L/Cpl 25780 James Lomax

• Age: 27
• From: St Helens, Lancs
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

25780 L/Corporal James LOMAX, 18^th Battalion KLR.

James was born in 1888 in St Helens and was the son of Edward and Sarah Lomax Sarah (nee Lucas) Lomax who were married in 1884 at St Thomas, Eccleston, St Helens on the 8th June 1884 at St Thomas, Eccleston, St Helens. Edward was a 20 year old glassblower of 39 Eccleston St, father Thomas, whilst Sarah was aged 21 of 42 Peter St. He was baptised on the 29th July 1888 at St John’s, Ravenhead. 

The 1891 Census shows the family are living at 35 Sutton Street, Prescot. James is shown as William J. a three year old, living with his parents and younger sister, new born Edith. His father, Edward, is a 27 year old glass beveller, born in St Helens, whilst his mother, Sarah, is also 27 years old and was born in St Helens.     

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 20 Sutton Road, St Helens. James is now 13 years of age and is a messenger in a commercial office, he lives with his parents and four siblings. His father, Edward, is now 37 years of age and a plate glass beveller, his mother is also 37 years of age. His siblings are recorded as; Thomas aged 8, May aged 6, Hilda aged 3 and Albert aged 1. 

The 1911 Census shows the family are still living at 20 Sutton Road. James is 23 years of age and employed as a plate glass beveller. He lives with his parents who advise that they have been married for 23 years and have had ten children five of whom have survived. Also present in the household are his siblings; Thomas aged 19 and an assistant motor driver in a bottle works, May aged 16, Hilda aged 14 and Albert aged 11. 

When he enlisted in Liverpool on 25th January 1915, joining the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 25780, James had been employed as a plate glass beveller at Messrs Pilkington Bros, Cowley Hill Lane, St Helens.

He was billeted in 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 embarked for France on 07th November 1915 on board the SS Invicta.

James was killed in action during the attack at Montauban on 01^st July 1916. 

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 day’s 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. 

His death was reported in the Liverpool Evening Express on the 20th July 1916:

Corporal James Lomax, King's (Liverpool Regiment), who was killed about 7.40 a.m. on July 1st by shot through the head, and death being instantaneous.

Also in the St Helens Newspaper and Advertiser on the 21st July 1916: 

CORPL. JAMES LOMAX (Killed)  

Mrs. Lomax, of 28, Sutton-road, has received an intimation that her son, Corporal James Lomax, of the Liverpool “Pals,” has been killed in the great offensive, his death taking place on-the 1st inst. Before the war he was a beveller at Messrs. Pilkington Bros. Cowley Hill Works. 

His body was either not recovered from the battlefield 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.”

James is also remembered on the St Helens War Memorial which is situated in Victoria Square in the town. 

His family paid tribute to him in the St Helens Newspaper and Advertiser on the 04th July 1919: 

IN MEMORIAM. LOMAX—In loving treasured memory of our dear Jim, 18th King’s Liverpool Regt, (Pals), fell in action July 1st, 1916,  

“Greater love hath no man than to lay down his life for his friends.”  

Dearly loved and not one moment forgotten by Mother, Father, Brothers and Sisters. 28, Sutton-road, Peasley Cross. 

His brother, Thomas, enlisted on 16^th October 1915 at St Helens and served as Private 345024 in the RAMC, firstly with 4/3^rd West Lancashire Field Ambulance and then with the 57^th (West Lancashire) Sanitary Section. He survived the war and was demobilised in March 1920. Thomas served in France and Italy and earned two medals, not having served abroad until February 1917.

His father died, aged 70, in 1934 and his mother died, aged 73, in 1937.      

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

Grateful thanks are extended to the St Helens Roll of Honour for their kind permission to allow us to use the photograph of James.