Pte 94254 James Griffiths

• Age: 19
• From: Manchester
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• D.O.W Thursday 9th May 1918
• Commemorated at: Lijssenthoek M C Poperinghe
  Panel Ref: XXVIII.H.2A

James Griffiths was born in the December quarter of 1898 in Manchester, the son of Thomas Griffiths and his wife Mary Ann (née Buckley), their marriage record has not been found.

His father, Thomas, died in the June quarter of 1903, in Manchester, aged 31. Shortly afterwards his mother remarried in 1904 to George Hanson at St Mark’s Church, Old Newton (Heath). 

The 1901 Census shows the family boarding at 7, Mansfield Street, Manchester. The head of the household is Thomas Crusham aged 23, born in Liverpool in 1878 who is employed as a tobacco clay pipe maker. His wife, Margaret Jane, is aged 24 born 1877 in Anglesey, Wales and she is employed as a tobacco clay pipe scourer. They have an adopted daughter Mary Ellen Pearson aged 8, born 1893 in Manchester and she is a scholar. They have the Griffiths family boarding with them, Thomas Griffiths is aged 30, born 1871, in Manchester and he is employed as a roving carrier cotton operator, his wife Mary Ann is aged 24, born 1877 in Liverpool and she is a cotton tenter in a cotton mill. They have one son, James aged 2, born in Manchester.  

On the 1911 Census the family are living at 55 Holland St, Newton Heath. Step-father George Hanson is aged 46, a railway wagon repairer, born in Doncaster, mother Mary Ann is aged 34, with step-brother George aged 22, a railway wagon repairer, James (Hanson) 12, Lily 5, Elizabeth 4 and Fred 1. 

James enlisted in Manchester and was serving in the 19^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 94254 when he died of wounds on the 09^th May 1918, aged 19, during the German Spring Offensive. 

He now rests at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Poperinghe, Belgium, where his headstone bears the epitaph:

“HE DIED THAT WE MIGHT LIVE”

During the First World War, the village of Lijssenthoek was situated on the main communication line between the Allied military bases in the rear and the Ypres battlefields. Close to the Front, but out of the extreme range of most German field artillery, it became a natural place to establish casualty clearing stations. The cemetery was first used by the French 15th Hopital D'Evacuation and in June 1915, it began to be used by casualty clearing stations of the Commonwealth forces.

From April to August 1918, the casualty clearing stations fell back before the German advance and field ambulances (including a French ambulance) took their places.

The cemetery contains 9,901 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, 24 being unidentified. There are 883 war graves of other nationalities, mostly French and German, 11 of these are unidentified. There is 1 Non World War burial here.

The only concentration burials were 24 added to Plot XXXI in 1920 from isolated positions near Poperinghe and 17 added to Plot XXXII from St. Denijs Churchyard in 1981.

Eight of the headstones are Special Memorials to men known to be buried in this cemetery, these are located together alongside Plot 32 near the Stone of Remembrance.

The cemetery, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield, is the second largest Commonwealth cemetery in Belgium.

He earned his two medals. 

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