The War Memorial Reredos and Roll of Honour Panel

Last week I got to see inside the church for the first time and saw the remains of the reredos in the chancel... I noticed that the carvings on it were identical to the war memorial and that shed some light on something that had been bothering me...

Recently I was sent a copy of a history of the church written in 1925 by Rev C.T. Dawson. In this the Rev. Dawson says that in 1920 'The War Memorial Reredos and Roll of Honour Panel were erected and dedicated.' In the same book he referred to my photo of the War Memorial as the Roll of Honour Panel.

I realised that I had been misunderstanding the inscription on the War Memorial - the reference to 'this reredos' is in fact to the full reredos in the church - the Roll of Honour Panel which I have been researching was not part of the reredos.

This doesn't affect my project but does significantly increase the impressiveness of the St James War Memorial. Here is a photo of the War Memorial Reredos from 1971, the Roll of Honour Panel was attached to the wall on the left, out of the photo. 

And here is a photo of what was left by about 1995:

Not too bad considering the amount of vandalism and fire-setting that had gone on over the years. The church was made more secure in 1998 and extensive work was carried out between 2000-2002 to get it ready to open again.
However, the next available photograph, from 2000 shows this:

Most of the detailing from the central panel has gone, including the top, and all 4 of the side panels are gone.
I can't find any reference to it being stolen or taken away for safekeeping so it's a bit of a mystery. I'm hoping to find out. The ogee arch in the middle was broken and later reattached so it's likely at least some of the decoration was lost to vandalism but it seems more likely to me that the large side-panels were removed and stored.

I'll update you when I know more!

roll of honour ceremony

I've been told now that the ceremony to add names to the roll of honour at the town hall will be in 2 parts due to the long list of names. They are both on the 6th Sept, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. I don't know yet which ceremony the St James' names will be in.

Dave at the town hall has asked me for the details of anyone who wants an invite. If I've not been in touch with you about this before and you'd like to attend, please email me using the link above and I'll get your details to add to the list.

Best wishes
Amanda

Names being added to the Roll of Honour

I have finished sending the names to the Town Hall for the Roll of Honour! There were 36 missing from the roll, I have managed to find proof for 29 of them, and of the other 7 one died in 1919 after his discharge from the Merchant Navy so I will have to get a death certificate to see if he is eligible, 2 weren't born in Liverpool and I don't have proof they lived there, and 4 I just can't find (yet!)

The names being added are:

1. Pte. William E Noll , 13th Bttn, The Kings (Liverpool Regiment)
2. Corpl. Robert Isherwood, 1st/7th Bttn, The Kings (Liverpool Regiment)
3. Pte. Lamont Grave, 1st/10th Bttn,The Kings (Liverpool Regiment)
4. Pte. Edward Burston, 2nd Bttn, South Lancashire Rgt
5. Fitter Herbert W R Jeffes, Royal Garrison Artillery
6. Rifleman Henry Schonewald, 1st/6th Bttn, The Kings (Liverpool Regiment)
7. Sgt. John Simpson D.C.M . 1st Bttn, Canadian Infantry
8. Pte. Matthew T Hamilton, 4th Bttn, The Kings (Liverpool Regiment)
9. Leading Stoker James Wilding , Royal Navy "HMS INDEFATIGABLE"
10. Corpl. George J Harker , 19th Bttn,  The Kings (Liverpool Regiment)
11. Pte. Charles Stenson 8th Bttn, East Lancashire Regiment
12. Rifleman John J Corkish , 5th Bttn, The Kings (Liverpool Regiment)
13. Pte. Norman Bracher , 10th Bttn, The Kings (Liverpool Regiment)
14. O.S. James Tonkies , Merchant Marine, "SS BURUTU"
15. Pte. James Llewellin , 1st Bttn, Royal Welsh Fusiliers
16. Driver William J Jago , 3rd Bde, Royal Field Artillery
17. Capt. Thomas J Prichard M.C. 1st Bttn, The King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment)
18. Pte. Frank P Lloyd , 14th Bttn, Welsh Regiment
19. Acting Bombardier, Hugh L Loughlin , Royal Field Artillery
20. Pte. Roderick D Sharpe , 17th Bttn, The Kings (Liverpool Regiment)
21. Rifleman Harold H Smith , 2nd/6th Bttn, The Kings (Liverpool Regiment)
22. Rifleman Percy H Harwood , 1st/6th Bttn, The Kings (Liverpool Regiment)
23. Corporal Herbert Ledger , Royal Army Ordnance Corps
24. Leading Seaman, Matthew Chisam , Royal Naval Reserve
25. Pte. James Irvine , 1st/10th Bttn, The Kings (Liverpool Regiment)
26. 2/Lieut Allan Dawson , 22 Coy, Machine Gun Corps (infantry)
27. Pte. Arthur Patrick Beattie , 4th Bttn, The Kings (Liverpool Regiment)
28. Pte. Isaac L Hilton , 1st/6th Bttn, The Kings (Liverpool Regiment)
29. Pte. Thomas W Simpson, 18th Bttn, Welsh Regiment

also, this chap because I came across him when researching a similar name and got the info ready before spotting that he wasn't the right one. It turned out that my William H J Elliott is already on the roll.

