Pte 34302 Edward Jones

• Age: 24
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Edward Jones was born in Liverpool on 28th March 1892, the son of Edward Jones and his wife Eleanor Caroline (nee Taylor). Edward was baptised on the 11th April 1892 at St Peter's Church, Liverpool where the baptismal record describes his fathers occupation as clerk and the family were living in Wilton Street, Liverpool. His father was born in Liverpool in about 1851 and his mother in Egremont, Cheshire, in 1859.

Edward’s mother had been married to a Henry Turner in 1882, she had three children with him, Arthur, Harry and Nellie. Henry died in 1888, and Eleanor remarried to Edward’s father Edward Jones on the 28th April 1890 at Bootle Chapel. Edward was a 39 year old clerk of 86 Jacob Street, Toxteth, his father William, whilst Eleanor was a widow aged 30 of 12 Grove Street, Bootle, her father Joseph. 

In the 1891 census Edward 39 and Eleanor 30 are living at 48 Milson Street with her three children from her first marriage (who have adopted Jones as their surname) together with a new baby called William who was 4 months old.

His father, Edward, died aged 46 in 1897.

At the time of the 1901 census the widowed Eleanor, is aged 39, and is living at 241 Litherland Road, Bootle with her six children from both marriages: Arthur, Harry, Nellie, William, Edward who is aged 9, and Joseph who is 5. Eleanor’s  sister-in-law, Grace, is also living with the family, she is aged 60 and a dressmaker. The two eldest sons are working, Arthur, 17, as a clerk, and Harry, 16, as a dock messenger.

In 1902, Eleanor remarried again to Frederick Lawrence, who was born in Glasgow. They were married on the 07th June 1902 at St Matthew's Church, Bootle. Frederick was a 39 year old saddler, his father Frederick, whilst Eleanor was a widow aged 39, both of 241 Litherland Road.  

In the 1911 Census the family are still at 241 Litherland Road, Edward is 19 and working as a clerk in a brass foundry. He lives with his mother who is 48, and his step father Frederick who is 48 and a saddler in the gas works. Living with them are Edward’s half sister Nellie aged 24, and brothers William aged 20 who is a stevedore’s clerk, and Joseph aged 15 who is a shipping clerk.

Edward enlisted in Liverpool in about November 1915 joining the 17th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 34302. 

He likely had not been at the front very long when he was killed in action on the 30th July 1916 aged 22 at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive.

17^th Battalion Diary 

The Bn was in support to 19 & 20 Bn K.L.R. 2 Coys. behind 19th & 2 Coys. behind 20^th. Very thick mist. The attack was pushed home to the objective in places but in the main was held up by machine gun fire from hidden machine guns.

Fighting continued all day swaying backwards and forwards until by 6pm about 300 yards in depth had been gained & consolidated all along our front.

Casualties in the 17^th Battalion were 15 Officers and 281 Other Ranks

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30^th Division held a line from the railway on the eastern side of Trones Wood , southwards and including Arrow Head Copse, to east of Maltz Horn Farm. On this line the division was relieved by the 55^th Division during the early hours of the 31^st July.

The events of 30^th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89^th Brigade written by Brigadier General Ferdinand Stanley which gives an indication of the events of the day.

Guillemont

Well the hour to advance came, and of all bad luck in the world it was a thick fog; so thick that you couldn’t see more than about ten yards. It was next to impossible to delay the attack – it was much too big an operation- so forward they had to go. It will give some idea when I say that on one flank we had to go 1,750 yards over big rolling country. Everyone knows what it is like to cross enclosed country which you know really well in a fog and how easy it is to lose your way. Therefore, imagine these rolling hills, with no landmarks and absolutely unknown to anyone. Is it surprising that people lost their way and lost touch with those next to them? As a matter of fact, it was wonderful the way in which many men found their way right to the place we wanted to get to. But as a connected attack it was impossible.

The fog was intense it was practically impossible to keep direction and parties got split up. Owing to the heavy shelling all the Bosches had left their main trenches and were lying out in the open with snipers and machine guns in shell holes, so of course our fellows were the most easy prey.

It is so awfully sad now going about and finding so many splendid fellows gone.   

Edward was initially declared Missing and his death later presumed for official purposes as having occurred on 30th July 1916.

His body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme.

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 family paid tribute to Edward on the anniversary of his death, in the Liverpool Echo, on 30th July 1917 under the heading Lost At The Battle of Guillemont:

“July 30, 1916, killed in action (previously reported missing), aged 24 years, Private Edward (Eddie) Jones, K.L.R. (Pals). (“Till the day break.”) – Willie and Maggie.”

His Army pay and a War Gratuity of £3 went to his step father Frederick Lawrence.  A pension card exists in the name of his mother but as she died on the 26th May 1917, aged 54, the pension was probably not paid out. 

Her death was reported in the Liverpool Evening Express on 30th May 1917: 

LAWRENCE May 26 at 241 Litherland Road, Bootle, Eleanor, beloved wife of Frederick Lawrence. Internment Iat Anfield Cemetery today (Wednesday) at 1 o'clock. (Friends please accept this, only, intimation). 

Frederick remarried to Eva Clamp in 1918 and son Frederick was born in 1920. 

Sadly, Eddie has not been found on any local memorial.

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