Capt Arthur de Bells Adam (MC)
1885 - 1916

CPL David Wallace Crawford
1887 - 1916

Lce-Corpl John Joseph Nickle
1894 - 1916

Pte 17911 Morton Neill
1897 - 1916

Lieut Edward Stanley Ashcroft
1883 - 1918

Lance Corporal James Bernes

Age: 28
From: Everton, Liverpool
Regiment: 12 KLR
Died on Friday 17th August 1917
Commemorated at: Tyne Cot Memorial
Panel Ref: P31-34 162 162A 163A

James Bernes, whose birth was recorded as James Rae Bearnes, was born on 13th April 1889 in Auchnacloy, County Tyrone, the son of James Bernes and Margaret (née Stringer) who were married, as Barnes, on 22nd August 1881 in the Parish Church of Tynan, County Tyrone. James was a 34 year old shoemaker of Auchnacloy, father Robert a farmer, whilst Margaret was aged 21 of Breaghey, father John a farmer. They had four children: John Stewart Bearnes born 28th June 1883, James born 11th April 1885 but sadly died 18 months later, James Rea born 1889 and Elizabeth.

There are various spellings of the family name, Bernes, Bearnes, Berns among them.

His father died on 20th March 1890 in Auchnacloy.

It is not known when James’ family moved to England, but by 1895 his mother had settled in Liverpool with John Hamilton (born in Glasgow; a family tree source claims that they met in Ireland), where they had David Soloman Hamilton in the first quarter of 1895, Thomas in 1896, Benjamin in the second quarter of 1899, Margaret Jane in the first quarter of 1902, and Sarah Louisa in 1905 (who died in infancy).

In 1901 the family is living at 13 Snowdon Terrace, Everton. His stepfather, John Hamilton, is aged 40, a sugar labourer, born in Scotland, his mother, Maggie, is aged 38, born in Ireland. There are five children declared in the household; brother John, 18, is a sugar labourer, James’ age is given as 13 (his sister Elizabeth is not listed, though she would also have been 13), half brothers David 6, Thomas 4, and Benjamin 2, (all the children are listed as Hamilton). They have a boarder, Samuel Carlisle, 34, also a sugar labourer.

His brother John Stuart Berns [sic] (the burial record shows ‘otherwise Hamilton’) died at the age of 24, in 1908, living at 13 Snowdon Terrace, Everton.

Unfortunately, but perhaps not surprisingly given the potential for his surname being mis-spelled, James cannot be found on the 1911 census. His mother and stepfather are living at 42 Thomaston Street, Kirkdale (off Great Homer Street), both are aged 50. His stepfather John is listed as a sugar house labourer. They state they have been married for 30 years, and had six children, two of whom have died. In the household are his full sister Lizzie Bernes, 23, a greengrocer’s manageress, his half siblings David Hamilton, 16, a message boy for the North Western Railway, Benjamin, 11, and Margaret 9, as well as a boarder, Sandy Taylor, age 11, born in Armagh.

Before the war, James was employed by Messrs. Donegal Tweed, Birkenhead (whose commercial premises were at 165 Grange Road).

James enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool on 03rd September 1914 as Private 17547, No.2 Company, 19th (Pals) Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment, giving his place of birth as Liverpool, his age as 25 years and 173 days, and his occupation as clerk. He is described as being 5’ 6” tall, weighing 152 lbs, 37" chest, with a fresh complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. He stated his religion as Methodist (Wesleyan), and his next of kin as his mother, Margaret Hamilton, of 48 St. George’s Hill, Liverpool.

Formed on 07^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 disembarking at Boulogne on 7^th November 1915.

By the new year the Pals battalions are in the south of the Somme line near Carnoy. James was appointed unpaid Lance Corporal on 19th March 1916.

On 30th July 1916, James was wounded in action during the attack on the German-held village of Guillemont, he was sent to a Field Ambulance, then to 5 Casualty Clearing Station, and admitted the next day to 2nd Australian General Hospital at Wimereux, Rouen with gunshot wounds to the forearm, back, and chest. From Boulogne he was evacuated to the U.K. on the hospital ship Cambria on the 01st August 1916 and was sent to Bristol. He was entitled to wear a "Wound Stripe" as authorised under Army Order 204 of 6th July 1916.

At 2nd Southern General Hospital in Southmead, Bristol, a bullet near the head of his humerus and over his fractured ulna was removed. After 109 days in hospital, James was discharged on 17/11/1916. Whilst recuperating from his wounds James was posted, on 01/02/1917, to the 3rd (Home Garrison) Bn K.L.R. In July 1917 he was posted to 12th K.L.R. from 24th Infantry Base Depot and joined his unit on 27th July in the field.

Three weeks later, on 17/8/1917, James was Wounded in action, and declared Missing. His death in action on 17th August 1917 was later assumed by the Army Council.

His body was not recovered from the battlefield or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing, Ypres, Flanders.

Those United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after August 16th 1917 are named on the Tyne Cot Memorial, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war.

The Tyne Cot Memorial now bears the names of almost 35,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Herbert Baker with sculpture by Joseph Armitage and F.V. Blundstone, was unveiled by Sir Gilbert Dyett on 20 June 1927.

The memorial forms the north-eastern boundary of Tyne Cot Cemetery, which was established around a captured German blockhouse or pill-box used as an advanced dressing station.

Pte. 17547 Bernes, J.R. was reported Wounded in Liverpool Daily Post on 20th September 1917.

A further newspaper article in the Liverpool Evening Express on the 28th March1918 shows the anguish of his parents as they awaited news of their son some 7 months following the action on 17th August 1917:

Corpl.J.Bernes (17547), K.L.R., is reported wounded and missing August 17th, 1917. Any information concerning him will be gratefully received by his parents, 48, St. George's-hill, Everton, Liverpool. Corp. Bernes joined the Pals in August 1914, being previously in the employ of the Donegal Tweed Company, Birkenhead.

James earned his three medals which his mother Margaret signed for in 1920 and 1922.

She received his Army Pay of £3 15s, a War Gratuity of £14, and a pension of 11/- a week, sent to 48 St. George’s Hill, Liverpool, address later changed to 66 Moss Lane, Orrell Park, Walton, Liverpool.

His half brother Thomas served in the Merchant Navy and joined the 10th K.L.R. in 1916, as Pte. 37387, served in France 1916-18, transferred to the Cheshire Regiment and the Labour Corps, and was discharged in 1919 with a disability due to burns on the face and hands.

On the 1921 Census at St George’s Hill, stepfather John Hamilton is aged 61, born Glasgow, and is a machine man in Tate’s Sugar Refinery, mother Elizabeth is aged 54, children David 26, Benjamin 22, Margaret 19, and boarder John Dwyer 48.

Although they lived as a married couple for more than 30 years and had six children together, his mother and stepfather John Hamilton did not marry until the 29th December 1927 at St George’s Church, Everton,, when John was 72 and Margaret 69.

His half brother Benjamin died, aged 30, on 12th November 1929, the day before his father John.

Margaret buried both her husband and her son together on 16th November 1929 at Kirkdale Cemetery.

His mother died in 1933, aged 74, still living in Moss Lane.

James has sadly not been found on any local memorial.

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

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