13th KLR on 26 July 1916, was wounded in action on 17 August 1916 and died later that day at XIV Corps Main Dressing Station. The Commonwealth War Grave Commission records that Edward Wallace of the 1/10th KLR was buried in Plot II of Dive Copse British Cemetery, Sailly-le-Sec, Somme which contains burials from that dressing station between July and September 1916.
A curious inconsistency is that Edward Wallace’s post-war documents record that he was in the 1/10th or 13th KLR at his death. Both the 1/10th and the 13th battalions were involved in the Battle of the Somme. On 16/17 August, the 13th KLR was involved in a failed attack on the village of Guillemont and sustained 389 casualties whereas the 1/10th was at Méaulte having engaged in a similar failed attack a week earlier with 280 casualties. There are several incidences in the records of soldiers transferring from the 10th to the 13th at the build up to the Battle of the Somme including William Henry Hughes (qv). There can be no doubt both Edward Wallace and William Henry Hughes were fighting with the 13th Battalion when they became casualties.
Mary Jane Wallace OBE died in 1963 and is buried at the Great Orme’s Head Cemetery.
Known memorials:
- Llandudno Roll of Honour
- Llandudno War Memorial
- Memorial Chapel, Holy Trinity Church, Llandudno
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