Private Richard Jones 35310, 14th Bn Welsh Regiment (Swansea Pals)

[davierj]

Born in 1876, my grandfather, Richard Jones, lived in Aberystwyth, Cardiganshire.   He was recruited in Mountain Ash in 1915 and after training joined 14th Bn Welsh Regiment (Swansea Pals) in France.   On 10th July 1916 at 0415 hours, after an artillery bombardment,  38 Division launched an attack on Mametz Wood.    The 13th and 14th Welsh led, followed by 10th and 15th Welsh, on the left in support were 14th and 16th Royal Welsh Fusiliers.

The casualties were fearsome and that day Richard Jones, age 39, together with many of his comrades were killed and their bodies never recovered.   He is commemorated on Thiepval Memorial.

Back in Wales, his widow and 6 children waited for news.   In September 1916 the local paper, the Cambrian News, reported him wounded and 'progressing favourably'.   No more was heard of him despite numerous appeals to the War Office.   It was not until July 1917 that the same paper reported that he had been 'killed in action on 10 July 1916'.

A sad but familiar tale on both sides during that dreadful war.

[gaynor]

My grandfather's cousin , FRANCIS JOHN MEATS , from Pontypridd , was also killed in the Battle of Mametz Wood , on the 10th of July ,  and his name is on the Thiepval Memorial . The Memorial commemorates " the missing " , however I find this term misleading . During the 1st World War , when a soldier was killed in action , it was  , under Governments orders , customary to remove the identifying "dog-tags " from those killed . They were either removed by those fighting with them if they were able to or by soldiers who were specially selected to leave the trenches under cover of darkness , when the fighting stopped , to gather them from the fallen . The original idea was to return them to the soldiers loved ones , however they were not , maybe because there was such a huge death toll . It became apparent later that this was such a bad idea when they realized that they could not identify the bodies when it came to burying them , hence the MISSING are not actually missing , they know who they are from the names on the removed dog-tags  , they are actually the UNIDENTIFIED 

[davierj]

I have visited the site of the battle on a number of occasions and I have never failed to be impressed by the difficulties presented by the terrain to an attacking force.   38 Division troops having descended into the valley had to cross open ground in the face of enemy artillery and heavy machine gun fire from the wood and from flanking positions.   Once in the wood they were faced with dense woodland, thick undergrowth and fierce resistance from well entrenched enemy troops.

14 th Welsh suffered such heavy casualties they were not to take part in any further major actions throughout the Somme offensive.

The picture to the left gives a view of the valley looking from the ridge, from where the attack was launched, towards Mametz Wood.

[IMBER]

"During the 1st World War , when a soldier was killed in action , it was  , under Governments orders , customary to remove the identifying "dog-tags " from those killed ".

Gaynor, do you have a source for this statement about identity discs and what period in the war were you thinking of? Is it a possibility that the graves were given temporary markers which were obliterated subsequently?

Imber

[Nanna52]

I have the records for a cousin killed at Passchendaele, October 12, 1917 with the New Zealand army.  It says in part that he was buried at Bellvue Spur and details the position.  However according to the CWGC site he has no known grave.  I know there was more fighting in the area so feel that his grave was lost.

[davierj]

Even if dog tags were recovered, if they survived intact, in many cases they would only serve to identify persons 'missing presumed dead'.   Often it would be impossible to relate them to specific human remains.

In my grandfather's case it took the War Office the best part of a year to confirm his death.   Even then the final letter from the War Office, dated 2 June 1917, stated 'It is regretted that no further information concerning this soldier has been received since he was reported missing'.   No identification was ever made.

[gaynor]

Hi . My information comes from the book written by (  Officer ) SIDNEY ROGERSON entitled TWELE DAYS ON THE SOMME . I have researched the South Wales Borderers part in the Battle of Mametz , from various army records and military experts opinions , and read all the newspaper reports etc. on the free WELSH NEWSPAPERS site and free 1914CYMRU site , which I found pretty depressing stuff , but this book , written by someone who actually served in the trenches at the Somme          ( though not in Mametz ) was not as depressing as you might think it would be . On the contrary , I found it excellent in the way it portrayed the mind set of those who served in the 2nd World War , and I admired those who did even more after reading the book .