Pte 22377 John Fox

• Age: 20
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

John Fox was born 21st February 1896 in Liverpool and was baptised 08th March 1896 at St Ambrose Church, Everton. He was the son William Fox and his wife Mary Jane (nee Austin) who were married on the 26th December 1892 in St. Mary's Church, Kirkdale. At the time of his baptism the family lived at 66 Prince Edwin Street, and his  father was employed as a labourer. They had four children. John had an elder brother William, born in 1893. Twins Elizabeth (Bessie) and Arthur were born on 17th December 1898, but Arthur died at 6 months old. 

No accurate death or burial record has been found for his father. Although, a William Fox, aged about 27, was buried on the 17th February 1899 at Everton Cemetery.  

By the time of the 1901 census Mary Jane was a widow and living with her children William, (age listed as 3), John, 5, and Bessie, 2 in the household of her mother at 49 Christian Street.

Sadly, Bessie died the following year, aged 3.

In the 1911 census the family are recorded as living at 307 Netherfield Road North. His mother, Mary Jane 44, is an office cleaner, living with two her children, William aged 17 who is an assistant engineer and John aged 15 who is an office boy in a legal practice. Mary Jane’s mother Elizabeth Austen aged 68 and her brother John, aged 48 are also living with the family.

John enlisted on 06th November 1914 in Liverpool, joining the 20th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 22377. He gave his age as 19 years and 277 days and gave his occupation as a clerk. He was described as being five feet seven and half inches tall, weighed 121lbs, 34" chest, with a brown complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. He stated his religion as Congregationalist.

Formed in November 1914 the 20^th Battalion were originally billeted at Tournament Hall, Knotty Ash before on 29^th January 1915 they moved to the hutted accommodation purposely built 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 07^th November 1915.

He was killed in action on the 30th July 1916, aged 20, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive.

The 20^th King’s Battalion Diary records:

“At 4.45am prompt the attack was launched. Unfortunately, a thick mist prevailed and it was impossible to see more than 10 yards ahead. This continued until about 6 o’clock when it lifted slightly, but it was still too hazy and impossible to see what was happening 100 yards ahead. This being so, it was not surprising to find that the attacking waves were experiencing great difficulty in maintaining connection.”

At 6am, Lt. RE Melly, No.1 Company, reported that his men had taken the German Maltz Horn trench.

At 6.30am, 2/Lt. CP Moore reported that he had 150 men, 4 Stokes Mortars and 2 Lewis Guns, but he was the only officer. He also said that due to the fog, both his “flanks were in the air” i.e. he was not in contact with neighbouring troops.

At 9.10am, Moore was still not in contact at his flanks, and now he had only 75 men, he had sent out 2 patrols and neither not returned. Later Moore established communication with the French on his right.

Around 10.00am, 2/Lt Musker reported that he had just over a company with him, but his left flank was suffering from German machine gun fire. Later he reported that he had over 30 casualties from the machine gun fire. His flanks were also “in the air”. No contact was made with this party until the remnants returned around 9.30pm, all runners sent were killed or missing. The War Diary states that this group had: ”held the ground won all day, and this permitted the consolidation of the ground won on the Maltz Horn ridge with little interference from the enemy”.

Relief for 20/Kings had been planned for 11.00pm, but it was 5.00am on the 31st July before it took place, ending a tragic day for the Liverpool Pals.

Casualties for 20^th Battalion were 16 Officers and 357 Other Ranks

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30^th Division held a line from the railway on the eastern side of Trones Wood , southwards and including Arrow Head Copse, to east of Maltz Horn Farm. On this line the division was relieved by the 55^th Division during the early hours of the 31^st July. 

The events of 30^th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89^th Brigade written by Brigadier General Ferdinand Stanley which gives an indication of the events of the day.

Guillemont

Well the hour to advance came, and of all bad luck in the world it was a thick fog; so thick that you couldn’t see more than about ten yards. It was next to impossible to delay the attack – it was much too big an operation- so forward they had to go. It will give some idea when I say that on one flank we had to go 1,750 yards over big rolling country. Everyone knows what it is like to cross enclosed country which you know really well in a fog and how easy it is to lose your way. Therefore, imagine these rolling hills, with no landmarks and absolutely unknown to anyone. Is it surprising that people lost their way and lost touch with those next to them? As a matter of fact, it was wonderful the way in which many men found their way right to the place we wanted to get to. But as a connected attack it was impossible.

The fog was intense it was practically impossible to keep direction and parties got split up. Owing to the heavy shelling all the Bosches had left their main trenches and were lying out in the open with snipers and machine guns in shell holes, so of course our fellows were the most easy prey.

It is so awfully sad now going about and finding so many splendid fellows gone.    

His Casualty form records that a report was received on 05th August 1916 that John had been Wounded in Action, but on 03rd September he was declared Wounded and Missing.

His aunt, Mrs. Gordon, of 43 Zante Street, Liverpool, wrote a pleading letter on behalf of her sister asking for information about John on 16th August 1916. John’s mother had been made ill with worry over the lack of news about John, and also the fact that her other son William had also been wounded. William had served as a gunner in the Howitzer Bde in the 4th West Lancs Royal Field Artillery. William was discharged due to his wounds in October 1916. The content of Mrs Gordon's letter is as follows:  

"Dear Sir,
   We are very uneasy about my nephew his last letter to home was wrote on the 28 of July and since then we have heard through another comrade that he has been wounded. his mother is greatly depressed over it as she has another son now lying in hospital wounded in Scotland and being a widow makes things worse. It has made her very ill so that she is laid up in bed. I being her sister and aunty to the boy as taken it upon myself as seek you help in letting me know if it is true whether he is well or wounded as no one seems to have seen him since the 30 of July.
His name and address is Pte. John Fox 22377, 6 Platoon, 2 Company, 20 ser. Battalion, King's Lpool Regt, Pals. Any information would be gladly received at my address if you will kindly oblige."

A further letter (illegible), dated 07th September, was sent requesting information.

John was still reported wounded and missing in the local press on 09th November 1916.

An enquiry was made to the International Red Cross from Miss Ethel Nisbet Young (possibly a friend or sweetheart), of 134 Hartnup Street, Everton.  She was notified on 22nd January 1917 that they held no information on John. (Ethel was born in Liverpool in 1892 and in 1911, then 18, lived at this address with her parents and two sisters and worked as an order clerk in a dye works. She married in her late 50s and died in 1972 aged 79.)

On 08th August 1917, over a year later, John's death was officially presumed by the Army council as having occurred on or since 30th July 1916.

John's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme.

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.”

John earned his three medals.

His outstanding Army pay and a War Gratuity of £7-10s went to his mother Mary Jane of 287 Netherfield Road.  She was awarded a pension of 10/6d a week from 1st May 1917, increased to 12/6d in 1918, 15/- in 1921, and briefly to 20/- in 1922, but was then reduced to 13/-, then changed to 16/- and to 13/4d in 1923.

His brother, Gunner William Fox 1277 4th W.Lancs RFA Howitzer Bde, survived the war after GSW to arm and leg. Discharged with SWB on 14th October 1916 with a 50% disability pension.

In 1919 his mother Mary Jane was still at 287 Netherfield Road North with son William, 25. She later moved to 265 Fountains Road and remarried to Edward Thomas Carver in 1928 at Stanley Park Church, Walton Lane. 

His mother, Mary Jane, date of birth 09th February 1867, is once again widowed on the 1939 Register at 265 Fountains Rd.

She died aged 80 in the December quarter of 1947. 

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