Pte 17861 Henry Arthur Jones

• Age: 32
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• Died Monday 29th July 1918
• Commemorated at: Berlin South West Cem
  Panel Ref: V.F.2

Henry Arthur  Jones was born on the 08th November 1885 in Liverpool and was the son of John Allanson Jones and his wife Elizabeth who were married in 1882 in Toxteth Park, Liverpool.  

1891 Census - 46 Albany Road, West Derby - Parents with children John A, Elizabeth, Henry, Florence and Emma - Father was a Plumber Contractor.

1901 Census – 4 Towerlands Street, West Derby - Parents with children John Allanson, Elizabeth, Henry (a House painter), Florence, Frances and Frederick. The family were at the same address in 1911 with Elsie, Henry, Florence, Frances and Frederick.

On 1911 Census Henry is aged 25 and employed as a house painter. 

Henry Arthur enlisted in Liverpool on 12th September 1914 joining the 19th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 17861. He gave his age as 29 years and 281 days and his occupation as a Building Contractor. He is described as being 5' 7 inches tall and weighed 134lbs. He had hazel coloured eyes and brown hair.

Formed on 07^th September 1914 the 19^th Battalion trained locally at Sefton Park and remained living at home or in rented accommodation until November 1914. They then moved to the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. 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. He arrived in France with his battalion on the 7^th November 1915.

In June 1915 whilst stationed at Belton Park he was admonished for not complying with an order.

He saw action on the Somme and received a Gunshot Wound to his right hand on 11th July 1916 during the murderous fighting for Trones Wood and was hospitalised at Boulogne.

He was given his Good Conduct badge on 12th September 1916 for two years service.

He received 7 days Field punishment for not complying with an order in June 1917.

In July he was hospitalised again, this time at Rouen, after receiving wounds to the back of his legs. 

Henry Arthur was taken as a Prisoner of War at St Quentin on 21st March 1918. POW records show that he was wounded in the leg upon his capture. His family were notified on 01st May 1918 that he was listed as missing. International Red Cross records show that he arrived at Zwickau from Sedan. He died of heart failure in the POW hospital at Zwickau on 29th July 1918 and was buried, originally, at Eckersbach.

He was subsequently reburied in Berlin South Western Cemetery. He was 32 years of age although CWGC list his age as 33. 

