1885 - 1916
CPL David Wallace Crawford
1887 - 1916
Lce-Corpl John Joseph Nickle
1894 - 1916
Pte 17911 Morton Neill
1897 - 1916
Lieut Edward Stanley Ashcroft
1883 - 1918
Pte 17387 Joseph Henry Jones
- Age: 34
- From: 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.57
He gave his age as 31 years and 75 days, and his occupation as clerk. He was described as being 5' 6" tall, weight 163lbs, with a 36" chest. He had a fresh complexion, hazel eyes, and brown hair. He stated his religion as C. of E. His next of kin was his mother, Mary Ellen Jones, of 28 Haddon Road, Rock Ferry.
Formed on 07th September 1914 the 19th Battalion trained locally at Sefton Park and remained living at home or in rented accommodation until November 1914. They then moved to the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 19th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. He arrived in France on 7th November 1915.
03.11.15 - reverted to Pte
One month later, on 22nd March 1918, Joseph was declared Missing.
The Battalion diary details the events of the days as follows:
22nd 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 20th Division took up positions in HAM, as ordered, getting into position at 2am.
It is not known when the family were advised but it was finally accepted that Joseph had been killed on the 22nd March 1918, aged 34, during the German Spring Offensive.
“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.”
The inscription on his headstone at Roupy Road Memorial 57 reads:
"GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS"
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 and from the following small cemeteries in the neighbourhood were concentrated into it.
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.
Personal items returned:- identity disc, religious book, note book, photograph case, wallet, lock of hair, photographs, letter, attestation papers.
The 1921 Census records that his widow Mabel is in Twickenham.
We currently have no further information on Joseph Henry Jones. If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.