C.S.M 22740 Frederick Jones

• Age: 28
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• D.O.W Monday 31st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Corbie Cc Ext
  Panel Ref: II.A.32

Frederick Jones was born in about May 1888, the son of David and Margaret Jones. 

The 1901 Census shows Frederick now aged 12 living with his parents and siblings Laura aged 15, Eleanor aged 10 and John aged 3.

By 1911 he is a boarder in the family home of Edwin and Elizabeth Phillips. He is now 22 years of age and is shown as an invoice clerk in the dried fruit trade.   

Frederick enlisted in Liverpool on 05^th November 1914 joining the 20th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment with the service number 22740, giving his age as 26 years and 154 days and his occupation as messenger.  He is described as being 5’ 9” tall, weighing 124 lbs, with a fresh complexion, brown eyes, and light brown hair.  His next of kin is his father David Jones at 50 Index Street, and he gives his religion as Congregational. 

Formed in November 1914 the 20^th Battalion were originally billeted at Tournament Hall, Knotty Ash before on 29^th January 1915 they moved to the hutted accommodation purposely built at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. Promotion through the ranks was rapid;  Frederick was appointed paid Lance Corporal in December 1914 and promoted to Corporal on 9/2/1915, then promoted on probation to Sergeant on 12.3.1915.On 30th April 1915 the 19th 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. 

Frederick arrived in France with his battalion, disembarking at Boulogne on 7^th November 1915.  

He was appointed C.S.M. on 12th February 1916.  

In May 1916 he was granted leave to the UK.

Frederick was wounded in action at Guillemont on 30^th July, and was recovered from the battlefield the next day and admitted to 5 Casualty Clearing Station with a gunshot wound to the shoulder.

The 20^th King’s Battalion Diary records:

“At 4.45am prompt the attack was launched. Unfortunately, a thick mist prevailed and it was impossible to see more than 10 yards ahead. This continued until about 6 o’clock when it lifted slightly, but it was still too hazy and impossible to see what was happening 100 yards ahead. This being so, it was not surprising to find that the attacking waves were experiencing great difficulty in maintaining connection.”

At 6am, Lt. RE Melly, No.1 Company, reported that his men had taken the German Maltz Horn trench.

At 6.30am, 2/Lt. CP Moore reported that he had 150 men, 4 Stokes Mortars and 2 Lewis Guns, but he was the only officer. He also said that due to the fog, both his “flanks were in the air” i.e. he was not in contact with neighbouring troops.

At 9.10am, Moore was still not in contact at his flanks, and now he had only 75 men, he had sent out 2 patrols and neither not returned. Later Moore established communication with the French on his right.

Around 10.00am, 2/Lt Musker reported that he had just over a company with him, but his left flank was suffering from German machine gun fire. Later he reported that he had over 30 casualties from the machine gun fire. His flanks were also “in the air”. No contact was made with this party until the remnants returned around 9.30pm, all runners sent were killed or missing. The War Diary states that this group had: ”held the ground won all day, and this permitted the consolidation of the ground won on the Maltz Horn ridge with little interference from the enemy”.

Relief for 20/Kings had been planned for 11.00pm, but it was 5.00am on the 31st July before it took place, ending a tragic day for the Liverpool Pals.

Casualties for 20^th Battalion were 16 Officers and 357 Other Ranks

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30^th 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 55^th Division during the early hours of the 31^st July. 

The events of 30^th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89^th 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.

Frederick died of his wounds the next day on 31st July 1916. He was 28 years of age.

He now rests at Corbie Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France.

Corbie was about 20 kilometres behind the front when Commonwealth forces took over the line from Berles-au-Bois southward to the Somme in July 1915. The town immediately became a medical centre, with Nos 5 and 21 Casualty Clearing Stations based at La Neuville (the suburb across the Ancre) until October 1916 and April 1917 respectively. In November 1916 the front moved east, but the German advance in the Spring of 1918 came within 10 kilometres of the town and brought with it field ambulances of the 47th Division and the 12th Australian Field Ambulance. The communal cemetery was used for burials until May 1916, when the plot set aside was filled and the extension opened. The majority of the graves in the extension are of officers and men who died of wounds in the 1916 Battle of the Somme. The remainder relate to the fighting of 1918. The communal cemetery contains 249 First World War burials, the extension 918. The extension was designed by Charles Holden.

His death was reported in the local press as follows:

JONES - July 31, died from wounds received in action, aged 28 years, Sergeant-Major Fred Jones ("Pals") only son of David and Margaret Jones. (Deeply mourned by Father, Mother and sister) - 50 Index-street, Walton. 

Pension card shows refusal, dependents mother Mrs. Margaret Jones, 50 Index Street, Liverpool, and sister Mrs. Laura Armstrong, 66 Breeze Hill, Walton.

Frederick earned his three medals;  His father David Jones, 50 Index Street, County Road, Walton, signed on 11^th May 1919 and E. Jones (likely sister Eleanor) signed on 29^th November 1921.

Frederick is commemorated on Liverpool’s Hall of Remembrance, Panel 69.

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