L/Cpl 17223 James Wood

• Age: 22
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Danzig Alley Cem, Mametz
  Panel Ref: Mem 12

James Wood was born in Toxteth, Liverpool on 01st July 1893, the son of Mary Jane Sinclair (nee Parfitt) and Robert Wood, who married in St Peter's Church, Liverpool on the 15^th November 1875. Robert was a 21 year old joiner of Markham Street, father John, whilst Mary of Miller Street, father Henry.  

In 1901 the family lived at 52 Tennyson Street, his father, Robert, was aged 46, born in Liverpool and was working as a ships joiner, and his mother, Mary Jane, aged 46, born in Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire, Scotland. The couple had 6 children all living at home, Helen 22, Margaret 20 was working as a dressmaker, Robert 13, Mary 11, James 9 and 3 year old John. Their oldest child, Albert Ernest who worked away at sea died at the age of 27 in 1909.

James' father Robert died, aged 53, in 1910 and the 1911 Census at 84 Alwyn Street, Aigburth shows the widowed Mary Jane was living with children Mary Florence aged 21, James, 17 years, a commercial clerk, and John Parfitt aged 13 years at school. They also have a 21 year old boarder Elsie Minnie Chismon. 

James enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool on 01st September 1914, joining the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 17223. He gave his age as 21 years 60 days, giving his occupation as clerk (with Messrs. Gruning & Company, cotton brokers) and his next of kin as his mother, of 29 St James Road, Liverpool. He was described as being 5' 6" tall, weight 117lbs, 35" chest, with a fresh complexion, grey eyes with light brown hair but it was noted that he was prematurely balding. He stated his religion as Church of England.

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 01st November 1915 and crossed to France with his Battalion on board the SS Invicta on the 07th November 1915.

In early February 1916 he was appointed paid Lance Corporal.

He was granted leave to the UK between 17th and 27th May 1916, he returned to his Battalion and was killed in action during the attack at Montauban on 01st July 1916.

Events of that day for the 18th Battalion are described in the 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 18th 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 was reported as killed alongside other Pals in the Liverpool Evening Express on 18th July 1916: 

Local Pals Killed.  

The flag of the Liverpool Cotton Association is flying half mast in memory of Corporal A. H. Gastrell and Lance Corporal R. K. Williams of the Pals’ Battalion, King’s Liverpool Regiment, killed in action, who were formerly with Messrs. Milligan and MackIntosh, and of Private A. William Wright, a Liverpool Pal, formally with Messrs. R. and C. Gill. Other Liverpool Pals killed are Private Sydney Harris and Lance Corporal James Wood, both formerly with Messrs. Gruming and Co., Albany. Private Roderic Dexter Sharpe, aged 19, son of Mr A. Sharpe of 30 Great George Street, who had many friends in the South End. 

Having initially been buried in Vernon Street Cemetery, Carnoy, James’ grave was lost during the subsequent fighting and he is now commemorated on the Vernon Street  memorial in Dantzig Alley British Cemetery, France.

The village of Mametz was carried by the 7th Division on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, after very hard fighting at Dantzig Alley (a German trench) and other points. The cemetery was begun later in the same month and was used by field ambulances and fighting units until the following November. The ground was lost during the great German advance in March 1918 but regained in August, and a few graves were added to the cemetery in August and September 1918. At the Armistice, the cemetery consisted of 183 graves, now in Plot I, but it was then very greatly increased by graves (almost all of 1916) brought in from the battlefields north and east of Mametz and from certain smaller burial grounds, including:-

VERNON STREET CEMETERY, CARNOY, in the valley between Carnoy and Maricourt, at a place called "Squeak Forward Position". 110 soldiers who died in July-October 1916 were buried here by the 21st Infantry Brigade and other units.

Dantzig Alley British Cemetery now contains 2,053 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 518 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 17 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 71 casualties buried in other cemeteries, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.

Soldiers Effects and Pension to mother Mary Jane. 

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