Pte 15661 Leonard Mealor Jones

• Age: 27
• From: Chester
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Guillemont Rd Cem
  Panel Ref: II.J.8

Leonard Mealor Jones was born in Chester in late June 1889 the son of William Roberts Jones and his wife Susan (nee Mealor). His parents married in Christ Church, Bootle in late 1888. He was baptised in Holy Trinity Church, Chester in August 1889. 

His mother, Susan, died in early 1890, aged 36, leaving William at the age of 37, a widower to care for his one year old son.

At the time of the 1891 Census his father is living with Leonard Mealor at 7 Crane Street in Chester. William was a draper so presumably he’s living above the shop. Living with him are his married sister Annie Davies and her daughter Mary Ellen Davies aged 16, and also another nephew called John Rimmer Jones aged 25 who is working in the shop as a drapers assistant. Also living there is William and Annie’s father, 74 year old John.

Leonard aged 11 and his father, William aged 46, are living at The Cross Keys, 30 High Street, Denbigh in the household of William’s sister Annie and her husband Morgan Pugh Davies who is the licensed victualler. 

His father, William, was working as a commercial traveller in the brewing industry, but sadly he died in March 1903, at the age of 48.

Leonard attended Denbigh County School, and in September 1903, when he was 14, the local press reported that Leonard M. Jones, Cross Keys Inn, had been granted a bursary. 

In April 1904 in Denbigh, Leonard’s aunt and uncle Annie and Morgan, in a change of direction, opened a former pub called The Royal Oak which was a few doors away from the Cross Keys, as a Temperance Hotel.

He attended the Technical School and achieved a Pitman Certificate in shorthand in 1906. 

Leonard had decided on a career in law early on, as he passed the Law Society Preliminary Examinations in July 1907, when he was 18.

In 1911, Leonard was still living in their household as was their married daughter Edith Sarah Davies Hughes and her husband William. Leonard, 21, a solicitor’s clerk, completed the census return on behalf of his uncle, and signed L. Mealor Jones. 

When his aunt Annie Davies, wife of Capt. Morgan Davies, died in September 1911, the newspaper report of her funeral listed among the chief mourners:  Mr. L. Mealor Jones (son). 

Mealor left Denbigh in 1912. There’s a small article about his departure in the Denbigh Free Press on the 31st August of that year:

"Mr Leonard Mealor Jones, of Denbigh, who has been eight years in the office of the Town Clerk of Denbigh, is leaving his native town this weekend, having arranged to become articled to Mr E.Wynn Edwards, solicitor of Oswestry with a view of qualifying as a solicitor. Mr Wynn Edwards was some years ago managing clerk to Mr A O Evans of Denbigh. Mr Leonard Jones is very highly esteemed amongst a large circle of young townspeople, who will regret his departure , and will watch his future with interest and hope that he will have a successful career. He had for some time been a member of the English Church Choir."

He continued his studies and in January 1914 passed the Trust Accounts and Bookkeeping portion of the Solicitors’ Examinations.  

Further “Legal Success” was reported in the Denbighshire Free Press on 18th April 1914:

“Mr. L. Mealor Jones, of Underhill, High Street, Denbigh, has successfully passed the Intermediate Examination of the Incorporated Law Society for admission as a solicitor, which was held in London on the 25th and 26th March last.  Mr. Mealor Jones is articled to Mr. E. Wynn Edwards, solicitor, Oswestry. 

However, Mealor’s name does not appear on the Law Society’s Memorial of Solicitors and Articled Clerks.

Mealor enlisted at St. George's Hall, Liverpool on 01st September 1914 joining the 17th battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 15661. He gives his age as 25 years and 68 days, and his occupation as clerk. He was described in his Attestation papers as being five feet eight and a quarter inches tall, weighed 126 lbs, 33" chest, with a sallow complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. He stated his religion as Church of England. It is noted that he was still serving his solicitor apprenticeship. He gave as next of kin his cousin, Mrs. E. S. Hughes, of Underhill, Denbigh. 

He served in No.3 Company.

He was billeted at Prescot Watch Factory from 14^th September 1914, 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. 

07.11.15: Embarked for France with his battalion. 

He reported sick to a Field Ambulance on 26th July 1916 and rejoined his unit in the field on the same day.

He was killed in action, just days later, on the 30th July 1916 aged 28 at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive. 

17^th Battalion Diary 

The Bn was in support to 19 & 20 Bn K.L.R. 2 Coys. behind 19th & 2 Coys. behind 20^th. 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 17^th 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 17^th 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 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.   

Mealor was initially reported as Missing. (His middle name is spelled both Maelor and Mealor in newspaper articles.)

