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 52689 James Flynn
- Age: 35
- From: Crewe, Cheshire
- Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
- K.I.A Thursday 12th October 1916
- Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.
James Flynn was born in Crewe in 1881 and was the son of Irish parents Thomas Flynn and his wife Bridget (nee Cogger) who were married on the 10th February 1861 in Kilbeagh, Co.Mayo.
On the 1881 Census the family are living at Oakley Street, Monks Coppenhall, Cheshire. His father, Thomas, is aged 41, an iron labourer born in Mayo, Ireland, mother Bridget is aged 40, also born in Mayo, Ireland. They have seven children in the household; Margaret 18, a dressmaker b.Mayo, Ireland, Martin 17 a scholar b.Oswestry, Thomas 14 a scholar b.Oswestry, Ellen 11 a scholar b.Oswestry, John 9 a scholar b.Oswestry,, Mary Ann 2 b.Crewe, and James 2 months b.Crewe.
His mother, Bridget, died aged 40 soon after the census and was buried on the 26th April 1881.
His father remarried to Elizabeth Jones in 1882 in Oswestry.
On the 1891 Census the family are living at Back Bryn Owen, Bangor. James' father, Thomas, is aged 50, a bricklayers labourer, step-mother Elizabeth is aged 31, born St Asaph, Flint. There are six children in the household; Thomas 24 b.Oswestry, Mary Ann 12 b.Crewe, James 10 b.Crewe, Kate 5 b.Bangor, Emily Edith 3 b.Bangor, and Norah 1 b.Bangor.
On the 1901 census James, aged 20 b.Crewe, is with the District and Provisional Battalion of Imperial Yeomanry at Mandora Barracks, Aldershot.
Many thanks to Peter(PRC) on GWF for this excellent and detailed research:-
[There is a WO96 Militia enlistment record for a James Flynn, born “Crew”, who stated he was aged 19 years and 9 months when he attested at Liverpool on the 1st October 1900. He was then living at 5 Lower Milk Street, Liverpool and had done so for at least the last 12 months. A Labourer, he was working for a Mr Roberts of Lower Milk Street. He was single and had no previous military experience.
He joined the 3rd Battalion of the South Lancashire Regiment and started his 49 days initial training. On the 19th November 1900 he enlisted in the South Wales Borderers.
There is then a WO97 series record for James Flynn, both “Crew”. He was aged 19 years and 9 months when he attested for a short service of 12 years, split 7 and 5, at Liverpool on the 19th November 1900. He was single, a Labourer, and then serving with the Militia in the 3rd Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment. He joined the Depot at Brecon the same day, and was posted to the “2nd” on the 18th February 1900 – the entry does not state Battalion. The next entry shows him posted to the 1st “Battalion” on the 5th January 1902 – these unit distinctions will become important! He sailed for India on that day. On the 1st April 1904 he extended his service to complete 8 years in the colours and on the 27th December 1904 received his first Good Conduct Badge. This was forfeited on the 11th July 1905, being restored a year later and forfeited again on the 12th November 1907. He sailed for the UK on the 22nd October 1908. On the 18th November 1908 he was transferred to the Army Reserve. He was discharged on termination of his period of engagement 18th November 1912.
On enlistment his next of kin was recorded as his father Thomas and stepmother Lizzie, both of 3 Upper Bryn Terrace, Bangor, North Wales.
Private James Flynn, aged 20 and born Crewe, Cheshire, appears on the page 36 of a Barracks return on the 1901 Census of England. Scrolling back it is not at all clear what unit he might be serving with. Where Officers appear, for example on page 23, checking them against Harts 1901 Annual List shows them serving with a variety of units.
Going back to the 1900 Militia enlistment of James Flynn, then living at 5 Lower Milk Street, Liverpool, neither of the two families that made up households at that address on the 1901 Census of England & Wales had any obvious family link to James, just going on place of birth of the family members Household surnames were Woolard and Thompson.]
On the 1911 census his parents are living at 316 Carnarvon Road, Bangor. Thomas is aged 73, a pensioner, Mary Elizabeth is 54. They have been married for 31 years and have had 7 children, 4 of whom have survived.
James cannot be found on the 1911 census, perhaps overseas with the military.
He enlisted in Bury and was formerly Private 411 of the Lancashire Fusiliers and following a transfer, was serving in the 17th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 52689 when he was killed in action on the 12th October 1916, aged 35, during the Battle of the Transloy Ridges which was part of the ongoing Somme Offensive.
17th Bn War Diary: Battle of Transloy Ridge –
11-10-16 - Gird Trench/Gird Support – Battalion in front line and support trenches. British bombardment of enemy front line system commenced about midday. Hostile shelling was intermittent throughout the day.
12-10-16 - Our bombardment continued. Enemy reply weak. 2.5 p.m. Zero hour. Attack on German front line system commenced. Enemy wire was found to be uncut and attack was unsuccessful. Hostile machine gun fire was very heavy and caused many casualties. Battalion H.Q. and Support Trench were heavily shelled throughout afternoon and evening. […] During this action all communication had to be carried out by runners and carrier pigeons as all wires were being continually cut by enemy shelling.
Casualties: 5 officers killed, 5 officers wounded, 38 OR killed, about 225 OR wounded/missing etc.
Graham Maddocks, in “Liverpool Pals” p.140, adds: “As the whistle blew, the 17th Battalion left its trenches to move forward. […] As soon as the attacking waves left their trenches the enemy artillery began to register on them, and at the same time, the defending infantry commenced a murderous rain of fire. […] Although their numbers had been depleted by the British bombardment, they were trained and experienced soldiers, well dug in on high ground, and for the most part, looking out on uncut wire. As such, it was virtually impossible for them to miss the City Battalion men struggling to advance in the mud towards them. The 17th Battalion, on the left, was particularly badly hit, as its portion of No Man’s Land contained a slight rise in the ground, and as the troops emerged onto it they were silhouetted against the sky and became easy targets. Those on the left of the attack, who managed to avoid the hail of bullets and make it to the German wire, then found that it was totally uncut, and thus trapped, they too became easy targets, to be picked off almost at the enemy’s will. It was hardly surprising that, seeing the first waves being wiped out, some of the following waves turned back and made for their start lines. These lines were now packed with other waves of troops, however, and the fleeing men added to the congestion already there, and became easy prey for the German gunners. There is some evidence also, to suggest that at this stage, the British trenches were also being hit by their own heavy artillery shells which were falling short.”
James' body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France.
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.”
He was reported killed in the Liverpool Daily Post on 20th November 1916.
King’s (Liverpool Regiment) - Flynn, 52689, J. (Bangor);
Soldiers Effects to brother John, sisters Ellen Hughes, Mary A. Jones, half-sisters Winnie, Emily, Lizzie, No.27323 Thomas King?, N.Staff. Regt, Guernsey, half-sister Kathleen Jennings, nephew John S., niece Norah.
No Pension record found.
His father had died, aged 76, in the September quarter of 1916, so the effects were shared among James' siblings.
We currently have no further information on James Flynn, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.
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