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John Clayton
27665, Private, 1st Royal Welsh Fusiliers
Killed in action, 29 August 1916, aged 34
No known grave (Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France)
CWGC registered (no family details)
John Clayton was born in Llandudno on 1 Apr 1882. He was the son of John and Elizabeth Clayton (née Roberts) of “Moranedd House Yard”, North Parade, Llandudno. John Clayton (senior) was a coachman to a physician. In October 1887, John was admitted to St. George’s National School – his previous school is not recorded. In 1891, the family lived at 126 Mostyn Street, Llandudno: John Clayton (senior) was now a carriage proprietor, John (junior) a scholar; he left school in March 1896 and took up work at the Post Office. In 1901 John (junior) was an ironmonger’s assistant. His father died in 1902 and his mother died in 1910. In 1911, John Clayton was an ironmonger salesman living at 16 Porchester Gardens, Paddington, London.
On 11 May 1915, John Clayton joined the 18th (Service) Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers (2nd London Welsh) at Holburn. He gave his address as 8 Leysfield Road, Shepherd’s Bush. He named a cousin as his next of kin. His service number was 27665. The 18th RWF had formed at Gray’s Inn in February 1915 as a Service Battalion. It moved to Bangor in June 1915 and in August 1915 it became a Reserve Battalion, its soldiers and future recruits becoming destined to reinforce other battalions.
John Clayton was promoted to lance corporal on 24 June 1916. He was transferred to France on 1 July 1916, initially to the 38th Infantry Base Depot at Étaples and then to the 1st Battalion RWF on 13 July 1916. An amazing survivor in the War Diary is a battalion order dated 25 July 1916 which records that John Clayton of A Company reverted to private at his own request on 13 July 1916. On 26 August 1916, the battalion moved from Dernancourt into the front line preparatory to an attack near Delville Wood, a phase of the Battle of the Somme. The attack began the following day and John was initially reported missing in action on 29 August 1916 – the war diary recorded heavy machine-gun fire and shelling all day. This date is regarded as John Clayton’s date of death for official purposes – he was aged 34. He has no known grave.
Known memorials:
- Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France
- Llandudno Roll of Honour
- Llandudno War Memorial
- Memorial Chapel, Holy Trinity Church, Llandudno
- Mother’s gravestone, St. Tudno’s Churchyard
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