C.S.M 17197 Thomas Lloyd Jones

• Age: 30
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Wednesday 18th October 1916
• Commemorated at: Warlencourt Brit Cem
  Panel Ref: VI.K.8

Thomas Lloyd Jones was born on the 16^th February, 1886 in Liverpool, and was baptised on the 27^th January, 1892 at St Thomas Church of England Church, Liverpool. He was the son of John S. and Alice Jones, (nee Lloyd) who were married in 1881 at West Derby Register Office. He was educated at Granby Street Council School. 

On the 1881 census father John was lodging with a Lloyd family at 27 Fernhill St, he was aged 38, a house joiner, born in Llannon, Carmarthenshire. Mother Alice was a servant living with a Jones family at 31 Pembroke St, Bootle, she was aged 29, born in Cerrigydruidion, Denbighshire. 

The 1891 Census shows the family living at 33 Fernhill Street, Toxteth, Liverpool.

Father John aged 48 a joiner b.Wales, mother Alice 39 b.Wales, children all born Liverpool: William L. 8, David L. 7, John L. 6, Thomas L. 5, Catherine A. 2, Robert L 2mths, and servant Georgia Wilcox 14.  

His father died in 1898 aged 56. 

The 1901 Census shows the family still living at 33 Fernhill Street, Toxteth, Liverpool.

Widowed Mother Alice 49 b.Cerrigydruidion, Denbighshire, children William 18 a sorting clerk/telegraphist, David 17 a joiner, John 16 an insurance clerk, Thomas 15 an engineer, Catherine 12, and Robert 10. 

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 33 Fernhill Street, Toxteth, Liverpool. 

His widowed mother Alice is aged 59, born 1852 in Cerrigydruidion, Denbighshire.  She had six children all born in Liverpool. William aged 28, born 1883 and occupation Sorting Clerk and  Telegraphist, John aged 26, born 1885 Insurance Clerk, Thomas aged 25, born 1886 occupation Invoice Clerk (African merchants), Catherine Alice aged 22, born 1889 no occupation listed and Robert aged 20, born 1891 a Joiner.

Thomas enlisted on the 01^st September, 1914 at St George's Hall in Liverpool joining the 18th Battalion of the King's Liverpool Regiment. He was aged 28 years and 180 days and gave his occupation as a Clerk. He was 5 foot five inches tall, weighed 122lbs, 36” chest, had a fresh complexion, steel grey coloured eyes, brown hair and gave his religion as Welsh Presbyterian. His NOK was mother Ailce, 33 Fernhill Street. 

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 arrived in France on 7^th November 1915.

01.09.14: Attested and posted as a Private.

02.10.14: Appointed Lance Corporal.

15:12:14: Promoted to Corporal.

07.04.15: Appointed Unpaid Lance Sergeant.

27.05.15: Appointed paid Lance Sergeant.

28.06.15: Promoted Sergeant.

07.11.15: Embarked for France.

09.07.16: Promoted and appointed Warrant Officer Class II Colour Sergeant Major.

He was serving in the 18th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Colour Sergeant Major No 17197 when he was killed in action on the 18th October 1916 aged 30 during the Battle of the Transloy Ridges which was part of the ongoing Somme Offensive.

18^th Bn Diary

18^th October 1916

Attacked German trenches commencing 3.40 am. Relieved by 19^th Manchester Regt. Took up position in support Bn trenches W. of Goose Alley.

Graham Maddocks in his book Liverpool Pals gives an overview of the events of the day:

“At 3.40 am the whistles blew, and the Battalion left its assembly trenches, in three waves, approximately fifty yards apart, and began to cross No Man’s Land. Almost immediately, the German Barrage fell on the first wave and halted its advance, so that the second wave soon caught up with it. This was not a great problem at first, and the two combined waves were able to advance together for about 300 yards, whereupon they encountered the German Grid Trench system. On the right of the advance, it was found that the wire was largely intact, apart from a few gaps, and the Germans bombed and machine gunned these gaps, which prevented any further progress. Elsewhere along the trench, however, the wire was cut and there did not seem to be any serious opposition. Nevertheless, the men hesitated to jump down into the German trenches, and instead, began to filter back across to the safety of their own lines.

By this time the third wave had caught up, as had a fourth wave, which had been detailed to mop up any opposition once the trenches had fallen, and all four waves became intermingled which added to the confusion. No less than three attempts were made to try to get the men to go forward again, but each attempt became markedly less successful than its predecessor, and eventually the attack came to a standstill. Although the British assembly trenches had received the attention of the German guns, the attackers in No Mans Land had not come under any great intensity of fire up until this point.

However, once it became obvious to the Germans that the attack was disorganised and faltering, they began to fire into the massed men from the flanks. It was probably this that finally settled the issue and convinced the Pals that they could no longer gain the enemy trenches, and all four waves, now merged into one, began to retreat to their own lines. The whole attack had been an abysmal failure, and no ground had been gained at all”.          

Thomas now rests at Warlencourt British Cemetery, France.

Warlencourt Cemetery is entirely a concentration cemetery, begun late in 1919 when graves were brought in from small cemeteries and the battlefields of Warlencourt and Le Sars.  The Graves Registration form shows graves from “Le Sars 6/1, 6/2, Hexham Road, Seven Elms”.

Graves were brought in from the original cemeteries at Hexham Road (Le Sars), and Seven Elms (Flers), as well as over 3,000 British graves due to the fighting which took place around the Butte de Warlencourt from the autumn of 1916 to the spring of 1917, and again in the German advance and retreat of 1918.   The cemetery now contains 3,505 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War, 1,823 of which are unidentified.

Liverpool Echo 15th Nov 1916 

Killed in Action. 

JONES - October 18, killed in action, aged 30, Company Sergeant Major Thomas Lloyd Jones (K.L.R.), the dearly beloved fourth son of Mrs and the late John S. Jones - 33 Fernhill Street, Liverpool. 

Liverpool Echo 18th Oct 1917 

JONES - In loving memory of C.S.M. Thomas Lloyd Jones (K.L.R.), killed in action October 18, 1916. (Ever remembered by his Mother, Sister and Brothers.) - 33 Fernhill Street, Liverpool. 

He is also commemorated on the following Memorials:

David Street Welsh Presbyterian Church, Toxteth

Granby Street Council School, also in Toxteth.

His mother died aged 67 in 1919 (before the Family Declaration dated 5th May). 

Soldiers Effects executor was brother David, no Pension record found. 

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