Pte 22130 Thomas Frederick Jones

• Age: 33
• From: Dunham Massey, Cheshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Thomas Frederick Jones, known to the family as Fred was born in about September 1882 in Dunham Massey, Cheshire the son of William Henry and Betsy Walton who had been married in 1880 at All Saints, Runcorn. Fred was baptised at St Mark’s Church, Dunham Massey on the 05th of November 1882. He was the second of four sons; he had an elder brother Henry Jerram, born in Lymm, and younger brothers Sidney, born in Dunham Massey, and Arnold, born in Lymm. 

At the time of the 1891 census the 8 year old shown as Frederick T. is living with his four brothers – Henry aged 9, Sidney aged 7 and 3 year old Arnold in the station house of the Heatley & Warburton railway station at Mill Lane, Heatley (which closed in 1962). His father, William, is 31 born Acton Bridge, and is the station master, his mother Betsy is 32, born in Altrincham. 

William is still the station master 10 years later in the 1901 census return. Frederick T. aged 17 is now working as a railway clerk as is his brother Henry 18 (Harry J), and brother Sidney aged 15 is a music teacher. His mother Betsy aged 41 and youngest child Arnold aged 12 are also at the home address. 

Frederick Thomas married Lilian Annie Hall in Lymm Parish Church on Boxing Day 1906. Lilian, born in Stafford. No children were born to the marriage.

His brother Henry married in 1907.

The 1911 census records that William and Bessie have set themselves up as glass and china dealers in a business together and are living on Bridgewater St, Lymm, Cheshire. Their son Sidney is married and is a railway porter in Wigan, son Arnold is a draper’s assistant in Blackpool. Frederick Thomas and Lilian are living with his brother Henry and his wife and daughter in Liverpool at 8 Ullswater Street, Everton. Henry was a barman and Frederick Thomas an insurance agent. 

Thomas enlisted in the 20th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 22130 on the 05th November 1914. He gives his age as 31 years and 2 months, and his occupation as manager. He is described in his attestation papers as being 5ft 10 inches, 126 lbs, 35” chest, with a fresh complexion, hazel eyes and dark brown hair.  He gives, as next of kin, his wife Lilian at 2 Stringhey Road, Egremont, and stated his religion as Church of England. 

Formed in November 1914 the 20th Battalion were originally billeted at Tournament Hall, Knotty Ash before on 29th January 1915 they moved to the hutted accommodation purposely built 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 on 7th November 1915.

He was granted leave to the U.K. from 02nd to 11th June 1916. 

Thomas was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 33, 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.  

Fred'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.”

A newspaper report on 17th August 1916 gave details of Thomas' death;

"Private Thomas Frederick Jones, Nelson Hotel, Trafalgar road, Egremont reported to have been shot by a sniper". 

CWGC record his next of kin details as: Son of William Henry and Bessie Jones, of "Archdale," 20, Albert Rd. East, Altringham, Manchester; husband of Lilian Annie Jones, of 17, Cases St., Liverpool.

William’s name also appeared in the list of K.L.R. Killed published in the Liverpool Post & Mercury on 09th September 1916.  

King’s (Liverpools) - Jones, 22130, T. F. (Egremont); 

Fred is commemorated on the family gravestone in Rake Lane Cemetery - 

                         IN

           LOVING MEMORY

                        OF 

                ALSO FRED

SECOND SON OF THE ABOVE

     KILLED ON THE SOMME

            30TH JULY 1916

            AGED 33 YEARS

          “Duty over at last”

Fred earned his three medals.

His Army pay and a War Gratuity of £7-10s went to his widow Lilian Annie, at 2 Stringhey Road, Egremont.  The pension card shows varying amounts, until ultimately an Alternative Pension of £1-6s-8d a week was awarded. According to the pension card, Lilian was born on 30th November 1881.

In early 1921 the military authorities requested the assistance of the Police in ascertaining Lilian’s whereabouts, as correspondence sent to Stringhey Road had been returned.  She was living in the Crystal Palace Hotel in London Road, Liverpool. 

His father died on the 10th August 1929, aged 69 

In 1939, Lilian A. Jones, 58, a widow, was living at 15 King Street in Wallasey,  Cheshire, with her brother-in-law, Fred’s eldest brother Henry J. Jones, his wife and children.

His mother died on the 17th February 1942 at the age of 82. 

Lilian died in 1961, aged 79.

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