Pte 17228 Charles David Jones

• Age: 20
• From: Everton, Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• D.O.W Sunday 2nd July 1916
• Commemorated at: Daours Cc Ext
  Panel Ref: I.A.3

Charles David Jones was born in Everton, Liverpool on 09th August 1895 along with his twin Gilbert Ellis, he was the son of Griffith Jones and his wife Ellen (nee Short). His parents married at St. Peter's Church, Everton in 1882. 

The 1901 Census shows the family are living at 8 Elsie Road, Walton, Liverpool. Charles is 5 years of age and lives with his parents and eight siblings. His father is a 39 year old metal merchant's traveller, born in Liverpool, whilst his mother is 41 years of age and also born in Liverpool. His siblings are listed as: Charlotte E. aged 18  and a board school pupil teacher, Griffith H. aged 15 and a university lab assistant, Isabel L. 14, Winifred H. 11, Phillip H. 9, Norah M. 7, Gilbert E. 5 and Wilfred E. 1. 

Charles was a member of the Anfield Wesleyan Hockey Club and also of the Church and Sunday School.

By 1911 the family have moved to 63 Richmond Park, Anfield, Liverpool. Charles is now 15 years of age and a paper merchants apprentice. His father is not present but presumbaly travelling with his job as his mother is head of the household. She declares that she is now 50, born in Bitton, Glos,  and has been married for 28 years, all nine of her children have survived. Those still listed in the household are Charlotte E. now 28 and an elementary school teacher, Griffith H. now 25 and a marine engineer, Winifred Hannah 21 no occupation shown, Phillip Harold now 19 and an advertising clerk for a metal polish firm, Norah Myfanwy 17 no occupation shown, Gilbert Ellis 15 and a cotton broker's junior clerk and Wilfred Ernest 11. Also present is Charlotte Short aged 92 who is the maternal grandmother.        

On leaving school he took up an apprenticeship as a clerk with Messrs. Lancelot Steele Dixon and Co Ltd, paper merchants and wholesale staioners of 38 Cable Street, Liverpool.

He enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool on 02nd September 1914, joining the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 17228. He is described as being aged 19 years 24 days, 5' 3" inches, weight 122lbs, with a sallow complexion, blue grey eyes and brown hair. His religion is stated as Wesleyan.

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. 

Whilst training in the UK he specialised as a grenade thrower.  Charles sailed to France with his Battalion on board the SS Invicta on the 07th November 1915.

Whilst in France he attended 30 Division Grenade School for further training between 31st May and 14th June 1916.

On the 01st July 1916, he was wounded in the face and also suffered a fractured femur. He was initially admitted to 96 Field ambulance "dangerously ill" and subsequently moved to 45 Casualty Clearing Station the following day, where he died.

The events of the day upon which he was wounded are described below: 

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. 

Charles now rests at Daours Communal Cemetery Extension, France.

The preparations for the Somme offensive of July 1916 brought a group of casualty clearing stations (the 1st/1st South Midland, 21st, 34th, 45th and Lucknow, section "B") to Daours. The extension to the communal cemetery was opened and the first burials made in Plots I, II, Row A of Plot III and the Indian plot, between June and November 1916. The Allied advance in the spring of 1917 took the hospitals with it, and no further burials were made in the cemetery until April 1918, when the Germans recovered the ground they had lost. From April to the middle of August 1918, the extension was almost a front line cemetery. In August and September 1918, the casualty clearing stations came forward again (the 5th, 37th, 41st, 53rd, 55th and 61st) but in September, the cemetery was closed. There are now 1,231 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in Daours Communal Cemetery Extension. The total includes special memorials to four men of the Chinese labour corps whose graves in White Chateau Cemetery, Cachy, could not be located. The adjoining communal cemetery contains two First World War burials made before the extension was opened. The extension was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

His death was reported in the Liverpool Courier on 22nd July 1916:

"Offical notification has been received by Mrs.Jones, of 22, Empress-road, Liscard, that one of her twin sons, Private Charles D.Jones of the Pals, died at a clearing station in France, July 2nd,of wounds received in action. Private Jones,who was in his 21st year, joined the Pals at the outbreak of war with his twin brother. He was a member of the Anfield Wesleyan Hockey Club and also of the church and sunday school. For the past six years he was on the staff of Messrs.L.S.Dixon and Co.,Ltd., Cable-street, Liverpool".

He was again reported as died of wounds in the Liverpool Daily Post on 22nd August 1916.

His mother was distressed to later receive a letter from the Royal Army Medical Corps stating her son was not seriously wounded and was on his way to England - this was a mistake owing to the common surname Jones.

Soldiers Effects and Pension to mother Ellen. His personal items included:- 2 postcards, 3 letters, 12 photos, wallet, silver cig. case, stamp case containing lock of hair [probably his twin brothers]

As of May 1919 his surviving siblings were listed as; Griffith H. 34, Phillip Harold 27, Gilbert Ellis 23, Wilfred Ernest 19, Charlotte E. Woodhead (Widow) 35, Isabel L. Field 32, Winifred Hannah James (living in Japan) 30 and Norah Myfanwy 26.  

His father died in the June quarter of 1934, aged 72.

His mother died  on 25th March 1951,  in Wallasey.
 
Charles is also comemorated on the following memorials:

Manor Road, Wesleyan Church, Liscard, (now Trinity Methodist Church).

Wallasey Roll of Honour now located in Wallasey Library, Earlston Road 

Wallasey War Memorial located in the Hospital, Mill Lane, Wallasey  

His twin brother Gilbert Ellis also served with the 18th Battalion as No 17239 and later with the Army Service Corps. It is highly likely that Gilbert also took part in the action at Montauban on 01st July 1916.

We currently have no further information on Charles David Jones. If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.