Education & Career :

Architect (1896- 1903), resident at "Pomfret", Reading and then Waterloo Street Weston-super-Mare.

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

9 April - 29 April 1918. As the first phase of the great German campaign of 1918 lost momentum and failed in its objective to split the British and French armies, subsidiary attacks were shift the balance of the attack and to seek opportunities to exploit other sectors. On the Lys the Germans initially enjoyed spectacular success against a Portuguese Division but the gap was soon plugged and the advance halted.

Detail :

MAJOR WILLIAM JANE. - Within a very brief period after his arrival in Portland, where his family now reside, Major William Jane returned to England to enter the British army, for he was still a citizen of Great Britain, and his loyalty and patriotic devotion to his country led to an immediate desire to rejoin the military forces when it was seen. that England must bear her part in suppressing the autocracy of Germany. Major Jane was born in Wrexham, Wales, December 14, 1865, his parents being William and Annie (Cope) Jane. The father came of a wealthy family, belonging to the gentleman class of England, his holdings being sufficient to obviate the necessity of employment. His wife was a representative of a noted family of manufacturers there.

Their son, William Jane, acquired his education in Clifton, England. In early manhood he was articled to Thomas Shackleton Pope, surveyor of the diocese of Gloucester and Bristol, and became well known as an architect and surveyor. For a time he was employed in the office of J. D. Sedding, diocesan architect, and in that connection superintended the restoration of a part of Axbridge church. For more than two years he occupied the position of chief assistant to C. H. Samson and later entered into partnership with Hans Price of Weston-super-Mare, a relation that was maintained for more than a decade, and in that partnership he was one of the architects to the county education committee. While connected therewith the firm made the plans and superintended the erection of numerous school buildings and also did much ecclesiastical work.

Mr. Jane, ever ambitious for advancement in his profession, employed every opportunity to broaden his knowledge and promote his efficiency and became a member of the Society of Architects. Many of his old friends at Weston-super-Mare bear testimony not only to his high professional skill and ability but also to his splendid character as "a man of thoroughly good business habits, and of ability, of pleasing address, and reliable withal." At length Major Jane determined to become a resident of the new world.

It was in May, 1894, that Major Jane was married in Reading, England, to Miss Emily Gertrude Ruddock, a daughter of Bernard Ruddock, and they became the parents of five children: Hester, Francis, Gwendolen, William Antony and Barbara.

