Pte 23113 James Mellor

• Age: 25
• From: Neston, Cheshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• D.O.W Tuesday 5th June 1917
• Commemorated at: Railway Dugout B.g. Zillebeke
  Panel Ref: Sp.Mem.F.16

James Mellor was born in Neston, Cheshire, in the June quarter of 1892. He was the son of Lemuel and Anne Mellor (nee  Williams). His parents married at Neston Parish Church on 02nd May 1869. Both were born in Neston, they had had 14 children, six of whom seem to have died young. James was the youngest of those who survived. 

His father Lemuel was sadly drowned at Parkgate in 1900 whilst putting out his nets and his mother Anne died in 1927, aged 80

In 1891 Lemuel and Ann are living at Pykes Weint, off High Street, Neston, with six children.  Sons William and George are fishermen, like their father.  Ellen, Lemuel, and Fanny are school age, and son John is 2.  

By 1901 his father had died, and his mother, Ann, is head of the household at High Street, Neston-cum-Parkgate.   Brothers William 28, George 25, and Lemuel 20,  are fishermen, Florence  is 14, John is 12, and James 9.  

In 1911 James is living with his widowed mother Ann and brothers George 35 and John 21 at Pykes Weint, Bridge Street, Neston.  All three sons are  fisherman on their own account. James is 19. 

A report in the Chester Chronicle 31st October 1914 outlines a case against James and his brother George:

UNDER-SIZED MUSSELS

George Mellor and James Mellor, of High St., were summoned for taking under-sized mussels from the estuary of the Dee on October 12th. Mr Jolliffe said the samples taken by bailiffs Salt and Wright show that 18 were correct size and 9 small; in another bag 21 correct size and 18 small. These were considered bad samples. James Mellor pleaded that he was not out with his brother at the mussel bed. George Mellor was fined 5s and costs, and the summons against James Mellor was dismissed. 

Shortly afterwards, James enlisted in Liverpool on 10^th November 1914, joining the 20^th (Pals) Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment, as Private 23113, giving his age as 22 years, and his occupation as fisherman. He is described as being five feet seven and a quarter inches tall, weighing 130 lbs, with a fresh complexion, grey eyes, and brown hair.  His place of birth is recorded as Leicester, and  next of kin as his mother, Mrs. Ann Mellor, High Street, Leicester.

Formed in November 1914 the 20^th Battalion were originally billeted at Tournament Hall, Knotty Ash before on 29^th January 1915 they moved to the hutted accommodation purposely built at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 20th 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.

At Knowsley during training on 26^th March 1915 James was absent without leave for two days, for which he was confined to barracks for two days and forfeited two days’ pay. And while at Belton park, Grantham in Lincolnshire on 13^th August 1915 James was confined to barracks for 10 days and forfeited 4 days pay for being absent without leave for 4 days.  At Larkhill Camp, on Salisbury Plain, James was again absent without leave for two days, confined to barracks for 4 days and forfeited 2 days’ pay. 

He left for France with his battalion from Folkestone, arriving at Boulogne on 7^th November 1915.  

He took part in the deadly fighting on the Somme, including the attack on Guillemont that killed 500 men from the Pals battalions, and the Battle of Arras in April 1917.

In May 1917 the Pals battalions march north to the dreaded Ypres salient.  According to the battalion War Diary, on the night of 29^th May the battalion relieved the 2^nd Bedfordshires in barracks amidst heavy enemy shelling. For the next few days the total strength of the battalion was utilized in working parties, carrying ammunition to forward dumps, etc.  The intermittent shelling increased in violence at night on the 1^st June.  Working parties continued, on the night of 3^rd June Ypres was bombarded heavily with lacrimatory gas shells, a considerable number of these falling in and around the barracks. On 4^th June the War Diary records hostile artillery fairly active all day.  

James was wounded on 04^th June 1917 and admitted to 96 Field Ambulance  with gunshot wounds to the head and chest, and died of his wounds the next day at a Dressing Station aged 25.

He now rests at Railway Dugouts Burial Ground, in a speical memorial.

Railway Dugouts Cemetery is 2 Kms west of Zillebeke village, where the railway runs on an embankment overlooking a small farmstead, which was known to the troops as Transport Farm. The site of the cemetery was screened by slightly rising ground to the east, and burials began there in April 1915. They continued until the Armistice, especially in 1916 and 1917, when Advanced Dressing Stations were placed in the dugouts and the farm. They were made in small groups, without any definite arrangement and in the summer of 1917 a considerable number were obliterated by shell fire before they could be marked. The names "Railway Dugouts" and "Transport Farm" were both used for the cemetery.

At the time of the Armistice, more than 1,700 graves in the cemetery were known and marked. Other graves were then brought in from the battlefields and small cemeteries in the vicinity, and a number of the known graves destroyed by artillery fire were specially commemorated. The latter were mainly in the present Plots IV and VII.

The cemetery now contains 2,459 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 430 of the burials are unidentified and 261 casualties are represented by special memorials. Other special memorials record the names of 72 casualties buried in Valley Cottages and Transport Farm Annexe Cemeteries whose graves were destroyed in later fighting.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

James' grave was one such as the inscription on his headstone reads:

“THEIR GLORY SHALL NOT BE BLOTTED OUT”

This phrase was decided upon by Rudyard Kipling and is used when the burial place of a soldier is not known. It is a biblical reference from Ecclesiasticus 44:13 which reads in full as: "Their seed shall remain forever, and their glory shall not be blotted out". 

The Chester Chronicle on the 21st July 1917 noted his death:-

"...... another well-known Nestonian (James Mellor's) death in action reference was made at the parish church on Sunday last and the Dead March in 'Saul' was beautifully rendered by Mr R.G Howick (organist)."

The Cheshire Observer on the 23rd June 1917 also noted his death:-

Mrs Ann Mellor has also heard of the death of her youngest son James Mellor. Though this is not official, the news was conveyed in a letter from a friend who stated that he saw him killed, and helped to bury him.

The misnomer he was from Leicester propagated into the Nottingham Evening Post on the 11th July 1917

Local Casualties - Died of Wounds

Liverpools - Mellor 23113 J. (Leicester).

The Chester Chronicle on the 30th March 1918 reported a memorial service:-

NESTON SOLDIER FALLS IN ACTION

Mrs Mellor of High Street, Neston has been notified of the death of her son in action. This young soldier, who was only 25 years of age enlisted in the King's Liverpool at the outbreak of war. He was wounded on June 4th at Messines Ridge, and died on June 5th. A memorial service was held at the parish church in memory of the above soldier. The Curate the Rev. H. Harris conducted the service. The Shepherds Club, of whom deceased was a member, walked to the church with their crooks draped in black as a tribute to their fallen comrade.

The Chester Chronicle on the 8th June 1918 printed a confusing notice:-

NESTON - SOLDIER MISSING

Mrs Mellor of High Street, has received news from the War Office that her son Pte J. Mellor is missing. He joined the 13th Cheshire's and had been wounded twice. This is the second son Mrs Mellor has lost in in the war.

His effects went to his mother, who received a pension, then living at Old Post Office Yard, Little Neston, Cheshire. His mother signed for his medals on 9^th July 1920 and 15^thDecember 1921 living in High Street, Neston, Cheshire

In July 1919 his mother listed living family members;  only brothers George, 45,  and John, 27,  in addition to their mother, were still alive, still in High Street, Neston.

His mother died in the December quarter of 1927, aged 80.

James is commemorated on the Memorial in St. Mary & St. Helen, Neston. 

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