Private. 16th (The Queen’s) Lancers Regimental no. 6133.
Previously, 4th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment. Regimental no. 5818 and also, 17th Lancers, Regimental number 6133.
Early life:
James was born in Keighley 0n 12th March 1886 and his birth was registered here in the second quarter of the year. He was baptised Patrick at St. Anne’s Chuch on North Street in March 1886 and his parents were Peter and Ann Gibbons.
James was five in the 1891 census and was living with his parents at 28, Mill Street in Keighley which was
part of the Damside area of town. Mill Street ran from the front of the Royal public house (later, the Royal Oak) to High Street and used to be called Old Bridge Street. Not to be confused with Bridge Street which back then was Old Bridge Street. Both bridges crossed the Beck and with the noted Quebec footbridge a little bit further upstream. All of this area was later demolished in a major clearance of back to back and slum housing.
The family were Peter aged 48 and a mason’s labourer; Ann aged 42 and a housewife; Margaret Ann aged 19 and a worsted spinner; John aged 18 and a worsted carder; Bridget aged 17 and a worsted spinner; Kate aged nine and a scholar; Anthony aged six and James aged five, both of whom were scholars. Also living with them was Peter’s mother Bridget aged 65.
Their father Peter (who was a mason’s labourer) died in 1895 and his death was registered at Keighley in the second quarter of the year. James would have been ten at the time of his death.
In the 1901 census they are living at 81, King Street in Keighley which runs from South Street, between the Woolpack Inn and what was then St. Peter’s Church. This house has also been long demolished although the last seven house numbers from 57 to 83 still have the lower half of their front walls retained for use as a boundary wall, complete with stonework blocking the doors and windows, plus visible chute holes originally for the coal deliveries. Ann is 53, a widow and head of the household. Thomas is aged 21 and a labourer at an iron works; Kate is 19 and a worsted twister; Anthony aged 16 and James aged 15 are both labourers at an iron works and 24 year old Edward Leonard who is Ann’s nephew, is living with them and employed as a stonemason’s labourer.
On 11th June 1903 James completed a militia attestation form at Bradford (probably Belle Vue Barracks on Manningham Lane) with the 4th West Yorkshire Regiment. He is a labourer for Hattersley & Co. in Keighley and is aged 18 years and 3 months. He was single and signed up for six years service with the regimental number 5818. His Army medical shows he was five feet four inches tall and weighed 106 pounds. His chest measured 31 inches and he had a fresh complexion with brown eyes and brown hair.
His statement of services is rather scant but it tells us he completed 49 days drill on enlistment and a later annotation states he was present in 1904. He was of good character and joined the 17th Lancers on 13th January 1905.
We could not find Army service records for this part of his service but he would likely have signed up for eight years with the colours (to 12th January 1913) and four with the Reserves (to 12th January 1917) totalling twelve years.
His next of kin is stated as his mother Fanny Gibbons of 81, King Street in Keighley, Yorkshire and that he had older brothers Thomas and Anthony.
The newspaper report of his death tells that he had served in India with the 17th Lancers and this is confirmed by the 1911 census which has a Private James Gibbons aged 25 of Keighley recorded at Edward Barracks at Sialkot on the night of the census. Sialkot is located 85 miles to the North of Lahore and at that time it was in Northern India, but is now part of Pakistan.
The 1911 census for Keighley shows James’s 62 year old widowed mother Ann living at 1, Wharfe Street with her daughter Kate (Catherine) Burns and her husband Herbert Burns and their two young children Nora aged one and baby Robert aged seven months.
War service:
There are no Army service records available for James but we can work out some of his service from other sources of information. He entered France with the 16th Lancers but since they were in the UK when war broke out, as a reservist he was called to the colours after the declaration of war in August 1914. Soldier’s Died in the Great War states that he enlisted at Halifax with the 16th Lancers (The Queens,) Household Cavalry and Cavalry of the Line.
Fortunately for us Keighley has the Town Clerk’s enlistment records in the library archives and he is listed as: Gibbons, James Patrick of 29, Barrett Street, 16th Lancers Reserves, so we know he was a reservist who answered the call to the colours very early in the war. This is echoed in his name being in the list of ‘Keighley’s Gallant Sons’ published in the Bradford Daily Telegraph in 1915 as: Gibbons, Jas Patrick, 29, Barrett Street, killed Feb 18th 1915 (this is the wrong date of death but he was not reported locally until February 1915 so this may be the reason for the error.) Him being a reservist is also mentioned later in the newspaper.
Barrett Street no longer exists and was situated in the Parkwood area of Keighley.
His medal records show that he entered France on 26th August 1914 with the regimental number 6133. They suggest he was with the 16th Lancers but was transferred to the 17th Lancers shortly after arriving overseas and his number remained the same. This must be a clerical error as the 17th Lancers were still in India when he was killed on 16th October 1914 and whilst they were being mobilised to return to Europe at that time, he could not have been serving with them because they were still in Karachi on the date he died.