Twenty years after his marriage Major Jane sailed for the new world to carry out his resolution to follow his profession on this side of the Atlantic. He then resigned his position as first lieutenant in the Royal Engineers, being a very keen officer for several years in that division. With his family he sailed on the Arabic in July, 1914, from England, at which time there was no thought of war; but when the liner was out several days a wireless was received on board saying that England had declared war on Germany and that France and Russia were also fighting against the common foe. In an account written several months after he had entered the army, Major Jane said that "when the wireless dispatch was received feeling ran high and at last someone began to sing 'Rule Britannia,' in which every English man, woman or child joined. The Americans on board sang 'The Star Spangled Banner, 'Suwanee River' and other airs and at length all joined in 'God Save the King' and 'My Country 'Tis of Thee.'" Without mishap the vessel reached Boston, where Major and Mrs. Jane were met by their brother in law and sister, Captain and Mrs. S. H. Hopson, the former of the United States army. After a brief visit they started on the long journey to the Pacific coast to join their daughter in Portland, where the family was soon established. This was not Major Jane's first visit, however, to the Rose City. His children were placed in school and he was making himself acquainted with the country with a view to following his profession when he read that Lord Kitchener was calling for a million men. Not long after came a cablegram asking if he would "accept a captaincy and rejoin the Territorial Royal Engineers if it could be arranged." His family was just becoming established in their new home, but patriotic devotion to country is or should be the one dominating element in the life of every man, and Major Jane was soon on his way to England, notwithstanding the fact that he was well over military age. On the last day of 1914 he was gazetted as captain and began his duties in training both officers and men in the reserve engineer companies at Christ Church camp. While he left America with no intention of entering overseas service, the condition which confronted him soon caused him to enroll for duty in France. At length the order came for him to report to his old company, commanded by his friend of years and late business partner, Major P. G. Fry. A few days later he was in Rouen and a few days later still reached Armentieres and was close to the line of defense which skirted the town. After a brief period his duties took him to the front line, in which the engineers were working every night, supervising the digging of trenches and the construction of breastworks, fortification of farms and similar work where the utmost speed was necessary in the accomplishment of the tasks, all of which had to be done under cover of darkness, returning in the gray dawn to snatch a few hours' rest and then again take up duty. On one occasion, when walking with the officer in command of the infantry digging party, Major Jane felt a blow on the arm and for a moment or two did not realize what had happened; but a bullet from a machine gun had passed through just above the elbow. He was sent to the dressing station, then to the field hospital and at length to the hospital established by the Duchess of Westminster at La Toquet. Major Jane, writing of this afterward, spoke of the wonderful treatment and care received. He was so much benefited that after ten days he asked for a discharge and wrote to his commanding officer, asking that he telegraph an order for Major Jane to rejoin his command. But the medical officer would not consent and he was sent to a hospital on the Isle of Wight, this being used as a convalescent home for officers. After two weeks there spent and a ten days' leave of absence he was ordered to the command of a new company which was to be a field company of Royal Engineers. His men on the whole were thoroughly untrained in the work and were sent from point to point to receive necessary training under the command of Captain Jane, and the unit was made a member of the Fifty seventh Division, which was composed of three brigades of infantry, three field companies of Royal Engineers, three brigades of artillery and the Army Medical Corps. These units came together at Aldershot and it was a great day for the division when the king himself inspected it, as Major Jane wrote, "on Laffan's plain, where so many troops have been reviewed in the past. The historic memories of the plain make it seem classical ground to every soldier. Twenty thousand men passed in line by the saluting point, where the king, in uniform and on horseback, took the salute of each command. It was a grand sight for a spectator and to be actually in it grander still, and the climax came when I was presented and honored with a handshake by His Majesty. It was like a momentary contact with the personification of the Empire and its history for a thousand years." Not long after he was again back in France. A paper from his old home town, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, in giving an account of Major Jane's service at the time of his death, said: "He received his promotion to a majority as a result of the utter contempt he had always displayed of danger and of the efficiency and devotion to duty which at all times marked his work. He won, however, something far greater than promotion the love of his Tommies. They loved him for the friendliness with which he ever allied firmness, and for the fund of lion hearted courage which lay beneath a quiet and retiring exterior. The end came on April 22d, while he was serving in a position on which the enemy had concentrated a vast force. A bomb struck him, terribly injuring his head, and two days later, still unconscious, and lying in a casualty clearing station, he breathed his last. So passed a brave officer and gentleman, whose life and glorious death will long live in affectionate and admiring memory."

To Mrs. Jane was sent the following telegram: "The king and queen deeply regret the loss yon and the army have sustained by the death of your husband in the service of our country. Their majesties truly sympathize with you in your sorrow.
"(Signed) Keeper of the Privy Purse."

On the day on which his father received his death wound, the son Francis arrived in England, whither he had gone to join the army. He commenced training with the engineers at the officers' training camp at Berkhampstead, near London. After some months there spent he was sent to Newark, Nottingham, as an engineer cadet and was on the eve of receiving his commission as second lieutenant, R. E., when the armistice was signed. Mrs. Jane had made a trip to England to see her husband in January, 1917, and the vessel on which she sailed on her return trip was escorted by six battleships. Mrs. Jane took a very active part in Red Cross work, doing everything in her power thus to contribute to the comfort and welfare of soldiers in camp and field. She and her family still make their home in Portland and have won many friends in the city during the six years of their residence here.

From:
History of Oregon Illustrated
Vol. 3
BY: Charles H. Carney
The Pioneer Historical Publishing Company
Chicago - Portland 1922

Masonic :

The records of St. Kew Lodge show that he was joined to it on 3rd February 1903. He was previously initiated in Union Lodge No. 414., Reading. He resigned from his mother lodge on 21st October 1902.

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley
• Website : Province of Somerset List