Pte 29492 John Joseph Cadwell

• Age: 22
• From: Southport
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Wednesday 18th October 1916
• Commemorated at: Warlencourt Brit Cem
  Panel Ref: III.D.24

John Joseph Cadwell was born in 1894 in Southport and was the son of William Cadwell and his wife Margaret (nee McDonnell) who were married on the 18th August 1883 at St Cuthbert's Church, North Meols, Southport. 

He was known as Jack to his family. Prior to the outbreak of the war he had served four years as a Gardener at Wyborne Gate, Westcliffe Road, Birkdale and was then employed as a gardener by a gentleman in Park Avenue, Southport. He was a member of the Churchtown Conservative Club and well known locally as a footballer having played for Blowick. 

The 1901 Census shows the family living at School Road, Southport, Lancashire. His father William is aged 38, born 1863 and gives his occupation as gardener (greenhouses and day work). His wife Margaret is aged 35, born 1866 with no occupation listed. They have ten children living with them at the time of the Census, Thomas aged 17, born 1884,is a gardener, Margery aged 16, born 1885, Sarah aged 12, born 1889, William aged 11, born 1890, Robert aged 9, born 1892, John aged 6, born 1895, Frederick aged 5, born 1896, Charles aged 1, born 1900, Mary born 1901.

The 1911 Census shows the family living at Back School Road, Southport. His father William is aged 48, born 1863 and his occupation is Jobbing Gardener and was born in Southport. His wife Margaret is aged 45, born 1866 in Wolverhampton. They have been married for twenty eight years and have had thirteen children of which two had died. At the time of the Census nine children are still at the address, Thomas aged 27, a chaffuer, Margery aged 26, is a general domestic, William aged 21, Robert aged 19, John aged 16 and Frederick aged 15,are all employed as gardeners, Charles aged 11, Mary aged 10, born 1901 and Edward aged 9, are at school. The children were all born in Southport.

He enlisted in March 1915 in Southport. He reached France in March 1916 and was serving in the 18th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 29492 when he was killed in action on the 18th October 1916, aged 22, during the Battle of the Transloy Ridges which was part of the ongoing Somme Offensive. 

18^th Bn Diary

18^th October 1916

Attacked German trenches commencing 3.40 am. Relieved by 19^th Manchester Regt. Took up position in support Bn trenches W. of Goose Alley.

Graham Maddocks in his book Liverpool Pals gives an overview of the events of the day:

“At 3.40 am the whistles blew, and the Battalion left its assembly trenches, in three waves, approximately fifty yards apart, and began to cross No Man’s Land. Almost immediately, the German Barrage fell on the first wave and halted its advance, so that the second wave soon caught up with it. This was not a great problem at first, and the two combined waves were able to advance together for about 300 yards, whereupon they encountered the German Grid Trench system. On the right of the advance, it was found that the wire was largely intact, apart from a few gaps, and the Germans bombed and machine gunned these gaps, which prevented any further progress. Elsewhere along the trench, however, the wire was cut and there did not seem to be any serious opposition. Nevertheless, the men hesitated to jump down into the German trenches, and instead, began to filter back across to the safety of their own lines.

By this time the third wave had caught up, as had a fourth wave, which had been detailed to mop up any opposition once the trenches had fallen, and all four waves became intermingled which added to the confusion. No less than three attempts were made to try to get the men to go forward again, but each attempt became markedly less successful than its predecessor, and eventually the attack came to a standstill. Although the British assembly trenches had received the attention of the German guns, the attackers in No Mans Land had not come under any great intensity of fire up until this point.

However, once it became obvious to the Germans that the attack was disorganised and faltering, they began to fire into the massed men from the flanks. It was probably this that finally settled the issue and convinced the Pals that they could no longer gain the enemy trenches, and all four waves, now merged into one, began to retreat to their own lines. The whole attack had been an abysmal failure, and no ground had been gained at all”.         

The local press reported:

Reported missing 15th November 1916, Private Jack Cadwell, K.L.R., son of Mr William Cadwell, St Cuthbert's Road, Southport, missing.

His death was also reported in the local press:

PRIVATE JACK CADWELL (Killed).

Official information has been received that Private Jack Cadwell, King's (Liverpool Regiment), has been killed in action. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Cadwell, of Churchtown, and has been reported missing since the 18th of October. Private Cadwell was drafted out to France in June of last year, and was employed as a gardener to a gentlemen in Park-avenue, previous to which he served four years as gardener at Wyborn Gate,Westcliffe-road, Birkdale. He was very well known in the district, and was 22 years of age. Private Cadwell has five other brothers serving.  

Jack now rests at Warlencourt British Cemetery, France.

Warlencourt Cemetery is entirely a concentration cemetery, begun late in 1919 when graves were brought in from small cemeteries and the battlefields of Warlencourt and Le Sars.  The Graves Registration form shows graves from “Le Sars 6/1, 6/2, Hexham Road, Seven Elms”.

Graves were brought in from the original cemeteries at Hexham Road (Le Sars), and Seven Elms (Flers), as well as over 3,000 British graves due to the fighting which took place around the Butte de Warlencourt from the autumn of 1916 to the spring of 1917, and again in the German advance and retreat of 1918.   The cemetery now contains 3,505 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War, 1,823 of which are unidentified.

Jack was one of five brothers serving in the Colours:

Thomas was Private 49423 in the 4^th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment and was killed in France on the 03^rd February, 1917 and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme.

William was a gunner with the 15^th Battalion King’s Liverpool Regiment.

Fred was in the 2/10^th Liverpool Scottish Regiment

Robert also served.

Prior to enlisting Thomas, William and Fred were employed by Mr  F Graham Wood (High Sheriff), Cambridge Road, Southport, the first as a chauffeur, and the last two as gardeners.

The local press reported: 

Reported missing 15th November 1916, Private Jack Cadwell, K.L.R., son of Mr William Cadwell, St Cuthbert's Road, Southport, missing. 

Reported missing in the Liverpool Echo 15th November 1916: 

SOUTHPORT CASUALTIES. 

Private Jack Cadwell, K.L.R., son of Mr William Cadwell, St Cuthbert's Road, Southport, missing. 

The Manchester Evening News on Wednesday 28 February 1917 reported that Thomas was killed in action: 

THOMAS CADWELL, son of Mr. and Mrs. Cadwell, Lytham Road, Southport, killed.  

(46 Lytham Rd was the address of his widow Mary). 

His brother Thomas is also commemorated on a family headstone in St Cuthbert’s: 

Also of Pte THOMAS CADWELL 

Killed in France Feby 3rd 1917  

Aged 31 years  

Too good in life to be forgotten in death 

Soldiers Effects and Pension to mother Margaret, 7 St Cuthbert’s Road, Southport. 

He is also commemorated on the following Memorials:

Southport Civic Memorial 

St Cuthbert’s C. of E. Church, Southport

St Marie on the Sands R.C. Church, Southport. 

His mother, Margaret, died in 1929, aged 64. 

His father William, date of birth 31st March 1863 is found on the 1939 Register still at 7 St Cuthbert’s Road, also present is daughter Margery. He died on the 15th June 1941, aged 78, and was buried at St Cuthbert’s. 

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