L/Cpl 16247 Thomas Hugh Jones

• Age: 27
• From: Kirkdale, Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Delville Wood Cem, Longueval
  Panel Ref: XXII.O.2

16247 L/Corporal Thomas Hugh JONES, 18^th Battalion, KLR.

Thomas Hugh Jones, known as “Hughie”, was born in Kirkdale on the 02nd October 1888  the son of Thomas Jones, and his wife Margaret (nee Hughes) who were married in 1887. 

On the 1891 Census the family are living at 21 Landseer Road, Everton. His father is a 34 year old warehouseman, born in Efenechtyd, Ruthin, whilst his mother is 31 years old and was born in Caernarvon, and son Thomas H.  is aged 2. Also present are Thomas’ brother John aged 28, and a boarder Matthew H. Williams 22. 

The 1901 Census finds Thomas H. aged 12 living with his parents and three sisters at 50 Stanfield Road, Everton, Liverpool. His father is a 44 year old cotton warehouseman, born in Ruthin, whilst his mother is 41 years old and was born in Caernarvon. His sisters, all born in Liverpool are shown as; Edith aged 6, Gwladys aged 4 and Ethel M. aged 2 months.

His mother died, aged 42, in 1903

His father remarried to Elizabeth Thomas in the September quarter of 1904. 

The 1911 Census shows Thomas Hugh as a 22 year old clerk for an African merchant living with his father, stepmother, three sisters and his step sister at 8 Hornby Boulevard, Litherland. His father is now a 54 year old warehouseman in raw cotton living with his new wife Elizabeth who is a 46 year old born in Llangoed, Anglesey. They have been married for 6 years and have had two children one of who survived. This is Blodwen aged 4 who was born in Bootle. Thomas's sisters are shown as; Edith a 16 year old assistant post office clerk, Gwladys aged 14 and Ethel Margaret aged 10.  

Thomas enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool on 01st September 1914 joining the 18th Battalion as Private 16247. His enlistment papers give his occupation as a clerk.

From the 23^rd September 1914 he was billeted at Hooton Park Race Course and remained there until 03^rd December 1914 when they moved into the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 18th 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 was appointed unpaid Lance Corporal on 15th June 1915 and paid Lance Corporal on 01st September 1915.

He sailed to France with his Battalion on board the SS Invicta on 07th November 1915.

Between 25^th March and 7^th April 1916 he attended a course at 30 Division Grenade School and between the 29^th April and 4^th May 1916 he attended a course at 30 Division anti-gas school.

Thomas Hugh Jones was killed in action at Montauban on 01^st July 1916, aged 27.

18^th Battalion Diary

At 6.30am the artillery commenced an intensive bombardment of the enemy’s trenches. Zero Hour – 7.30 am – the battalion commenced to leave their trenches and the attack commenced. The attack was pressed with great spirit and determination in spite of heavy shelling and machine gun enfilade fire which caused casualties amounting to 2/3rds of the strength of the Battalion in action. The whole system of German trenches including the Glatz Redoubt was captured without any deviation from the scheduled programme. Consolidated positions and made strong points for defence against possible counter attacks.

Graham Maddocks provides more detail concerning the events of the day:

As the first three waves began to move forward towards the German reserve line, known as Alt Trench and then on to the Glatz Redoubt itself, they suddenly came under enfilading fire from the left. This was from a machine gun which the Germans had sited at a strong point in Alt Trench. The gun itself was protected by a party of snipers and bombers, who, hidden in a rough hedge, were dug into a position in Alt Trench, at its junction with a communication trench known as Alt Alley. These bombers and snipers were themselves protected by rifle fire from another communication trench, Train Alley which snaked back up the high ground and into Montauban itself. The machine gun fire was devastating and it is certain that nearly of the Battalion’s casualties that day were caused by that one gun.  

Lieutenant Colonel Edward Henry Trotter  wrote in the conclusion of his account of the days action:

I cannot speak to highly of the gallantry of the Officers and men. The men amply repaid the care and kindness of their Company Officers, who have always tried to lead and not to drive. As laid down in my first lecture to the Battalion when formed, in the words of Prince Kraft:

“Men follow their Officers not from fear, but from love of the Regiment where everything had always and at all times gone well with them”.    

Joe Devereux in his book A Singular Day on the Somme gives the Casualty Breakdown for the 18^th Battalion as Killed in Action 7 Officers and 165 men and of those who died in consequence of the wounds 3 Officers and 19 men a total of 194 out of a total loss for the four Liverpool Pals Battalions of 257.

He now rests at XXII O 2,  in Delville Wood Cemetery.

Delville Wood was a tract of woodland, nearly 1 kilometre square, the western edge of which touched the village of Longueval in the Somme. On 14 July 1916 the greater part of Longueval village was taken by the 9th (Scottish) Division and on the 15th, the South African Brigade of that Division captured most of Delville Wood. The wood now formed a salient in the line, with Waterlot Farm and Mons Wood on the south flank still in German hands, and, owing to the height of the trees, no close artillery support was possible for defence.

The three South African battalions fought continuously for six days and suffered heavy casualties. On 18 July, they were forced back and on the evening of the 20th the survivors, a mere handful of men, were relieved. On 27 July, the 2nd Division retook the wood and held it until 4 August when the 17th Division took it over. On 18 and 25 August it was finally cleared of all German resistance by the 14th (Light) Division. The wood was then held until the end of April 1918 when it was lost during the German advance, but was retaken by the 38th (Welsh) Division on the following 28 August.

DELVILLE WOOD CEMETERY was made after the Armistice, when graves were brought in from a few small cemeteries and isolated sites, and from the battlefields. Almost all of the burials date from July, August and September 1916.

There are now 5,523 burials and commemorations of the First World War in this cemetery. 3,593 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 27 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of three soldiers buried in Courcelette Communal Cemetery German Extension, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.