Pte 27143 Richard George West Jones

• Age: 40
• From: Wrexham, N.Wales
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Thursday 18th April 1918
• Commemorated at: Tyne Cot Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 31-34

Richard George West Jones was born in Wrexham in 1877, the son of Richard George West and his wife Martha (nee Lloyd). His parents married in 1859; seven children have been found on censuses. Richard had older siblings Mary, Martha, Walter, Sarah, and Ellen, and a younger brother William Henry.

At the time of the 1881 census the family is found at 15 Beast Market in Wrexham with six children. His father is a slater and plasterer, 14-year old Mary is employed in a leather works, and Richard is 3 years old. 

Beast Market is named after the cattle market that had been held on the site since medieval times.

On the 1891 Census he is aged 13, and an agriculture labourer, living at 20 Beast Market, Wrexham with his parents and four siblings. His father, Richard, is a 60  year old plasterer, whilst his mother, Martha, is aged 50. His siblings are listed as;  Walter aged  20 and a stationary engine driver, Sarah is aged 19 and employed as a nailer?, Ellen is aged 15,  and William H. is an 8 year old scholar. Also present is his cousin William Willcock aged 20 and a bricklayers labourer (All  were born in Wrexham).

On the 1901 census he is aged 23, a collier, boarding at 9 Abenbury Street, Wrexham. Also there is his future wife Betsy Rogers, aged 16, listed as sister-in-law.

His parents are now living at 56 Marley Road in Wrexham. His father is 70, still working as a plasterer, his mother is 60, and youngest son William, 19, works as a driver below ground in a colliery.

He married Betsy Rogers in Wrexham on 03rd June 1901. On his marriage cert his middle name is written down and signed "Gorge". Richard, 24, gave his address as Napier Street, and his occupation as collier. Betsy gave her age as 17, in fact she was only 16.

They had four children, all born in Wigan: Bessie May, born on 17th August 1903, Lily 27th January 1906, Frank 03rd February 1908, and Rose, born on 02nd January 1911.

His mother died in the June quarter of 1907 aged 66.

His father died in the March quarter of 1908 aged 77.

On the 1911 Census, Richard is aged 33,  and works as a coal miner/hewer. He is married and living at 63 Sandy Lane, Lowton, Lancashire. His wife Betsy is aged 26 and they have four children, they are recorded as; Bessie May aged 7, Lily aged 5, Frank aged 3 and Rose is just 3 months old. 

Another child, Walter, was born on 25th November 1913 and was baptised in St. Mary's Church, Lowton.

At the time of the war he was living in Newton Le Willows and was employed as a Coal miner. 

He enlisted in Wigan, joining the 11th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment. He arrived in France on 14th July 1915 and at some point was transferred to the 19th Battalion K.L.R. as Private No 27143.

Richard was killed in action on the 18^th April 1918, aged 40, during the German Spring Offensive.

The Battalion diary entry for the day reveals that 10 Other Ranks were killed during heavy shelling of the area.  

18^th April

No aggressive action on either side. The activity being confined to artillery. The French had come up in great force and  assisted our artillery with the famous “75s”. The Battn came under heavy shell fire at one period. 10 O.R. being killed and 3 wounded.

The weather, which up to this time had been quite good, turned and snow, rain and hail fell.

Richard was one of the 10 Other Ranks referred to in the diary.

His body was not recovered or was subsequently lsot as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial.

Those United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after August 16th 1917 are named on the Tyne Cot Memorial, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war.

The Tyne Cot Memorial now bears the names of almost 35,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Herbert Baker with sculpture by Joseph Armitage and F.V. Blundstone, was unveiled by Sir Gilbert Dyett on 20 June 1927.

The memorial forms the north-eastern boundary of Tyne Cot Cemetery, which was established around a captured German blockhouse or pill-box used as an advanced dressing station.

Richard is also commemorated on the following Memorials:

Newton le Willows War Memorial 

St. Mary's Cross, Lowton.

He earned his three medals.

Soldiers Effects including a War Gratuity of £13-10s and a pension of 24s/2d to widow Betsy and children Bessie May, Lily, Frank, Rose and Walter. His children were 15, 12, 10, 7, and 4 years old when Richard was killed.

Notations on the pension card read, Reason for refusal - "Letter rec'd re woman's conduct sent to Section to deal with (18/5/18 not returned)". If a widow was deemed morally unfit by the standards of the day, a pension could be refused.

In 1939 Betsy is at 63 Sandy Lane with four children: Alfred, born in 1919, Albert 1920, one record which is redacted but is in fact Alice, born in 1923, and Mary, 1926, all Jones born to mother Rogers.

His daughter Rose is married and living in Leigh with her husband Richard and two children. Richard Royle served in the Second World War as a Gunner in the Royal Horse Artillery. He was killed in North Africa on 31st May 1942. Richard, who was 32 years old, is commemorated on the Alamein Memorial in Egypt.

Betsy never remarried and died on the 20th January 1945,  aged 60, her address was still 63 Sandy Lane, Lowton

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