Pte 94237 James Driver

• Age: 19
• From: Rawtenstall, Lancs
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Thursday 28th March 1918
• Commemorated at: Pozieres Memorial
  Panel Ref: P21-23

James Driver was born in 1898 at Rawtenstall, Lancashire, and was the was the son of Robert Hopper Driver and his wife Eddis Emma (nee Waller) who married in 1877 at St Mary's Church, Rawtenstall. He was one of nine surviving children. 

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 2, Prospect Road, Rawtenstall, Haslingden, Lancashire. James' father Robert is aged 45, born in March, Cambridgeshire in 1856 and gives his occupation as a stone quarryman, His mother, Eddis, is aged 45, born in Norwich in 1856 with no occupation listed. They have nine children living with them at the time of the Census; Mary aged 22, born 1879, Jane aged 17, born 1884 and Robert aged 15, born 1886 are all employed as cotton weavers, Edith aged 12, born 1889, is a doffer in a cotton mill, Bertha aged 10, born 1891, Maggie aged 8, born 1893, John aged 7, born 1894, Joseph aged 4, born 1897 and James aged 2,.The children were all born in Rawtenstall.  

The 1911 Census shows the family are still living at 2, Prospect Road, Rawtenstall, Lancashire. THis father Robert is aged 55, and now employed as a general labourer, his mother Eddis is aged 55, with no occupation listed. They have been married for thirty three years and have had ten children of which one had died. All of their children are still living with them at the time of the Census; Mary aged 32, Jane aged 27, Edith aged 22, Bertha aged 20, Maggie aged 18, John aged 17, and Joseph aged 14, are all employed as cotton weavers. Robert aged 25 is employed as a warper and James aged 12, has no occupation listed. 

James enlisted in Preston, serving originally as Private 38637, East Lancashire Regiment and was serving in the 19^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 94237 when he was killed in action on the 28^th March, 1918 aged 19 during the German Spring Offensive.

The Battalion diary records the events of the day as follows:

During the morning the enemy attacked the troops on our right flank and succeeded in capturing ARVILLERS, menacing our right flank. Three companies of the Battalion had to be immediately echeloned backwards as protection, the Battalion engaging the enemy, who were attempting to come out of ARVILLERS. This position was held during heavy fighting until 2pm when the Battalion was informed that French troops had come into position in the rear. In order for the Division to be relieved the Battalion had to hold their ground whilst the 2^nd Bedfordshire Regt and 2^nd Bn. R.S.F.’s passed through on their way to the rear. At 4pm the Battalion commenced to move off in small parties, passing through the French, and marching through MEZIERES, MOREUIL to MORISEL where hot dinner was provided. The Battalion then formed up and moved up by companies to ROUVREL and were billeted for the night. By this time the total casualties had reached 23 Officers and 457 O.R. 

James' body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he 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.

James is also remembered on the Rawtenstall War Memorial, Rawtenstall Cemetery, Burnley Road, Rawtenstall, Rossendale.

His father died on 14th March 1927, aged 70.

His mother shown as  "Eadiss E.", with a date of birth of 30th August 1855, appears on the 1939 register still at 2 Prospect Road with married daughter Mary A. Lupton, and son Joseph.

His mother died on 24th August 1942, aged 86.

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