Pte 26115 John Kenneth Kniveton

• Age: 18
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Wednesday 12th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Bernafay Wood Brit Cem
  Panel Ref: G.6

John Kenneth was born on 18th October 1897 and was baptised on 05th December 1897 at St Nicholas Church, Halewood. He was the son of Frank Kniveton and his wife Martha Alice (nee Mawdsley) who were married on 11th January 1893 at St Nicholas Church, Halewood. At John's baptism, records show, his father gave his address as Valencia, Spain and his occupation as a Merchant.

At the time of the 1901 Census at Yew Tree Farm, Halewood - John Kenneth is aged 3 and with his Grandfather Robert Mawdsley, aged 74 who was born in Maghull. The same census finds the rest of his family at Sandy Lane, Hoylake - Parents Frank aged 38 a fruit salesman born in Bedford, Leigh, Lancs, and Martha A. aged 33 born Maghull, with children Frank M. 7who was born in Spain, Grace K.J.aged 7 and Hester A.C. 1 both born in Halewood.

His father Frank died in Las Palmas on 5th April 1909, Probate 16th Sept 1909 to Martha. Effects £659.

By the 1911 Census John is aged 13, he is a boarder at Braeside School, Devonshire Road, West Kirby.  His family are at 1 York Avenue, West Kirby - Martha Alice (Widow) aged 43, with children Frank Mawdsley 17 apprentice fruit broker, Grace Kathleen 15 at school, Hester Alice 11 at school, Ruth Setright 8 b.West Kirby, Ethel Mary 6 b.West Kirby, and Frances Anita 1 who was born in West Kirby. They have 2 visitors Julia Baxter 34 and Geoffrey Nott 16.

John was educated at Braeside School, West Kirby and at St Bee's School Cumbria. 

He enlisted in Liverpool joining the 17th Battalion (Pals) of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 26115. He was under age for enlistment so he will have lied about his age in order to serve overseas. 

He was billeted at Prescot Watch Factory, he trained there and also at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 17th 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 7^th November 1915.

John as part of the 17th Battalion was involved in the liberation of the village of Montauban on 01st July 1916. The next objective was to secure the nearby Trones Wood and the Pals were involved in assisting to clear this wood.

The murderous fighting that went on inside Trones Wood rendered it impossible to put specific dates on some of the casualties which is why many of the 17^th Battalion losses have been bracketed as killed in action between 10^th – 12th July 1916. The conditions are best described in the following passage from Everard Wyrall’s book The History of The King’s Regiment (Liverpool) Volume II. 

The remembrance of Trones Wood in July 1916 to those who passed through it is of a noisome, horrible place, of a tangled mass of trees and undergrowth which had been tossed and flung about in frightful confusion by the shells of both sides. Of the ghastly dead which lay about in all directions, and of DEATH, lurking in every hole and corner with greedy hands ready to snatch the lives of the unwary. The place was a Death trap, and although the attacks were made with great determination,   the presence of snipers who could not be detected and often fired into the backs of our men made the clearing of the wood impossible.

John was offically declared as Missing and his families anxiety is evident in the Birkenhead News of 05/08/1916;

Private J.K.Kniveton,26115, of the "Pals is supposed to be missing, having been last seen by his comrades about July 10. Any information concerning him will be gratefully received by his mother ,Mrs.Kniveton, Telde, West Kirby.

Subsequently in the edition of 09/08/1916 they report:

In our last issue we reported that Pte.J.K.Kniveton,son of Mrs.Kniveton, Telde, West Kirby, was missing. Offical news of his death is now to hand, and his mother has the sympathy of her own and her son's many friends and acquaintances.

He was killed in action during the action at Tones Wood, aged 18.

He now rests at Bernafay Wood British Cemetery. 

The cemetery was begun by a dressing station in August 1916 and used as a front-line cemetery until the following April. It contained at the Armistice 284 burials but was then increased when graves were brought in from Bernafay Wood North Cemetery and from the battlefields immediately east of the wood.  Bernafay Wood British Cemetery now contains 945 burials and commemorations of the First World War, 417 of which are unidentified.

John Kenneth was also remembered in the Liverpool Echo 10/7/1918 -

IN MEMORIAM -

In loving memory of my dear young friend John Kenneth Kniveton who was killed in action in Trones Wood 10/July 1916. Sadly missed by Jack A Gratton CQMS France

His Uncle, William Mawdsley was also killed during the war. He served as a Lieutenant in the US Navy Reserve Force (Class 3). He was lost at sea when the ship he was aboard, S.S.Buena Vista was torpedoed on 16th September 1918.

John Kenneth is commemorated on the following Memorials

St Bees School -Old St Beghian's WW1. St Bees, Cumbria

St Bridget's Church West Kirby

St Andrew's Church, West Kirby 

Grange Hill Memorial, West Kirby.

The mother Martha died in 1929.

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