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John Edward Thomas(also known as Jack)

Started by clare d, April 18, 2010, 04:35:06 PM

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clare d

Hi my name is Clare and I wonder if anyone can help me please? My son Joe, aged 13 is due to go to Ypres on a school trip in May. His great great uncle (named above) was killed in 1917 in Ypres. He was 19 years old, the eldest of 6 children and was originally exempt from the war as his father was very ill and Jack was the sole breadwinner. I am informed that he served in the Kings Lancs Regiment.  Joe would like to visit his grave to pay his respects. The details of his whereabouts are unknown, and I checked the Commonwealth Graves web site without success.
I would really appreciate it if anyone could help me or even point us in the right direction.
Fingers crossed x

Wendi

Welcome to our Forum Clare & Joe  ;D

Obviously we mainly deal with The Manchester Regiment but would be happy to assist any 13 year old's interest in History and The Great War.

It is unusual for someone not to be named on CWGC. So please can you give us a little background.

Did he come from Manchester?
What were his parents/siblings names (any will do  ;) )
When was he born?
Do you have a Regimental number for him?
How do you know that he was in the Kings Lancs Reg. etc, etc.

Would not have been The Kings Liverpool by any chance would it?

Sorry! so many questions, but we will try to help

Wendi  :)

"Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it!  No matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and with your own common sense" ~ Buddha

kingo

#2
Could this be him ? http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=827451

The Kings Liverpool Regiment.

He is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial at the rear of the Cemetery-a place that most school party's pay a visit to when touring the Ypres Battlefields.
Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.

clare d

Thanks for your replies, much appreciated, and so quick too. Unfortunately I don't have any more information than all that I gave you before, sorry. Yes he is going to Tyne Cot cemetery as part of his trip so I will direct him there.

kingo

Soldiers Died in the Great War (Another list of Soldiers) has him as being born in Pendleton, Manchester and living in Salford.
Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.

clare d

Thankyou Kingo, that would make sense. Joe Grandmother was born in Salford.

Wendi

Clare we really would not like to send your son off to the wrong place.  You said that he was your Great Uncle can we at least verify that for you?

Wendi  :)
"Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it!  No matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and with your own common sense" ~ Buddha

clare d

Kingo has been very helpful and has tracked him down to Tyne Cot and the panel. He was in the King's Liverpool regiment and was born in Salford.

Wendi

Oh good I'm glad you are satisfied that it is him.  Joe may want to take a look here http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-cemeteries/tyne_cot.htm where there is a picture of Tyne Cot in 1917.  Not quite the clinical well ordered place of today !

Wendi  :)
"Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it!  No matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and with your own common sense" ~ Buddha

tonyrod

#9
hi clare and young joe, welcome to the forum, link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
plus a little info.
King's_Regiment_(Liverpool) 13th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Seaforth in September 1914 as part of K3 and attached as Army Troops to 25th Division.
February 1915 : transferred to 76th Brigade in same Division.
27 September 1915 : landed at Le Havre.
15 October 1915 : transferred with Brigade to 3rd Division.
23 October 1915 : transferred to 8th Brigade in same Division.
4 April 1916 : transferred to 9th Brigade in same Division

The Battle of Pilkem (a phase of the Third Battles of Ypres)
On 8 July 1917, Divisional HQ was established at Busseboom and came under orders of
II Corps for the opening of the Third Ypres offensive.
When the attack began on 31 July, 25th Division was in Corps Reserve,
behind 24th, 30th and 8th Divisions which were in the front line. 7th and 75th Brigades,
in place at Belgian Chateau, received orders to reinforce the attacking units as early as
8.30am but were not called upon to take up the advance as expected, due to the attack
being held up. 7th and 75th Brigades relieved the tired units of 8th Division in the front
line of the Westhoek and Bellewaarde ridges on 1 August. On 10 August, 74th Brigade
took part in the renewal of the attack. In a successful action, Westhoek was captured,
although at a severe cost: 47 officers and 1244 men killed, wounded or missing.
The 13th Bn, the Cheshires alone lost 19 officers and 395 men. Heavy and continuous
localised fighting took place until the Division was withdrawn on 9 September 1917,
where upon it moved to the Bethune area.
tonyrod.