Jonas Annis

A Private with 10th Company, Jonas died on 3rd of May 1917 at the age of 23. 

Jonas was born at Lowestoft on 20 July 1893, a son of Jonas and Ellen Annis. He was baptised at Saint Margaret’s Church, Lowestoft, on 9 August 1893, and his family lived at 16 Mariners Street, Lowestoft. Jonas’ father died in 1895 and his mother married Edward Ashby. In 1901 his family lived at Woods Loke, Oulton, Lowestoft. By 1911 they were living at 12 Fir Lane, Lowestoft, and Jonas was a brickmaker’s labourer.  

Jonas enlisted in the Army at Lowestoft. He joined the Suffolk Regiment, service number 22505. He went to France to join a battalion of the Suffolk Regiment and was transferred to the Machine Gun Corps, service number 10459, and was posted to 10 Company.   

On 3 May 1917 10 Company were to support a divisional attack south of Gavrelle and to the east of Fampoux. 

The Company’s casualties were two officers wounded, two other ranks missing, and eight other ranks wounded. Jonas was reported missing and enquiries were still being made with the Red Cross in October 1917. It was later concluded that he had been killed in action on 3 May.

His uncle John Annis died in 1916 in the loss of the drifter Michaelmas Daisy. 

Jonas’ half-brother, James Ashby, died in the loss of the trawler Chrysolite in 1917.