In 1922-23 it was decided that the graves of Commonwealth servicemen who had died all over Germany should be brought together into four permanent cemeteries. Berlin South-Western was one of those chosen and in 1924-25, graves were brought into the cemetery from 146 burial grounds in eastern Germany. There are now 1,176 First World War servicemen buried or commemorated in the Commonwealth plot at Berlin South-Western Cemetery. The total includes special memorials to a number of casualties buried in other cemeteries in Germany whose graves could not be found. The following cemeteries are among those from which graves were brought to Berlin South-Western Cemetery:- ALTDAMM PRISONERS OF WAR CEMETERY, 8 kilometres East of Stettin, in the Province of Pommern (Pomerania), contained the graves of 46 soldiers from the United Kingdom, three from Newfoundland and two from Canada, who died in 1915-1918. BUDEROSE PRISONERS OF WAR CEMETERY, near Guben, in the Province of Brandenburg, contained the graves of 18 soldiers from the United Kingdom, one from Canada and one from Australia, all of whom died in 1918. CROSSEN PRISONERS OF WAR CEMETERY, 3 kilometres East of Crossen, on the river Oder, in the Province of Brandenburg, contained the graves of 66 sailors and soldiers from the United Kingdom, one from Australia and one from South Africa all of whom died in 1918. DOBERITZ PRISONERS OF WAR CEMETERY, about 19 kilometres West of Berlin, in the Province of Brandenburg, contained the graves of 38 sailors and soldiers from the United Kingdom who died in 1914-1918. HASENHEIDE GARRISON CEMETERY, on the South side of the city of Berlin, contained the graves of 369 Russian, 125 French, and 58 Belgian, American, Italian, Rumanian, Portuguese or Serbian soldiers; 63 sailors, soldiers and Marines from the United Kingdom; and one Indian soldier. HEILSBERG PRISONERS OF WAR CEMETERY, in Ostpreussen (East Prussia), contained the graves of 50 soldiers and one Marine from the United Kingdom, who died in 1917 and 1918. Only twelve of which were found when the graves were being recovered; the remainder are still buried at Heilsberg. KLEIN WITTENBERG OLD CEMETERY, 3 kilometres West of Wittenberg, in the Prussian province of Saxony, contained the graves of 23 soldiers, one Marine and eight civilians from the United Kingdom and one soldier from India, all of whom died in 1915; the NEW (or PRISONERS OF WAR) CEMETERY, those of 71 soldiers and three civilians from the United Kingdom, two soldiers from Canada and one from Australia, who died in 1915, 1917 and 1918; and WITTENBERG OLD SMALL CEMETERY those of two soldiers from the United Kingdom who died in 1914 and 1915. The first and third of these cemeteries are associated with the outbreak of typhus at the Wittenberg camp in December 1914. LAMSDORF PRISONERS OF WAR CEMETERY, in Schlesien (Silesia), contained the graves of 81 soldiers from the United Kingdom, one from Australia and one from New Zealand, who died in 1917-1919 (it was used for French burials in 1870-71). MAGDEBURG MILITARY CEMETERY, in Prussian Saxony, contained the graves of 24 soldiers and one Marine from the United Kingdom who died in 1915-1918. MERSEBURG TOWN CEMETERY, in Prussian Saxony, contained the graves of 12 soldiers from the United Kingdom who died in 1914-1917, and the PRISONERS OF WAR CEMETERY those of 33 soldiers from the United Kingdom who died in 1917-1918. OPPELN TOWN CEMETERY, in Upper Silesia, contained the graves of 41 soldiers from the United Kingdom who died in 1921-22. They belonged to the British force stationed in Upper Silesia during the Plebiscite. Thirty of them, who died after the legal termination of the war, were left buried at Oppeln. SCHNEIDEMUHL PRISONERS OF WAR CEMETERY, in Posen, West Prussia, on the borders of Poland, contained the graves of 76 soldiers from the United Kingdom, five from Australia, three of the Royal Guernsey Light Infantry, and one from Canada, who died in 1915-1918. Eighteen of the graves could not be recovered. STARGARD PRISONERS OF WAR CEMETERY, in Pomerania, contained the graves of 37 soldiers and one Marine from the United Kingdom, two soldiers from New Zealand and one of the Royal Guernsey Light Infantry, who died in 1917-1918. STENDAL PRISONERS OF WAR CEMETERY, in Prussian Saxony, contained the graves of 140 soldiers from the United Kingdom, two from Canada and one from Newfoundland, who died in 1917-1918. ZERBST (HEIDETOR) CEMETERY, in Anhalt, contained the graves of two soldiers from the United Kingdom who died in 1914-1915, and the PRISONERS OF WAR CEMETERY those of 45, who died in 1917-1918.

Henry’s death was reported in the Liverpool Echo on 1st and 2nd November 1918.

Roll of Honour -

JONES – Private H. A. (Harry) (“Pals”) wounded POW March 22 died in hospital from heart failure at Zwickan, Germany on July 29. The dearly beloved second son of Mr & Mrs J. Allanson Jones, the old Parsonage, Edge Hill, Liverpool.

JONES – July 29 in Zwickan, Germany Private Henry Arthur Jones (KLR) dearly loved Fiance of Margaret S Thompson. Deeply mourned by all at 59 Watford Road.

JONES – July 29 at Zwickan from heart failure Private H A Jones (“Pals”) the dearly beloved brother and brother in law of Mr & Mrs J Allanson Jones 1 Huntley Road, Fairfield.

Soldiers Effects to his father John Allanson.

Probate was granted 6th May 1919 to his father John. 

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