Pte 22981 Joseph Dohren

At the time of the 1891 census the family is living at 13 Sandheys Street, Kirkdale, with seven children and a boarder.  His father is a boatman, Joseph is 4 months old.

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 50, Sandheys Street, Kirkdale, Liverpool. Joseph is aged 10 and lives with his parents and six siblings. His father Henry is aged 49, born in Germany in 1852, is a boatman, whilst his mother, Mary is aged 46, born 1855 in Liverpool has no occupation listed. Joseph's siblings are listed as, Herman aged 22, born 1879 is a railway porter, Robert aged 20, born 1881 is a railway clerk, Eva aged 14, born 1887, George aged 11, born 1890, Amelia aged 8, born 1893 and William aged 5, born 1896. The children were all born in Liverpool. 

Whilst at Larkhill Camp he was confined to barracks for 14 days and forfeited three days’ pay for being absent for three days (shown as serving in No. 4 Company).

 

Joseph shipped to France with his battalion on 7th November 1915.

 

He was appointed unpaid Lance Corporal on 30th July 1916, the same day as the costly attack on Guillemont.

 

He was granted leave to the U.K. from 13th to 23rd December 1916.  Whilst home on leave Joseph married Elizabeth Hester Bailey in St. Mary’s Parish Church, Walton, on 19th December 1916, and four days later was back at the front.  No children were born to the marriage. 

 

 

 

On 19th February 1917, he was reverted to Private for ”disobeying battalion orders in not wearing a steel helmet whilst on duty; riding in limbered wagon”. 

He sent a condolence message in respect of a friend 24th September 1917:-

SMALL - in memory of Ernie Small, killed 25th of September 1916 (one of the best) - Private J. Dohren (in France) and Mrs J. Dohren.

[ERNEST SMALL - "B" Coy. 1st/9th Bn. KLR, aged 26, son of Thomas Rock Small and Matilda Small, of 4, Goodison Rd., Walton, Liverpool.] 

In February 1918 he was posted to the 18th Battalion K.L.R. when the 20th Battalion was disbanded in France.

Joseph was killed in action on the 28^th March, 1918 aged 27 during the German Spring Offensive.

The Battalion Diary gives an insight into the chaotic events of the day

28^th March

At about 6am the enemy commenced to shell heavily the whole of the forward line and brought Trench Mortars and MACHINE Guns into action.

FOLIES was shelled and the area in the rear of the village as far back as LE QUESNEL.

Rations were received at dawn and parties were organised to carry them to the Companies on the right. Owing to the heavy fire, however, it was not possible to get them up.

Heavy fighting was in progress on the right from soon after dawn and at 8am the enemy was reported to be in possession of BOUCHOIR and progressing towards the BEETROOT FACTORY. About 10am  the 59^th Infy Brigade was notified that it was relieved by the French and the Battalions of that Brigade were at once withdrawn in the direction of LE QUESNEL.

At noon the enemy was bombarding the village and vicinity heavily and reports were received that he was in occupation of WARVILLERS on the left and ARVILLERS on the right.

The front line East of FOLIES continued to resist until about 2pm when the order was received from the 89^th Infy Brigade to the effect that the Battalions were relieved by the French and would withdraw at once to MEZIERES, where the men would be fed. Companies withdrew under some shelling and very heavy M.G. and rifle fire from the left , through K10 -K3 – North side LE QUESNEL to the main ROYE road and reorganised about D.29 c. The march from this point was conducted in good order despite the congested roads.

At MEZIERES it was decided to continue a rearward movement and the march was resumed via VILLERS-MOREUIL – MORISEL – ROUVREL, which village was reached about 7pm and the Battalion billeted. The men had marched 13 miles from the left position in good order and with practically no straggling. They were exhausted on arrival at ROUVREL, but in good heart.

Echelon ‘A’ of the Transport joined the Battalion at this village and the men were fed immediately on arrival. The night passed without incident.   

Joseph has no known grave and is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial.

The POZIERES MEMORIAL relates to the period of crisis in March and April 1918 when the Allied Fifth Army was driven back by overwhelming numbers across the former Somme battlefields, and the months that followed before the Advance to Victory, which began on 8 August 1918. The Memorial commemorates over 14,000 casualties of the United Kingdom and 300 of the South African Forces who have no known grave and who died on the Somme from 21 March to 7 August 1918.

The cemetery and memorial were designed by W.H. Cowlishaw, with sculpture by Laurence A. Turner. The memorial was unveiled by Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien on 4 August 1930.

 

His death was reported in the local press:

DOHREN - March 28th, killed in action, Private JOSEPH DOHREN, King's Liverpool Regiment, beloved son of Mr and Mrs Dohren, 19 Euston Street, Walton. (Sans changer, his brothers carry on) - deeply mourned by Mother, Father, Sisters and Brothers.

DOHREN - March 28th, killed in action, Private JOSEPH DOHREN, K.L.R., the ever beloved husband of Mrs E. H. Dohren (to live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.).

A further newspaper reported:
 
Joseph Dohren, fifth son of Mr. and Mrs. Dohren, 19, Euston street, Walton, was killed in action on March 28th, after 2 and a half years' service in France. He was well known in local athletic circles and as a pianist rendered good service at amateur concerts. Previous to joining up he was employed by Messrs: Lewis and Mounsey, Lord street.   

Joseph earned his three medals. His Army effects and a War Gratuity of £15-10s went to his widow Elizabeth. 

 

The pension card, giving his date of death as 21st-28th March 1918, shows that  Elizabeth Hester, of 19 Euston Street, Walton, Liverpool, was awarded a pension of 13/9d a week from October 1918. Elizabeth remarried to Eric Howard in September 1919. 

 

In April 1919 his widow, remarried and living at 228 Earle Street, Earlestown, Lancashire, provided  information on Joseph’s living relatives, all Dohren:  His parents were living at 19 Euston Street, Walton, with George, 29, and William, 24;  sisters Mary, 36, and Eva, 34, were living at 13 Bedford Road, Walton; brother Harry, 47, was living in Stour Street, Kirkdale; Herman, 44, address unclear, and Robert, 42, lived at the Liver Hotel, Everton.

 

After her remarriage, his widow Elizabeth lived at 16 Monkswell Street, Dingle and later at 67 Arthur Street, Dingle.

 

His younger brother William served in France with the 2/9th K.L.R. from February 1917, and was repatriated after a head wound in June 1918.  He was demobbed in January 1919, and applied for a disability pension (also suffering from TB), but was rejected. He died in 1924, aged 28.

 

His mother died in 1930 aged 75, and his father in 1931, both buried as von Dohren.

 

Sadly, Joseph has not been found on any local memorial under any of the various spellings of the surname.