Having arrived in France so early in the war meant that he was an ‘Old Contemptible.’ James was killed in action on 16th October 1914 whilst serving with the 16th (The Queen’s) Lancers. Their Regimental War Diary gives us a good idea of what was happening on the day he died.
WO95/1134/3/01: 16th Lancers war diary:
The 16th Lancers were billeted at AMBRIEF in Northern France.
1st October 1914: Remained in billets.
2nd:
3 pm. Received orders to move to DOMPLEUX to billet.
7.30 pm. When we arrived 7.30 pm whole place full of French and. 20 men and horses were out.
3rd: 4 pm. Having received orders to march at 7 am finally moved at 4 pm. Joined the Brigade at VILLERS COTTERETS and reached billets at COURCELLES St. SAVIOUR at 9.30 pm.
4th: 7.45 am. Moved at 7.45 am to form the Brigade and billeted at COURCELLES at 4 pm.
5th: 7 am. Joined the Brigade and marched as leading Regiment.
2 pm. Billeted at THEZY.
6th: Were turned out early but sent back to our old billets.
7th: 7 am. Begun to march North but the Bn(?) was sent South to help the French. Not being wanted moved to billets at VAUX EN AMIENOIS.
8th: 7 am. Marched to MAIZIECOURT to billet.
9th: 7 am. Marched to ANVIN to billets D Squadron being sent on to CREPY. [Margin note: Captain Bidding to GSO3 to 2nd Cavalry Division.]
10th: 7 am. Marched to billets at St. HILAIRE.
11th: 7 am. Turned out and joined the Brigade, but were sent back to billets.
3 pm. were ordered to saddle up and marched to billets at HAZEBROUK.
12th: 4 am. Captain ONSLOW with D Squadron went as reconnoitring squadron to CAESTRE, from their sending on patrol under Lt. Avis(?) and MacNeil to MONT des CATTES and one under Lt R R Davis to GODEWAERSVELDE. The Regiment did advanced guard to the Brigade.
[Margin notes: 2nd Lieutenant McNeil and three men killed; 2nd Lieutenant Arris and two men wounded; 2nd Lieutenant Arris was awarded the DSO]
6 am. Captain Leave(?) with A marching out to BOPE at 6 am. A Squadron were sent on to FLETRE. D was then at THIESHAUK and HQ and C at CAESTRE. The regiment was ordered to attack the monastery, A Squadron on the right with the 19th Hussars Machine gun advanced through COQ du PAILLE, C squadron with our Machine guns was on the centre and D on the left through KRUYSTRAETE. The RHA shelled the place first and then the Regiment advanced. The Germans who were there went and we only found three wounded there, one of whom was Prince Max von HESSE (sic Prince Maximilian Friedrich Wilhelm Georg von Hesse.)
who died in the night. C Squadron were sent on East about a mile as outpost. D Squadron and the Machine gun held the trenches round the monastery and the remainder billeted there with 5 Lancers.
13th: 4.30 am. All the horses were sent behind the hill in case the Germans shelled us.
8 am. About 8 am 3000 French Territorials relieved the Regiment and we moved out and joined C Squadron.
11 am. About 11 am we were ordered to BERTHEN, arriving there were sent back, and remained till 3 pm.
3 pm. when orders were received to advance on East of BERTHEN to relieve the pressure on 4th Hussars. Advanced to a place called PURGATOIRE and then received orders to return to billets. There was a thick mist and rain all the afternoon. HQ and D Squadron billeted at LES CHEMINS VERTS and A and C went back to the monastery.
14th: The Regiment collected at the monastery and joined up the Brigade at GOEDESWAERSVELDE which moved by BOESCEPPE to a position of readiness West of KEMMEL finally going to billets at KRUISTRAAT.
15th: 5 am. D Squadron formed a troop as escort with RHA.
6 am. The Brigade underground(?) at 6 am.
8 am. D Squadron with the 16th’s Machine gun were then sent off at 8 am to cover the RE while they built a bridge at WARNETON, C Squadron were sent to hold Hill 63 at PLOEGSTEERT. A and C Squadrons then met at LEGHEER, two troops of A under Captain Riddell being at HALTE. About 3.30 A & C returned and took up an outpost line South of MESSINES with the 4 Machine guns and D withdrew from WARNETON to MESSINES.
[Margin note: Lt. Avis and three men wounded.]
16th: 11 am. D and 16th Machine gun were sent back to WARNETON and the remainder of the Regiment joined the Brigade at GAPAARD. 4 pm. About 4 pm the Regiment were ordered to support D Squadron and clear WARNETON so as to enable the RE to build a bridge. D Squadron were holding the South West corner of the village and C Squadron were sent to dismounted, later two troops of A were sent for and the other two troops of A came up as soon as they returned from a patrol. After one gun of East Battery had fired 48 shots at the barricade C Squadron charged and although fired on took it helped by a troop from D which had worked around the flank by the North. A Squadron had the duty of blocking and guarding all the roads leading South towards the river and D acted rearguard with a barricade. One Machine gun was brought up to the corner of the street facing the Germans. A Squadron of the 5th Lancers came up to the square on the other side opposite the Regiment, and the 4th Hussars were reported to be in the village.
