Pte 16144 Charles Phillips Jones

• Age: 21
• From: Abergele, N.Wales
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Charles Phillips Jones was born in Abergele, North Wales in September 1894 and resided in Rhuddlan, Flintshire. He was the son of Charles Phillips Jones and his wife Mary Jane (nee Williams). 

The 1901 Census shows the family are living at 3 Castle Place, Abergele. His father is  aged 38, a journeyman baker born in Shropshire in 1863, whilst his mother is aged 36, and was born in Abergele in 1865. Charles is shown as 6 years of age and is the youngest of three children. he has two sisters; Lizzie b.1889 and Annie b.1892. There is a servant and two boarders also present in the household.

He was educated at Abergele Grammar School from 1907 until 1910. 

The 1911 Census shows the family living at Metrople Cafe, Abergele. His father is aged 50, a confectioner, whilst his mother is aged 49. THey stated that they had been married for 24 years and had three children. Two of the children are declared in the household; Charles is now 16 and is shown as a law agents clerk. His sister Annie is aged 19 and assisting in the family business. 

In February 1911 the local newspaper congratulated Master Charlie Jones of the Metropole Cafe who had just successfully passed his Students’ Examination and been admitted a student of the Surveyors’ Institute.

He enlisted in Liverpool on 24th September 1914 and gave his age as 20 years and 3 days old and occupation as a surveyor. He was described as being five feet eight inches tall, weighed 140lbs, with a 37” chest, afresh complexion, blue eyes and black hair. He stated  his religion as Church of England. 

He was billeted at Prescot Watch Factory, he trained there and also at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 17th 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.

The local press published the names of local men who were serving in the 1st Liverpool Pals on 19th November 1914:  C.P. Jones, Metropole, formerly surveyor in the Colwyn Bay office of Mr. Birch, estate agent; Rowland Jones, Park Vilas;  Noel Unsworth, Garswood;  T. R. Mills, Marine Villas (Pte. 16038 Thomas Reginald Mills, suffered wounds to the face and jaw on 30th July 1916, and was discharged with a Silver War Badge on 15/04/18.) 

14.9.15: Charles was appointed unpaid Lance Corporal.

05.10.15: At Larkhill Camp: Reverted back to Private by order of the C.O ( Lt Col Fairfax) for absence without leave from midnight 2.10.15-12.25am 5.10.15. He was severely reprimanded and forfeited 3 days’ pay.

07.11.15: Embarked for France with his battalion.

His military record shows Qualification: Signaller.

He was serving in the 17^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 16144 when he was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 21, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive.
 
17th Battalion Diary 30th July 1916

The Battalion was in support to 19 & 20 Battalions K.L.R. 2 Coys. behind 19th & 2 Coys. behind 20th. Very thick mist. The attack was pushed home to the objective in places but in the main was held up by machine gun fire from hidden machine guns.

Fighting continued all day swaying backwards and forwards until by 6pm about 300 yards in depth had been gained & consolidated all along our front.

Casualties in the 17th Battalion were 15 Officers and 281 Other Ranks

Further details are reported in more detailed by Everard Wyrall in his book The History of the King’s Regiment (Liverpool) 1914-1919 Volume II 1916-1917

The 17th King’s had advanced (two companies each behind the 19th and 20th Battalions) in small columns. They too suffered heavily from machine-gun fire and were quickly absorbed into the waves that preceded them. They also shared the gains and losses of that terrible day.

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30th Division held a line from the railway on the eastern side of Trones Wood , southwards and including Arrow Head Copse, to east of Maltz Horn Farm. On this line the division was relieved by the 55th Division during the early hours of the 31st July. 

The events of 30th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89th Brigade written by Brigadier General Ferdinand Stanley which gives an indication of the events of the day.

Guillemont

Well the hour to advance came, and of all bad luck in the world it was a thick fog; so thick that you couldn’t see more than about ten yards. It was next to impossible to delay the attack – it was much too big an operation- so forward they had to go. It will give some idea when I say that on one flank we had to go 1,750 yards over big rolling country. Everyone knows what it is like to cross enclosed country which you know really well in a fog and how easy it is to lose your way. Therefore, imagine these rolling hills, with no landmarks and absolutely unknown to anyone. Is it surprising that people lost their way and lost touch with those next to them? As a matter of fact, it was wonderful the way in which many men found their way right to the place we wanted to get to. But as a connected attack it was impossible.

The fog was intense it was practically impossible to keep direction and parties got split up. Owing to the heavy shelling all the Bosches had left their main trenches and were lying out in the open with snipers and machine guns in shell holes, so of course our fellows were the most easy prey.

It is so awfully sad now going about and finding so many splendid fellows gone.  

Charlie was reported as killed in action in the Liverpool Daily Post on 12th September 1916: 

Killed. 

