Pte 25348 John Grace

• Age: 30
• From: Garston, Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 15th January 1916
• Commemorated at: Carnoy Mil Cem
  Panel Ref: H.9

John Grace was born in 1885 in Liverpool, he was one of seven children, the second son of John, a railway platelayer, and his wife Ann (nee Devine) who married in 1880, the marriage was registered in Prescot.

The 1891 Census finds the family living at Otway Street, Garston. John is a 6 year old schoolboy living with his parents and three siblings. His father is 37 year old railway plate layer born in Halewood, whilst his mother, Ann, is also 37 years of age and was born in St Helens. His siblings are recorded as: Alfred aged 10, Mary aged 3 and new born Ann.

The Census of 1901 shows that the  family lived at 1 Railway Cottages, Much Woolton, where young John, aged 16, was employed as a milkboy on nearby farms. His father, John, is now 47 years old and is still a railway plate layer, whilst his mother, Ann, is also 47 years of age. His siblings are recorded as: Alfred J. 20 railway engine cleaner b.Garston, Mary 13 b.Garston, Annie 10 b.Garston, Harvey 8 b.Woolton, Thomas 6 b.Woolton.

By 1911, still living at the same address, John, now 25 is employed as a railway labourer at Garston and is living with his parents and two brothers. His father, John, is now 59 years old and a foreman railway plate layer, his mother Ann is recorded as being 59. His brother, Harry aged 18 is an engine cleaner at Woolton and Thomas aged 16 is recorded as at home. His parents state that they have been married for 31 years and have had seven children, six of whom have survived. 

John enlisted in Liverpool joining the 19th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 25348.

There is some confusion about his date of death as Graham Maddocks gives his date of death as 05^th January 1916, while SDGW shows it as 14^th January. His CWGC headstone shows 15th January 1916.

Additionally his age is quoted by CWGC as 29 but a report in the Liverpool Echo on 28th January 1916 states that he was 30. He served in France from 07^th November 1915 and earned his three medals.

His death was reported in the Liverpool Echo dated 27th January 1916: 

GRACE – Killed in Action J. Grace – 19^th Kings Liverpool Regiment, second son of Mr & Mrs J Grace, 1 Railway Cottages, Hunts Cross. 

A further report on his death appeared in the Liverpool Echo on 28th January 1916:

Information has been received by his parents at 1 Railway Cottages, Hunts Cross, that Private John Grace, 19th King's Liverpool's, the 3rd Pals, has been killed in action in France. Private Grace joined the 3rd Battalion about 12 months ago, he was 30 years of age, and was formerly a plate layer on the London and North Western Railway at Speke. He has another brother Harry in the 5th King's Liverpool Regiment in France. Captain H. A. Smith, in charge of the Battalion to which Private Grace was attached, in a letter expressing sympathy with his family says "It may comfort you in a slight degree to know that your son died bravely doing his duty in the front-line trench, and that his death was instantaneous. He was a man greatly liked among officers and men, and the gap made by his absence will be felt by many of his comrades for a long time.

John now rests at Carnoy Military Cemetery in France at Grave H 9, where his headstone bears the epitaph:

"ETERNAL REST GRANT UNTO HIM O LORD AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON HIM RIP"

The cemetery was begun in August 1915, by the 2nd King's Own Scottish Borderers and the 2nd King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, when the village was immediately South of the British front line. It continued in use by troops holding this sector until July 1916, when Field Ambulances came up and a camp was established on the higher ground North of the village. It was closed in March 1917. From March to August 1918, it was in German hands, and German (and a few British) graves were made between the British graves and the entrance, and also in a German Cemetery alongside; but the German graves and the German Cemetery were removed in 1924.

There are now over 850, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, nearly 30 are unidentified and special memorials are erected to 17 soldiers and one airman from the United Kingdom, known or believed to be buried among them.

The cemetery covers an area of 4,441 square metres and is enclosed by a red brick wall.

Soldiers Effects to sister Annie, Pension to mother Ann, later amended to father John because of his wife's death. His father was then living at 29 Roskell Road, Hunts Cross..

John is commemorated on the following Memorials:

Hall of Remembrance, Liverpool Town Hall, Panel 47 Right

St Mary's Church, Woolton

St Peter's Church, Woolton

St Hilda's Church, Hunts Cross

London and North Western Railway Roll of Honour 

National Railway Museum York.