Pte 17159 James Johnston

• Age: 18
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

17159 Private James JOHNSTON, 18^th Battalion KLR.

The 1901 Census finds a 3 year old James incorrectly listed as Johnstone, living with his widowed mother and two siblings. His mother, Ann is 32 years of age, born in Liverpool and is a grocer's shopkeeper. James' siblings, all born in Liverpool, are shown as Richard aged 10 and Walter aged 6. Also present is Mary Westhoff described as maternal aunt and Mary Westhoff aged 1 month and described as cousin. 

His mother remarried to Patrick McGill in 1902 at Liverpool, Register Office or Registrar Attended.   

The 1911 Census shows James aged 13 years old living with Patrick McGill, a 42 year old dock labourer and his wife Ann, a 42 year old shopkeeper. The family are living at 17, Ambrose Place, Latimer Street, Liverpool which is the address given in James’s attestation papers. His siblings are declared as; Richard aged 20 and a clerk for Church furnishers and art metal workers and Walter a 16 year old grocer's shop assistant. Also declared is 8 year old Edward Westhoff. 

James was a member of St Sylvester's Young Men's Society and played for the football team.

James enlisted on 31st August 1914 in Liverpool joining the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 17159, and as he was underage he gave his age incorrectly as 19 years 60 days, His next of kin was given as his mother Annie of 50 Latimer Street, Kirkdale. He was described as being a clerk and was 5'7" tall, weighed 116lbs, chest 34”, with a sallow complexion, brown eyes and brown hair. He stated his religion as Roman Catholic.  

From the 23^rd September 1914 he was billeted at Hooton Park Race Course and remained there until 03^rd December 1914 when they moved into the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 18th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. 

On the 6th July 1915 he went absent for 16 hours and consequently received 3 days CB and loss of pay.

James sailed for France with his Battalion aboard the SS Invicta on 07th November 1915.

He was killed in action during the attack at Montauban on 01^st July 1916.

18^th Battalion Diary

At 6.30am the artillery commenced an intensive bombardment of the enemy’s trenches. Zero Hour – 7.30 am – the battalion commenced to leave their trenches and the attack commenced. The attack was pressed with great spirit and determination in spite of heavy shelling and machine gun enfilade fire which caused casualties amounting to 2/3rds of the strength of the Battalion in action. The whole system of German trenches including the Glatz Redoubt was captured without any deviation from the scheduled programme. Consolidated positions and made strong points for defence against possible counter attacks.

Graham Maddocks provides more detail concerning the events of the day:

As the first three waves began to move forward towards the German reserve line, known as Alt Trench and then on to the Glatz Redoubt itself, they suddenly came under enfilading fire from the left. This was from a machine gun which the Germans had sited at a strong point in Alt Trench. The gun itself was protected by a party of snipers and bombers, who, hidden in a rough hedge, were dug into a position in Alt Trench, at its junction with a communication trench known as Alt Alley. These bombers and snipers were themselves protected by rifle fire from another communication trench, Train Alley which snaked back up the high ground and into Montauban itself. The machine gun fire was devastating and it is certain that nearly of the Battalion’s casualties that day were caused by that one gun.  

Lieutenant Colonel Edward Henry Trotter  wrote in the conclusion of his account of the days action:

I cannot speak to highly of the gallantry of the Officers and men. The men amply repaid the care and kindness of their Company Officers, who have always tried to lead and not to drive. As laid down in my first lecture to the Battalion when formed, in the words of Prince Kraft:

“Men follow their Officers not from fear, but from love of the Regiment where everything had always and at all times gone well with them”.    

Joe Devereux in his book A Singular Day on the Somme gives the Casualty Breakdown for the 18^th Battalion as Killed in Action 7 Officers and 165 men and of those who died in consequence of the wounds 3 Officers and 19 men a total of 194 out of a total loss for the four Liverpool Pals Battalions of 257.

His death was reported in the Nottingham and Midland Catholic News on 02nd September 1916: 

James' body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.

The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916. 

On 01st August 1932 the Prince of Wales and the President of France inaugurated the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy. The inscription reads: “Here are recorded the names of officers and men of the British Armies who fell on the Somme battlefields between July 1915 and March 1918 but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.

He is also remembered on the war memorial in St Anthony’s Roman Catholic Church, Scotland Road, Liverpool.

His brother Sergeant Walter Johnson who was 21 years old, died of wounds in France on 04th July 1916 just three days after James. He served with "A" Battery 170 Brigade, Royal Field Artillery and he rests at St Sever Cemetery Rouen, Plot A, Row 22, Grave 26.

As of May 1919 his surviving sibling was listed as Richard Johnston aged 28 of 39 Walton lane, Liverpool. 

His mother Annie died, aged 70, in the June quarter of 1957.  Her second husband Patrick had died in 1933 aged 64.

We currently have no further information on James Johnston, if you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.