King’s(Liverpool Regiment) Jones, 16144, C. P. (North Wales); 

A newspaper report gave details of his life before the Army:

Private C.P. Jones son of Mr C.P. Jones, Metropole, has been killed in action. Prior to joining the Liverpool "Pals" he was employed at Mr R.E. Birch's estate office at Colwyn Bay. He was a keen footballer, and played back in the Abergele Juniors league team.       

Charlie was not the only Abergele casualty at Guillemont.  The North Wales Weekly News reported on 17th August 1916:

“The sad news reached Mr. and Mrs. C.P. Jones, The Metropole, on Thursday that their only son, Private “Charlie” Jones, had been killed in action during the great advance in France.  The deceased young man, who joined the “Pals” at Llandudno shortly after the outbreak of war, was a general favourite in Abergele and Colwyn Bay, where he was employed in Mr. R. E. Birch’s estate office.  The news was conveyed to the family in a letter sent by his boon companion, Pte. Rolie Jones, in the following terms:-

‘It is with much regret that I write to tell you of what happened to poor Charlie on the morning of the 30th July.  As far as I can gather from the men who were with Charlie at the time, he was missed when the fighting was at its height, and after making numerous enquiries I found out that he had been killed - instantaneously, I think…   Noel Unsworth is also missing.  It was a fearful shock to me and all his friends who were lucky enough to come out of it all.  Fancy - in one night - one night of hell - two out of the four Abergele boys in this battalion snatched away.

‘The night before we went into action Noel, Charlie and I had a long talk about poor Eddie’s death, and we all shook hands saying that we would soon be home again. Up to that time the four of us have had the best of luck, going through it all from the beginning without a scratch… I feel ready to cry my heart out every minute.  It was a devilish fight on that morning and it is wonderful to think that any of us got through alright.  I cannot tell you how sorry I am for you all and for the Unsworth family.’”

Rolie Jones is likely Pte. 16048 Roland W. P. Jones, 17th Bn., from Carnarvonshire, who later lived in Abergele; he survived the war. Eddie is most likely Edward (Eddie) Williams of Abergele, he was serving in the 13th Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers when he was killed in action on 10th July 1916.  He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme. 

Charlie has no known grave and is also 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.”

His father was notified in November 1916 there were no personal effects of Charlie’s to be returned.

His outstanding Army pay and a War Gratuity of £8-10s went to his father.

His family remembered him in the Liverpool Echo, on the first anniversary of his death; 30th July 1917 under the heading Lost At The Battle of Guillemont:

“In proud and loving memory of Charles Phillips Jones (1st Battalion Liverpool Pals), the dearly-loved and only son of Mr. and Mrs. C. P. Jones, Metropole, Abergele, who was killed in France, July 30, 1916.

All is dark within our dwelling,
Lonely are our hearts today;
For the one who smiled to cheer us
Has for ever passed away.

Father, Mother, and Sisters.”  

Charlie is remembered on the Abergele War Memorial.

The pension card in the name of his mother at Ty Isa Farm, Rhuddlan, Flintshire (about 5 miles from Abergele), shows that she was awarded a pension of 5/- a week from September 1919.

In 1919 his parents were living at Ty Isa Farm. Both his sisters were married, Lizzie living in Abergele and Annie in Rhuddlan.  

Charlie earned his three medals.

Five years after Charlie’s death his father wrote to Infantry Records on 02nd September 1921:

“I would be greatly obliged if you can give me any information in regards to the grave of this soldier (my son), killed in action on 30th July, 1916, in Gillimont [sic].”

He was notified in reply that,

“No grave registration has as yet been received in this office”, and that he should address future enquiries to the Imperial War Graves Commission in Baker Street, London".

His mother died on the 30th June 1938, aged 76. His father continued to run the Metropole Cafe. 

Probate:- 

JONES Mary Jane of Metropole Cafe Abergele Denbighshire (wife of Charles Phillips Jones) died 30 June 1938. Administration Bangor 30 May to Midland Bank Executor and Trustee Co. Effects £237 10s. 

At the outbreak of the Second World War his father is 80 years old and still working as a confectioner at the Metropole. Gwendoline Williams born in 1904 is a housekeeper/assistant.

His father died on the 21st December 1956 in his 96th year. The local newspaper reported the death of “Abergele’s oldest tradesman” who had remained active and worked until shortly before his death.  He left two daughters and a number of grandchildren.  The paper noted that his only son “was killed on the Somme in 1916”. 

Probate:- 

JONES Charles Phillips otherwise Charles Phillip of the Metropole Cafe Abergele Denbighshire died 21 December 1956 Probate Bangor 15 April to Midland Bank Executor and Trustee Company Limited. Effects £4472 6s 11d. 

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