2nd Lieutenant Stafford Thomas Eaton-Jones

• Age: 20
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: 22nd Kings L
• Died on Saturday 28th October 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B & 8C

Stafford Thomas Eaton-Jones was born at 52 Albert road, Liverpool on the 9th of April 1896 the only son of Thomas Eaton-Jones, a vetinary surgeon and Head of the Vetinary Department of Liverpool Corporation, and Mary Elizabeth (nee Humpfreys) Eaton-Jones later of “Hawkstone”, Queen’s Drive, Walton in Liverpool. He was educated at Holmwood, Freshfield, at King William's College on the Isle of Man and at Lancing College where he was in Olds House from January 1911 to July 1913 where he served for two years as a Private in the Officer Training Corps.

In 1914 he began working as an apprentice for Messrs Beith Stevenson and Co, wholesale cotton merchants in Manchester. Following the outbreak of war he enlisted as Private 17/15182 in the 17th Battalion King's Liverpool Regiment in September 1914. At a medical examination, which was held on the day of his enlistment, it was recorded that he was five feet nine and a half inches tall and weighed 138lbs. It was also recorded that he had a fresh complexion, grey eyes and fair hair. He was posted to Grantham, where he rose to the rank of Corporal, until the 30th of July 1915. On the 31st of July 1915 he transferred to the Inns of Court Officer Training Corps when he enlisted as Private 5252 at 10 Stone Buildings, Lincolns Inn and was sent to Berkhamsted for training. He was promoted to unpaid Lance Corporal on the 9th of March 1916. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the King's Liverpool Regiment on the 24th of April 1916 and was posted to the 22nd (Reserve) Battalion of his regiment.

He went to the front at the beginning of 1916 where he was attached to the 4th Battalion. On the 22nd of October 1916 the 4th Battalion King's Liverpool Regiment arrived at the village of Meaulte where they received orders to move to the Les Boeufs sector of the front line on the Somme. At 8am on the morning of the following day they set out across the old battlefield, through heavy mist, for Trones Wood. It was not until 8pm that evening that they arrived at the remains of the wood where there was no shelter. Here they waited, in heavy rain and appalling conditions until the morning of the 24th when two companies moved off for the trenches at Les Boeufs at 1pm. The two other companies marched off to join them at 3.30pm and, due to the conditions, their relief of the 1st Battalion King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment) was not complete until 5am on the morning of the 25th. The battalion remained in the front line under shell fire and suffering casualties until orders came through on the 27th for the battalion to make an attack the following day. Their objective was the German trench "Dewdrop trenches and the enemy trenches and dug outs to the north east of "Dewdrop" which were to be cleared. They would be joined by the 1st Battalion Middlesex Regiment, who would attack and clear "Rainy" trench, with the 2nd Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in support. At 6am on the morning of the 28th of October 1916 A and C Companies of the battalion, preceded by a barrage, left their trenches and moved across no man's land in four waves. By 10am reports came back that "Dewdrop" trench had been taken and that the enemy trench and dug outs beyond had been bombed and cleared. By 5pm the Middlesex had taken "Rainy" trench and both battalions had consolidated their gains. The battalion was relieved by the 2nd Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders at 5am the next morning. Casualties for the attack had been four officers and fourteen other ranks killed with two officers and sixty three other ranks wounded and fourteen other ranks missing believed killed. Eyewitness reports stated that Stafford Eaton-Jones was last seen close to the firing line and that he had subsequently been seen being carried away on a stretcher having been badly wounded. A further statement said that Eaton-Jones and the stretcher party carrying him were hit by a shell killing them all and leaving no trace of them.

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.”

His father received the following telegram dated the 3rd of November 1916: - "Regret to inform you that 2nd Lieut. S.T. Eaton-Jones 22nd attached 4th King's Liverpool Regiment reported missing October 28th. This does not necessarily mean either killed or wounded. Will send any further news if received." His father received a letter from the War Office dated the December 14th 1916: - "The Military Secretary presents his compliments to Mr. T. Eaton –Jones, and much regrets to inform him that a report dated the 13th inst. Has been received from the Base to the effect that Second Lieutenant S.T. Eaton-Jones, Liverpool Regiment, previously reported missing on October 28th last is now reported killed in action on, or about that date. The Army Council desire to express their sympathy with Mr. Eaton-Jones in the loss of his gallant son." His father applied for his medals in February 1922.

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