Pte 29228 John Maxwell Griffiths

• Age: 29
• From: Higher Tranmere
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Friday 22nd March 1918
• Commemorated at: Savy Brit Cem
  Panel Ref: Roupy Rd. Mem.46

John Maxwell Griffiths was born in the third quarter of 1888 in Tranmere the son of John Griffiths and his wife Sarah (nee Newton) who were married in 1884 at St Mary's Church, Birkenhead.

The 1891 Census shows the family living at Borough Road, Birkenhead.

John M is 2 years of age and is living with his parents and new born younger brother Stanley b.1891. His father John is a ships clerk born in Birkenhead in 1857, whilst his mother Sarah was born in Liverpool.

By 1901 the family have moved to Liverpool.

They are living at 5 William Terrace, Everton. Both parents are present as is John now 12 and his 5 siblings who are listed as; William b.1886, Stanley b.1891, Gerald b.1893, Daisy b. 1897 and Rennie b.1901.   

In 1911 they are living at 41 Montague Street, Liverpool.

Both parents are in the household alongside 22 year old upholsterer John and his 5 siblings; William, Stanley, Daisy, Rennie and Annie b.1904.

John Maxwell married Annie Doherty in third quarter of 1915. They had a son born on the 04th April 1916, named John Maxwell Griffiths

He enlisted in Liverpool and served in the 19^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 29228.

He was twice reported as wounded in 1916:

John was killed in action on the 22^nd March 1918, aged 29, during the German Spring Offensive. The Battalion diary gives an overview of the events of the 22nd March 1918 as follows:

22^nd  GERMAINE – HAM- MOYENCOURT

The battalion moved up accordingly being in position at 6:30 a.m. About 3pm the enemy attacked the left of our position and advanced on our left flank towards FLUQUIERES. At 4:30 pm an attack was launched on our front and the enemy forced his way through on our right. The remainder of the Battalion was forced to retire to south of FLUQUIERES. During this engagement the Battalion lost 11 Officers and About 21 O.R. The order was given to retire to the defences at HAM. The Battalion by this time was very weak, and passing through the 20^th Division took up positions in HAM, as ordered, getting into position at 2am.

The CWGC Graves Registration form shows that John, along with a number of others from the 19th Bn, was buried by the Germans, but after the war a Special Memorial was erected in Savy British Cemetery :  

“To the memory of these 68 British Soldiers, Killed in Action in March 1918, and buried at the time in the German Cemetery on the St. Quentin-Roupy Road, whose graves are now lost.”

John has a CWGC headstone at Savy British Cemetery, France.

Savy was taken by the 32nd Division on the 1st April 1917, after hard fighting, and Savy Wood on the 2nd. On the 21st March 1918 Savy and Roupy were successfully defended by the 30th Division, but the line was withdrawn after nightfall. The village and the wood were retaken on the 17th September 1918 by the 34th French Division, fighting on the right of the British IX Corps.

Savy British Cemetery was made in 1919, and the graves from the battlefields. 

There are now over 850, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, more than half are unidentified. Memorials are erected in the cemetery to 68 soldiers (chiefly of the 19th King's Liverpools and the 17th Manchesters), buried by the Germans in their cemetery on the St. Quentin-Roupy road, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire.

The Cemetery covers an area of 2,555 square metres and is enclosed by a low rubble wall.

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