Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

My Great Uncle was Alfred E Jones, born in Leominster in June 1898. His father was Robert Jones and he moved the family to Garston in Liverpool in the early 1900s. The last census in 1911 shows then at 39 Macbride Street, Garston. He is listed as Alfred E jones.

My mums friend started to do some research on Fred and passed me some info she found:
That he was a Private in the 1/6th KLR
His regiment number was 059367
He died at Ypres on 31 July 1917.
His full name was Alfred Edward Jones.

I have taken this info as gospel (possibly wrongly) and done a fair bit of research based on these facts and found his medals on the medal roll, lots on the 1/6ths activities (his assumed regiment) around the time he (presumably) died, and about the Battle of Pilckem Ridge, where he must have died, given his date of death and the fact that his body was never recovered. His name is on the Menin Gate.

However.... Problem! I am not sure if I have been working using duff info as a starting place all along and am now beyond confused. I don't want to approach my Mums friend and pump her for info as to how she sourced and verified this info given it would seem rude as she did this as a kind favour to my mum. I also have her handwritten notes and there are no sources written, just the info above.

How can I ensure that her Fred is THE Fred? I can't find his service record but have just found one for another Fred Jones, (as he was called rather than Alfred) from Garston, Liverpool who survived the war and his father was called John, not Robert Jones. Obviously not our Fred. My Mums friend had jotted some notes down about this Fred though so I'm starting to worry my research is wrong. There are likely a number of Alfred Joneses around given the commonality of the name.

Fred was definitely with the KLR but was he really in the 1/6th, do I have the correct regiment number for him and the correct date of death? If anyone can find his service record as this will have his fathers name and address on it, as well his accurate regiment number, this would provide a lot of peace on mind and help me to move forward with my search for more info on him.

Thanks!

Hi and welcome to the forum.

The soldier you have is listed on the Soldiers Who Died in the Great War database with a birthplace of Lempster, Herts. Of course this could be an error in itself. Unfortunately the CWGC site doesn't have any additional information regarding the family.

Still checking for Service Records.

Thanks for your help, Mary! I was researching lempster earlier as I was confused by this reference on something I had found and apparently, it's a local name for Leominster. Sounds hopeful that this is the right Fred. If you can find his service record, I would be really very grateful as this would confirm it. Thanks again for you effort.

Re Lempster....
See: http://books.google.ie/books?id=gZFOAAA ... 3F&f=false

and from FreeBMD
"The district Leominster spans the boundaries of the counties of Herefordshire and Hereford and Worcester"

So it sounds very feasible.

Sorry no sign of the Service Record, not all have survived and I've had no luck with this one.

Some additional information from the WW1 Liverpool Regt database - some of which is not on the internet.

To France with 19 KLR 23/5/17. Posted from to 1/6 KLR 9/6/17. Killed in action 31/7/17

Second son of Mr and Mrs Robert Jones of 13 Woolton Rd, Garston and formerly of 59 McBride St. Educated at the National Day School. He was a telegraph clerk at Church Rd Station for the L&NW Railway Company. Enlisted January 1917 and had only been in France for 6 weeks before he met his death. Aged 19. With his elder brother he belonged to the Island Rd Scout Club and attended the Presbyterian Sunday School. He was killed by shell fire whilst digging in following an attack on the German lines.

1911 Census
Alfred E Jones
Age: 12
Occupation: school boy
Address: 39 MacBride St Garston Liverpool - the dwelling had 6 rooms
Estimated Birth Year: 1899
Born: Leominster
Father: Robert Jones 39, dock labourer with L&NWR, b. Leominster
Mother: Fanny Jones 37, b. Llangarren
Robert Jones 15, apprentice clerk with L&NWR, b. Leominster
Ethel M Jones 11, b. Hereford
Mabel A Jones 9, b. Hereford
William Jones 6, b. Garston, Liverpool
Vera M Jones 2 months, b. Garston, Liverpool
His parents had been married for 16 years - 6 of their 7 children survived.

1901 Census
Alfred E Jones
Age: 3
Address: Munston Cottages, Holmer Shelwick, Hereford
Estimated birth year: abt 1898
Relation to Head: Son
Father: Robert Jones, 29, coachman and groom, b. Leominster
Mother: Fanny Jones, 25, b. St Leonards
Birth Place: Leominster
Robert J Jones 5, b. Leominster
Ethel M Jones 12 Months, b. Munston

He is commemorated on the following war memorials:-
St Michael Parish Church, Church Rd, Garston
Garston Roll of Honour Garston War Memorial, Garston
Island Rd Methodist Church, Garston

I have emailed you on another forum, where you have submitted the same posting, so that I can send you more information.

And finally his photo . .

Leominster is always pronounced 'Lemster', by those who live there!
Hertfordshire and Herefordshire are often confused especially when dadly written or shortened. (And 'urricanes 'ardly 'appen there.)
D

Promenade-This is amazing! I can't thank you enough for all this info. This is definitely him from the census info and the photo is uncanny- he's just like my nana!

I've emailed you directly about how the WW1 Liverpool Regt database works as this info is gold. I also have some questions about him joining with the 19th KLR and being transferred to the 1/6.

If anyone can fill in any blanks about his service history between 23/5/1917 and his death, this would be amazing. This is such a short period of time to have served. It's so sad.

Thanks to everyone who has commented today. I appreciate it, and if you find anything else out about him, I would really love to hear it

Ozpyne wrote: If anyone can fill in any blanks about his service history between 23/5/1917 and his death, this would be amazing.

Can you please give a link to your post on other forums so that we don't duplicate research already being done.

Hi Mary, I have also posted this query on
http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forum ... try2124544
Thanks
Emma