Sgt 15960 Robert Talbot Jones

• Age: 30
• From: Liverpool
• 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.

Robert Talbot Jones was born in Liverpool in about January 1886 to Robert Jones and his wife Sarah (nee Talbot) who both came from Horwich, Lancashire. The couple were married in March 1876 at St Trinity Church, Horwich. His birth was registered as Robert, with no middle name, although his brother Peter had Talbot as a middle name. He was baptised on the 31st Jan 1886 at the Parish Church, Sutton, his father was an engine driver. 

The family lived at 1 Westdale View, Wavertree in Liverpool at the time of the 1891 Census. Robert senior was 40 and a railway engine driver and Sarah was aged 44. The couple had four other children besides Robert junior who was the youngest, Lucy aged 13 who was working as a milliners apprentice, Samuel aged 12, Sarah 10 and Peter 8. Sadly Lucy died later that year.

By 1901 the family had moved to 31 Orford Street in Wavertree. Robert senior’s occupation is given on the census as locomotive engine driver. The couple’s children are all living at home and all working. Samuel was a railway clerk, Sarah was an assistant school mistress, Peter an accounts clerk and Robert a junior insurance clerk.

At the time of the 1911 census, Robert’s parents had been married for 35 years and were still living in Orford Street. There was only Robert living at home with his parents, he is 25, an insurance clerk. At that point his sister Sarah was visiting with her husband and child. There’s a note on the census that the three of them – Sarah, husband Albert Haslem and daughter Thelma Lucy aged 2 (who had been born in the Transvaal) were returning to South Africa a few weeks later. Albert worked as a signalman on the South African railways.

Robert enlisted at St George's Hall, Liverpool on the 01st of September 1914, joining the 17th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private 15960 . He gave his age as 28 years and 240 days and gave his occupation as a clerk. He was described as being five feet seven and half inches tall, weighed 151lbs, with a 39" chest. He must’ve had very blue eyes as the medical officer describes them as cornflower blue,  with brown hair, he stated his religion as Church of England. He gave his father Robert at 15 Sandown Lane, Wavertree as his next of kin.

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.

His service records show:

05.12.14: Appointed unpaid Lance Corporal

03.4.15: Appointed paid Lance Corporal

02.9.15: Promoted to Corporal

07.11.15: Embarked for France from Southampton with his battalion

22.6.16 granted leave to 28.6.16

15.7.16; Appointed acting Sergeant

He was killed in action, aged 30, on the 30th July 1916 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. 

Robert's death was reported in the local press:

JONES - 30th of July, killed in action aged 30 years, Sergeant Robert Talbot Jones (Machine Gun Section, the Pals), youngest son of Mr and Mrs Robert Jones, 15 Sandown Lane, Wavertree, Liverpool.

Another cricketer, Sergeant Talbot Jones (captain of the Wavertree cricket club) and one of the hardest hitters in the district has been killed. The Football Echo on Saturday will reproduce photographs of the Wavertree members.

Robert'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, France.

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 of £6-18s-1d and a War Gratuity of £11-10s went to William Charles Hughes, executor and administrator.

Pension cards in the names of his parents at Sandown Lane show that they were awarded a pension of 6/- a week from June 1917. The cards record a later address in Suffolk, Fir Tree Farm, Kensale, near Saxmundham, and subsequently Sandown Lane.

Probate in the amount of £670-8s-11d was granted to William Charles Hughes, law clerk.

In 1919 his brother Samuel provided information on Robert’s living relatives:  His parents were still in Sandown Lane, with Samuel, 40, and his sister Sarah Haslam, 38. His brother Peter, 36, was in Pretoria, South Africa, address The Treasury, Accounts Department. 

Robert is commemorated in the Hall of Remembrance, Liverpool Town Hall, Panel 69.

Wavertree CC in Liverpool lost 6 players who have played for them in the 1914 season; J. Hewitt of the Royal Engineers Tunnelling Company; Robert Talbot Jones, a Sergeant in the King's Liverpool regiment (KLR) 17th Battalion; Thomas Oakes, a rifleman in the KLR; Fred J. Roberts, the Captain in the KLR, 1st Battalion; Herbert Done Roberts, a private in the KLR, 12th Battalion, and Neils John Tunnington, a corporal in the 17th (Pals) Battalion.  All were first eleven players except Hewitt and Tunnington.

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