Pte 22741 John Paul Jones

The family lived at 38 Etna Street at the time of the 1891 census.

John was 43, Mary Jane 39, son John was 5 years old and the youngest child, he had a sister called Elizabeth who was aged 7 and a brother Albert Edward who was 11. Their half sister Ellen was living there too, aged 18 and working as a charwoman.

Tragedy struck the family in 1894 when both parents died within a month of one another. They were both buried in West Derby Cemetery, John in November, aged 47 and Mary Jane in December 1894, aged 42. Ellen was 21, Albert 14, Elizabeth 10 and John 9. It seems that Ellen kept the family together. Albert married in 1900 and in 1901 Ellen, Elizabeth and John were all living together at 60 Brooklands Road, West Derby. Ellen is the head of the family, she’s 28 and working as a laundress. Elizabeth was 17 and a domestic servant, and John was 15 and an office boy. They have an Ethel and Annie Reid living with them as boarders.

John’s sister Elizabeth married in July 1907, at which John Paul was a witness.

In the 1911 census it’s recorded that Ellen, aged 38, and John aged 25 are sharing a house at 11 Shaftesbury Terrace Stoneycroft. Ellen is keeping house and John is a warehouseman in a biscuit factory.

His sister Elizabeth Mary, is living with her husband and daughter in Kensington, Liverpool.

John enlisted on the 09th November 1914 at Liverpool, joining the 20th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 22741. He gave his age as 29 years and five months and his occupation as a warehouseman. He was five feet four and half inches tall, weighed 116lbs, fresh complexion, brown eyes, dark brown hair and gave his religion as Church of England. He gives as next of kin his sister Ellen Jane Clay, 11 Shaftesbury Terrace.  Ellen’s name is crossed out and replaced with that of Dorothy Melvina Jones, 3 Littledale Cottage. This, and further entries in his military service record, were record keeping errors.

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. On 30th April 1915 the 20th 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 at Larkhill, for being absent for 24 hours on 02nd October 1915, John was confined to barracks for three days and forfeited two days’ pay. 

On 07th November 1915 he embarked for France with his battalion.

His service records erroneously show:

19.04.1915: appointed unpaid Lance Corporal

01.07.1915: appointed paid Lance Corporal

08.03.1916: promoted Corporal

01.07.1916: appointed Acting Sergeant

In October 1916 the military authorities realised the error (confusion with John B. Jones no. 22743, also 20th Bn. and also Missing and Killed in action on 30th July 1916).  

His rank was corrected:  “Above entries expunged 09/12/16”.

John Paul was killed in action on the 30th July 1916 , aged 31, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive.

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.   

A notice appeared in the Liverpool Daily Post on the 12th September 1916. 

Missing.  

Private John Paul Jones K.L.R., his sister Miss E.J. Clay resides at 12 Feltoon Grove, Stoneycroft. Previous to enlisting in November 1914 he was warehouseman in Crawfords for 10-years. 

He was also reported missing in paper 14th September 1916, incorrectly as Sergt.

Nearly a year later, on 13th June 1917, the War Office officially accepted his death as having occurred on or since 30th July 1916.

John Paul's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme.

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 Army pay and a War Gratuity of £7-10s went to Ellen.  From the pension card in her name, at 12 Felton Grove, it is not clear whether a pension was awarded.

On the second anniversary of his death, in 1918, his loved ones placed a notice in the Liverpool Echo: 

“In loving memory of our dear brother, Private John Paul Jones, killed in action July 30, 1916. - Never forgotten by his sisters Nellie and Cissie.” 

He is also remembered on the following Memorials:

William Crawford & Sons Ltd Biscuit Manufacturer Roll of Honour Book commemorating the factory’s staff who lost their lives in the war.

St. Anne’s Church, Stanley, Liverpool 

And on the West Derby Cemetery headstone with his mother, sister Ellen, and other maternal relatives -

                   ALSO JOHN PAUL JONES

          THE BELOVED SON OF THE ABOVE

WHO WAS KILLED IN ACTION 30TH JULY 1916

                           AGED 31 YEARS

                “FOR EVER WITH THE LORD”