[Margin note: Lieutenant Clarke and six men wounded and/or killed]
9 pm. About 9 pm a party of 4 men was sent over the square to work down the road towards the Germans but was stopped by snipers from a house, two being hit. The 2nd Machine gun was sent over the square and both guns fired down the road, the Germans mounted a machine gun but did no damage, they were also using rockets to light the place up.
11.30 am. Orders were received to retire about 11.30 pm. Three volunteers, Farrier Staff Sergeant Glasgow, Lance Corporals Chapman (since killed) and Boynton(sic – Boyton) went out to bring in the two wounded men in the square, which they did although only about 40 yards in front of the German machine gun. [The three NCO’s were awarded the D.C.M. for this] The retirement was carried out from side street to side street. All the wounded were got away except three, who were left in the hospital when Captain Johnson RAMC and his orderly Corporal Redman stayed as well, nothing has been heard of them since. As the Regiment left the Germans dropped three shells in beyond the village.
17th: 2 am. The Regiment reached MESSINES billet at 2 am and were ready to move at 7 am. and at 1 pm marched to billets at HEMMEL.
Keighley News 13th February 1915, page 9:
KEIGHLEY SOLDIER KILLED.
News was received at Keighley on Tuesday of the death of James Patrick Gibbons, of the 16th Lancers. Gibbons, who was a reservist and resided in Barrett Street, Keighley, was killed in action. He had seen service in India with the 17th Lancers.
A photograph of James appeared in the Bradford Daily Telegraph dated 11th February 1915, page 3. There was no supporting text other than the caption: Private James Gibbons, 16th Lancers, of 29, Barrett Street, Keighley. Killed in action.
We suspect that James was one of the three men who were wounded and left behind when the Germans advanced. Two men from the 16th Lancers died on the 16th October and they were our man, 6133 Private James Gibbons and 2809 Private Christopher Redding. They have no known final resting place and are commemorated on the Menin Gate war memorial for the missing at Ypres. It is possible that they died of their wounds whilst in German hands and were buried, but the grave position was not recorded or the record of their location was lost over the years.
Post war:
James’s mother Ann was aged 72 and living with her daughter Kate in the 1921 census. The address was 29, Barrett Street in Parkwood. The head of the household was Herbert Burns aged 36 with his wife Catherine Burns (Ann’s daughter Kate) aged 39 and their children Una aged 11, Robert aged 10, Mary aged 9, Bryson aged 7, James aged 6. Also living here was Anthony Gibbons, James’s older brother, aged 37.
Ann was James’s next of kin and she would have received all of James’s personal effects, plus his medals and a bronze war memorial plaque and King’s certificate inscribed with his name. The medals were the 1914 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. There is no note to say that the clasp and rose had been issued for the 1914 Star so she probably did not get them. Ann also received his outstanding Army pay which amounted to $5 4s. 2d on 10th June 1915 plus a further amount of 8 shillings on the same date. She also received a war gratuity of £5 issued in 28th April 1919.
She also received a dependant’s pension which appears to be for 10 shillings per week, for James and his brother Thomas who had also been killed in the war. There are four pension cards but the information is scant on detail, so we suspect some information is missing.
Ann died early in 1934 and her death was registered in Keighley in the first quarter of the year. Her death was also recorded on the pension card on 30th May 1934.
Remembrance:
Apart from the Menin Gate, James is remembered in the Borough of Keighley 1914-1918 Great War Roll of Honour in Keighley Library, along with his brother Thomas who also died in the war. They are both named on the St. Anne’s Church war memorial on North Street in Keighley.
The entry in the Keighley roll of Honour book.
The Marquis of De Ruvigny’s Roll of Honour which is a record of soldiers killed in the Great War, recorded James as: Gibbons, J., Private, No. 6133, 16th Lancers; served with the Expeditionary Force in France; killed in action 16th Oct. 1914.
Information sources:
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837-1915.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915.
1891 England Census.
1901 England Census.
1903 British Army Service Records – WO96 – Militia Service Records 1806-1915.
1911 England Census.
Town Clerks 1914 enlistments at Keighley Library.
Keighley’s Gallant Sons (Bradford Daily Telegraph) at Keighley Library.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Soldiers Died in the Great War.
British Newspaper Archive – Bradford Daily Telegraph.
Keighley News archives at Keighley Library.
De Ruvigny’s Roll of Honour, 1914-1919.
British Army World War I Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920.
World War I Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920.
Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1929.
World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923.
Gro War Death Army Other Ranks (1914 To 1921).
British Armed Forces Soldiers’ Wills 1850-1986.
Borough of Keighley 1914 – 1918 Great War roll of Honour book at Keighley Library.
St. Anne’s Church war memorial on North Street, Keighley.
1921 Census Of England & Wales.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007.
