Private 9436 Joseph Jones

This is possibly a photograph of Joseph Jones, see explanation in Personal section below.

Killed in Action on Friday, 14th July 1916, age unknown.
Commemorated on Pier and Face 7 B of Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France.

1st Bn., South Staffordshire Regiment. 91st Brigade of 7th Division.

Nephew of Mr Robert and Sarah Ann Wood, of 4 Chaters Passage, Tipton, Staffs.
Born: Tipton, Enlisted: Wolverhampton, Resident: Tipton.

First landed France & Flanders, 7th December 1914.
Medal entitlement: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives did not survive.

Not commemorated on any Tipton memorial.
Commemorated here because identified as Tipton on 'Soldiers Died in the Great War'.

Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/796878/

Genealogical Data

1901 Census
4 Chaters Passage, Tipton, Staffs.
Robert Wood (50, Coal Miner - Pikeman, born Dudley Port), his wife Sarah Ann (48, born Kates Hill, Dudley). Also William Jones (75, Boarder, born London), William R. Jones (18, Boarder, Coal Miner - Pikeman, born Tipton) and Joseph Jones (7, Boarder, born Tipton). William Jones snr was Sarah Ann's father, and WIlliam jnr and Joseph were nephews who lived with Robert and Sarah Ann for most of their early lives.

1911 Census
4 Chaters Passage, Tipton, Staffs.
Robert Wood (53, Coal Miner - Pikeman Underground, born Dudley Port), his wife Sarah Ann (53, born Kates Hill, Dudley), also Robert and Sarah Ann's 2 nephews: William Jones (25, Coal Miner - Hewer, born Tipton) and Joseph Jones (19, Labourer in Iron Foundry, born Tipton).

Personal Data

The photograph of J. Jones shown above is courtesy of "Fallen Railwaymen" at: https://fallenrailwaymen.omeka.net/items/show/52510. This is possibly Pte 9436 Joseph Jones, but is not positively him. Fallen Railwaymen records that this photograph is from the October 1919 edition of the Great Western Railway magazine, and shows J. Jones who worked as a Porter in the Traffic Department, Tipton. It is, of course, possible that the man who worked as a Porter in Tipton was not a Tipton resident. The man’s cap badge shows that he served with the South Staffordshire Regiment.

Joseph Jones seems to have been raised by his aunt and uncle, Sarah Ann (nee Jones) and Robert Wood. Joseph and his older brother William were both living with their aunt and uncle at 4 Chaters Passage at the time of the 1901 and 1911 censuses. William was already living with Sarah Ann and Robert at the 1891 census (before Joseph's birth) when he was described as "adopted son". No trace can be found of his biological parents.

After Joseph's death, his outstanding army pay and allowances amounted to £15/10/5d (15 pounds, 10 shillings and 5 pence); this was paid to his uncle and Sole Legatee, Robert Wood, in November 1919. His War Gratuity was £11/0/0d (11 pounds exactly), this was also paid to his uncle, Robert Wood, in November 1919. The value of the War Gratuity suggests that Joseph had enlisted in approximately August 1914.

Joseph's aunt, Mrs Sarah Ann Wood, seems to have received a Dependant's Pension, but the value of this is not shown, her address was still 4 Chaters Passage. Sarah Ann died on 5th May 1924, and the pension appears to have transferred to her husband, Robert Wood.

Action resulting in his death

The Battle of Bazentin lasted from 14th-17th July 1916, and included the capture of Longueval, Trones Wood and Ovillers.

From The History of the South Staffordshire regiment by Colonel W. Vale
"On July 14th the 1st South Staffords dug in under heavy shellfire in a valley behind the British front line and that afternoon the 91st brigade had orders to attack High Wood. It moved up to the assembly area through persistent shelling, led by two Companies of the Battalion on the left, with the Queen's on their right. A mile across the fields lay the dark mass of the wood, hitherto undamaged, but almost as soon as the attack commenced, forward enemy troops were encountered in hollows and shell-holes and quickly killed or captured.

Accurate automatic fire from its left slowed down the Battalion and caused some loss, but the two units forced their way into the dense forest, darkness added to their difficulties. By midnight the Queen's had established themselves on the eastern edge of the wood and had dug in; the Staffords were however again held up, this time by a strong redoubt in the north-west corner and gallant efforts made by two platoons could not dislodge the enemy. During the early morning of the 15th, fierce counter-attacks forced back the Companies on the left before they could consolidate and the Queen's had to conform, so that by dawn the northern and western parts of the wood were firmly held by the Germans."

34 men of the 1st South Staffs were killed on the day, including 2 Tipton men - Joseph Jones and James Drew. Neither man has a known grave, and both are commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme.

Newspaper Cuttings

None.