Pte 17971 Joseph John Williams

The 1891 Census shows Sarah A. aged 22, born in Egremont, married but head of household living at St. Anne Street, Birkenhead with Joseph J. aged 2 and Edith a newborn baby.  

Brother Cecil Thomas was baptised on the 03rd March 1899 at St Hilary's Church, Wallasey, his father was a labourer of 11 Rankin Street, Poulton.  

By 1901 the family are living at 7 Portia Street, Poulton Cum Seacombe, Birkenhead. Joseph J is now 12 years of age and recorded as a scholar. Head of household is Thomas Richardson a 42 year old dock labourer born in Manchester in 1859. His mother Sarah Ann is aged 29, described as a washer woman working on her own account at home, born in Egremont, Cheshire in 1872. Joseph now has four siblings; Edith now 11 and a scholar, William b.1892 and a scholar, Edward b. 1894 and also a scholar and Cecil Thomas b. 1899.

He enlisted as John Williams in Liverpool on 22nd September 1914 joining the 19^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 17971.

Formed on 7^th September 1914 the 19^th Battalion trained locally at Sefton Park and remained living at home or in rented accommodation until November 1914. They then moved to the hutted accommodation 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 07^th November 1915.

Jack was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 27, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive.

19^th Battalion Diary 30^th July 1916

MALTZ HORN FARM

BATTLE begun. ZERO hour 4:45 am. The Battalion reached its objective, but suffered heavy losses, and had to evacuate its position owing to no reinforcements.

Everard Wyrall gives details of the attack in his book The History of The King’s Regiment; 

"The 2nd Attack on Guillemont- 29th July 1916 the 89th Brigade the 20th King's were to attack on the right and the 19th on the left. During the evening of the 29th the night was dark and foggy when the Battalions moved off and the 19th with Lt Col G Rollo commanding, when passing the South east of the Briqueterie they were heavily shelled first with H E and then with a new kind of asphyxiating Gas shell which had curious results, at first it had no nasty effect but about 8 hrs later men began to fall sick with violent headaches and pains in the stomach. All ranks had to wear gas masks which in the darkness and mist made the going terribly difficult. It was indeed wonderful that they were able to reach their Assembly point at all. But they did and by 2.45 a.m. on the 30th July 1916 the Btn was assembled having suffered about 30 Casualties on the way up ready for the Zero hour at 4.45 a.m.

It is known that the two left Companies of the 19th under Capt. Dodd and Capt. Nicholson advanced in touch with the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on their left although they suffered many casualties from Machine gun Fire did not encounter many Germans and reached their final objective about the time allocated, beginning at once to dig in south of the orchard on the South east corner of Guillemont.  

On the left of the 19th the Scots Fusiliers most gallantly forced their way through Guillemont to the eastern side of the village but were soon overwhelmed by the enemy and few returned. 

At 8 a.m. finding that the village was not held the two left Companies of the 19th received no word from the rear or either flank believed themselves to be totally isolated so were forced to fall back and dig in, their position being untenable.

At midday the effective fighting strength of the 19th Btn was just 7 Officers and 43 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.

Casualties in the 19^th Battalion were 11 Officers and 435 Other Ranks 

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

Jack's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. 

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.”

Jack’s death was also reported in the Liverpool Echo on 23rd September 1916:

“Local Footballers Killed - Lance-Corporal Jack Williams, aged 27 years, of the King’s (Liverpool Regiment), is among the killed.  He was a grandson of the late Captain Malloy, and a nephew of Captain Malloy, of Wallasey ferries. Prior to the war he played football regularly for the Poulton club.”

He earned his three medals.

Soldier's effects were sent to his sister Edith.

No pension card has been found, indicating that Jack lived independently, or that his mother did not apply for a pension.

His family paid tribute to Jack on the first anniversary of his death with a notice placed in the Liverpool Echo on 30th July 1917, under the heading, “Lost At The Battle Of Guillemont”:

“In loving remembrance of our dear Jack (Liverpool Pals), killed in action July 30, 1916.

It may be a soldier’s honour for his country’s cause to fall,

But we cannot think of the glory for the sorrow it has caused us all.

(Too dearly loved to be forgotten.) – Mother, Edie, Will, and Ted.)”

There is more than one J. Williams commemorated on the Men of Birkenhead Cenotaph. 

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