The Denbighshire Free Press reported on 26th August 1916:

Denbigh Man Missing or Killed

Letters have been received by his brother-in-law and sister, Mr. and Mrs. W. Hughes, High Street (Mr. Clwyd Pierce's), respecting Pte. Leonard Maelor Jones (late son of the Mr. R. Jones, traveller, Denbigh), who for some years was in the offices of Messrs. Parry Jones, Francis and Davies, solicitors, from which firm he went to the office of the Town Clerk of Oswestry where he became articled and passed his first and intermediate examinations, but before he could take his final the war broke out, and, like so many more of our brave lads, sacrificed his prospects and the opportunity to become fully qualified and joined a famous battalion of the Liverpool "Pals".  He had taken part in much of the fighting in France, and was in the recent big push in which, we regret to hear, he was killed or taken prisoner, for nothing has been seen or heard of him since July 30th, the day of the attack on the German trenches in which he and his comrades were successful but at rather a heavy cost. His closest comrade writes to Mr. W. Hughes, his brother-in-law, thus:-

"Dear Mr. Hughes,

No doubt you will be surprised to hear from me, a total stranger, and I am indeed sorry that it is necessary to write. I do not know whether the War Office have informed you concerning your brother and my close friend Leonard. On July 30th we made our third attack against the Germans since the beginning of the great offensive, and Leonard went over with us. I was not near him when we attacked, as I am in the Machine Gun section and he is with the platoon. He has not returned from the attack, and I cannot get any news of him whatever, though I have made all possible enquiries. He was last seen by the Sergeant of the platoon, who saw him get out of a shell hole near the German line, which we were attacking, and go forward with the others. We took the trench but I can find nobody who saw 'Len' so far forward. We had a good number of casualties and, as it was misty weather, it is probable that he got separated from the others. Quite a number of our men are missing and they must either have gone too far and been captured by the enemy or been killed outright. What has been Leonard's fate I do not know; I only hope it may be the former. Before going into the attack I promised him to let you know if anything happened to him, and I have delayed writing, as I hoped to have some better news before now. I cannot tell you how sorry I am to have to tell you all this, as it must be a great blow to you. He has been my constant companion for the past two years, and I feel his loss very keenly; a better comrade I could not wish for, and he always performed his duties unflinchingly in the face of great danger."

The following has been received from the Capt. of Leonard's company who is now in hospital:-

"Dear Mr. Hughes,

 I have received a letter from one of my battalion dated 8th August, in which he states that since I was wounded they have been "over the top" twice, and in the last engagement suffered heavily, and amongst the casualties is your brother Leonard. He has been missing since then, and no news can be obtained regarding his whereabouts, whether he was killed or taken prisoner. I do hope 'Len' will turn up safe. You might convey the news to your wife, as I do not care to write to her direct with such sad news, and thought it best to write to you first. Please accept and convey to your wife my sincerest sympathy. Shall write to you again if I hear any news."

The relatives and friends trust that they may still hear that he is alive. And that will be  the hope of all who knew him and who held him in the highest esteem, for he was in every way one of whom his nature town might well be proud. 

The newspaper reported an update on Leonard on 30th September:

His body was apparently found a few days after his death, as an entry on his Casualty Form states:

“Reported buried by O/C 1/4 Loyal North Lancs Regiment 5/8/16”.

The Liverpool Daily Post on 07th October 1916 confirmed that Mealor had been killed in action:

PREVIOUSLY REPORTED MISSING, NOW REPORTED KILLED. 

King’s(Liverpool Regiment) - Jones, 15661, L. M. (Denbigh); 

As can be seen from the above reference, Mealor was buried close to where he fell and after the war, when graves were concentrated, his body was removed and reinterred in Guillemont Road Cemetery where he now rests. 

Guillemont was an important point in the German defences at the beginning of the Battle of the Somme in July 1916. It was taken by the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on 30 July but the battalion was obliged to fall back, and it was again entered for a short time by the 55th (West Lancashire) Division on 8 August. On 18 August, the village was reached by the 2nd Division, and on 3 September (in the Battle of Guillemont) it was captured and cleared by the 20th (Light) and part of the 16th (Irish) Divisions. It was lost in March 1918 during the German advance, but retaken on 29 August by the 18th and 38th (Welsh) Divisions.

The cemetery was begun by fighting units (mainly of the Guards Division) and field ambulances after the Battle of Guillemont, and was closed in March 1917, when it contained 121 burials. It was greatly increased after the Armistice when graves (almost all of July-September 1916) were brought in from the battlefields immediately surrounding the village and certain smaller cemeteries.

Guillemont Road Cemetery now contains 2,263 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 1,523 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to eight casualties known or believed to be buried among them.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker. 

The inscription on Mealor's headstone reads:

"PEACE PERFECT PEACE" 

His CWGC record gives his age as 26, but based on his age on enlistment, he would have been 27 years old.  

He earned his three medals, which his cousin Edith S. Hughes signed for. 

His Army pay and a War Gratuity of £8-10s went to William Hughes.  No pension card has been found, as Mealor had no dependents. 

In 1919 Edith S. Hughes, declaring herself to be Leonard’s half sister, provided information to the military authorities: he had no parents or full siblings, she was his closest relation.  

Probate in the amount of £152-15s-8d was granted to William Hughes, grocer’s manager.  The probate record gives Mealor’s address as 2 Arundel Road, Oswestry, although SDGW gives his residence on enlistment as Underhill, Denbigh.

Mealor is remembered on the following Memorials:

Denbigh War Memorial

Denbigh County School Memorial

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