Pte William Elliott 1st/8th Bttn, The Kings (Liverpool Regiment)

Many thanks

I have to say very many thanks go to Sotonmate from the 1914-1918 forum who not only told me that a book existed with rolls of honour for all the Elder Dempster ships lost in the Great War but then went and copied the relevant pages for me. I would not have been able to get this information  myself so quickly. Sotonmate, you are a star!

I have already posted a copy of the roll of honour for the SS Burutu (relevant because it contains J. Tonkies from the memorial) I was also provided with the chapter detailing the SS Burutu's battle with a submarine and then her accidental collision and sinking. I will post transcripts as soon as I get time. (see page list on the left)

I am confident that I will be able to use this information to add James Tonkies to the Roll of Honour at the Town Hall. It is such a shame that he was not eligible for the CWGC. At least now he will be commemorated in his home town, on the same Roll of Honour as his brother.

Roll of Honour for the SS BURUTU sunk 3rd October 1918

Elder Dempster suffered the loss of a total of 42 ships during the period covering the First World War (4th August 1914 to 11th November 1918), and 30 of these ships were lost as a direct result of enemy action.

“The Elder Dempster Fleet in the War 1914-1918” was published privately by EDCL in 1921 to

 “pay homage and tribute to the men of a great steamship line –

Messrs. Elder Dempster and Company Limited –

which, along with other British steamship lines,

did its share in helping our far flung Empire through one of the darkest periods that ever marked the history of a nation”.

This roll of honour is taken from that book (with many thanks to Sotonmate)

Roll of Honour for the SS BURUTU

sunk 3^rd October 1918

Potter W.E.	Cmdr	Kratinger, J	Steward
Clarke, T.K.	Chief Off	Voss, H.D.	Steward
Kennedy, D.M.	2nd Off	Prince, W.	Steward
Williams, D	3rd Off	Wilson, G.A.	Barber
Martin, D.S.	4th Off	Wise, G.	Steward
Geldart, J.J.	Ch Engr	Brown, J.P	Steward
Durbrow, W.	2nd Engr	George, M	Steward
Brown, D.W.	4th Engr	Rose, G.	Steward
Coomber, A.G.	Purser	Doig, S	Stwdess
Ross, J.R.	Surgeon	Cole, W	Steward
Joseph, A	Steward	Samuel, G	Steward
Gordon, W	3rd Cook	Johnson, H	Fireman
Evans, P.S.	Scullion	Campbell, T	Fireman
Bassey, A.J.	Gunner	Smart, A	Trimmer
Jones, A.W.	Steward	Slade, J	Marconi O
Hollies, W.E.	Gunner	Barnett, G.M.	Marconi O
Grier, W	Gunner	Purdie, A	A.B.
Taylor, J	Steward	Stromdal, J	A.B.
Whitaker, W	Cadet	Johanssen, J	AB.
Alexander, J	Ch. Cook	Tonkies, J	O.S.
Cail, C.W.	Bo’s’n	Johnson, G.G.	Deck Boy
Dawson, A.F.	Butcher	Adaway, C	Deck Boy
Easthope, W	Steward	Finnegan, T	Greaser
Ford, F	Steward	Cole, T	Fireman
Flynn, P.A.	Clerk	Williams, C	Fireman
Fuchs, A	Steward	Wilson, T	Fireman
Hangaard, J	A.B.	Roberts, J	Fireman
Hodel, R	Steward	Forster, C	Trimmer
Harvey, J	Steward	Dick T	Trimmer
Hull, H	Baker	Johnson, C	Trimmer
Johnson, J.H.	Steward	Bright, C	Trimmer
Jones, R	P’tryman	Lake, E	Trimmer
Malone,  T	Steward	Thomas, A	Trimmer
Myers, R.A.	Steward	Heppell, H	2nd Steward
Kelly, G	Greaser	Westlake, A	Steward
Robinson, E	Carpenter	Jones, C.E.	Cadet
Rushton, J	Steward	Hart, R.W.	Engr. (Lagos service)
Wall, J	Greaser	Stephenson, W	Steward
Yarwood, J	2nd Cook

There were 148 lives lost in total, this list is only those crew employed by the Elder Dempster line.

Look in the pages list across the top for an SS BURUTU page, which has an account of the sinking.

Liverpool Hall of Remembrance

An exciting development today... even though I am about a million miles from getting all this research completed and posted I thought I'd take the huge step of contacting Liverpool Council about getting the names on the Roll of Honour. I've got 25 men who are not on the list for whom I can prove their scouseness! I was surprised that the dates for living in Liverpool are confined to the war period though and that does make it a bit harder to prove but fortunately Ancestry have the Soldiers Died in the Great War entries and they usually have place of birth and/or place of residence.

So, I'm waiting to hear back about what they need from me. It's quite exciting. When I get a definite yes for whether there is a ceremony etc I will try and contact a few of the families that I've been researching.

There is also apparently a family history of the KLR type thingy on at the museum this weekend - I would love to go but if Chloe and Amy are sick I don't really see how it could work.  Will have to scratch my head over that one a bit, maybe I would actually be better going on a weekday when there are less visitors... or could I benefit from the expertise of people from the forums etc in person????