Pte 51958 Joseph Patrick Kane

• Age: 25
• From: Glen, Co. Longford
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Thursday 12th October 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

This soldier, serving as Kane, was born Patrick Keane, on 03rd December 1890 in Glynn (Glen), Edgeworthstown, Co.Longford, the son of Patrick Keane and his wife Mary Anne (nee McDonnell) who were married about 1887 (no marriage record found). 

The 1901 Census finds this family living at House 1, Shantum Townland, Ballymuigh, Longford. His father Patrick is 40, his mother, Mary Anne is 34, they have three sons, John, 11, Patrick, 10, and Francis, 8.  The family is Roman Catholic, all family members born in County Longford.

In 1911 the family is living at House 2, Ballindagny and Cullyvore (which borders Shantum),  Edgeworthstown, Longford.  They have four sons and a daughter at home. There are discrepancies in the parents’ ages.  The father Patrick is 58, a farm labourer, not literate, and the mother Mary Anne, 40, can read and write.  They state they have had eight children, five of whom are still living.  John, 22, Pat, 21, and Francis, 18, are all labourers, Joseph is 9, and Mary Kate 7. 

Some time before enlisting, Patrick moved to Barrow in Furness, where there were thriving steel and shipbuilding industries.  At one point Barrow had the largest steelworks in the world.  By the 1890s the Vickers shipyard was heavily engaged in the construction of warships and submarines for the Royal Navy and for export, and by 1914 the UK had the most advanced submarine fleet in the world, with 94% of it constructed by Vickers.  Vickers also had a significant armament division in Barrow, supplying ammunition for the British Army and Royal Navy throughout both world wars.  

He enlisted in Liverpool as Private No 51958 and it seems he served in the Liverpool Scottish initially as the service record of 51988 Pte E. R. Milner exists which shows:- 

E.R. Milner enlisted as No.5998 10th Liverpool (Scottish) on the 29th Dec 1915, embarked Folkestone 05th July 1916, proceeded at Boulogne to the 11th Entrenching Battn, then allocated the No.51988 with the 17/KLR. Given the close proximity to Patrick's number it is highly likely that his transfer took place which saw him serving in the 17th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment. Further to this, casualties Pte 51951 Fred Longshaw, Pte 51952 Frederick Arthur Deeley have photographs in the Widnes Examiner on 04th November 1916 wearing the uniform of the 10th Battalion K.L.R. (Liverpool Scottish). Based on this, Patrick possibly had, although not documented, an earlier 4 digit 59xx number with the 10th, then after embarkation went on to 11th and 17th in early August 1916. Given his war gratuity on Soldiers Effects was the minimum £3, this means that he had less than a years service and this in turn supports that idea. 

Joseph Patrick Keane married Florence Crowther Hargreaves in the June quarter of 1916 in Old Fylde Register Office, Fylde district, Lancashire, which includes Blackpool. No records of children born to the marriage have been found. 

He was killed in action on the 12th October 1916, aged 25, during the Battle of the Transloy Ridges which was part of the ongoing Somme Offensive.

17^th Bn War Diary:  Battle of Transloy Ridge –                                               

11-10-16 - Gird Trench/Gird Support – Battalion in front line and support trenches. British bombardment of enemy front line system commenced about midday.  Hostile shelling was intermittent throughout the day.

12-10-16  - Our bombardment continued. Enemy reply weak.  2.5 p.m. Zero hour. Attack on German front line system commenced.  Enemy wire was found to be uncut and attack was unsuccessful.  Hostile machine gun fire was very heavy and caused many casualties. Battalion H.Q. and Support Trench were heavily shelled throughout afternoon and evening. […] During this action all communication had to be carried out by runners and carrier pigeons as all wires were being continually cut by enemy shelling.

Casualties: 5 officers killed,  5 officers wounded, 38 OR killed, about 225 OR wounded/missing etc.

Graham Maddocks, in “Liverpool Pals” p.140, adds: “As the whistle blew, the 17^th Battalion left its trenches to move forward.  […]  As soon as the attacking waves left their trenches the enemy artillery began to register on them, and at the same time, the defending infantry commenced a murderous rain of fire.  […]  Although their numbers had been depleted by the British bombardment, they were trained and experienced soldiers, well dug in on high ground, and for the most part, looking out on uncut wire.  As such, it was virtually impossible for them to miss the City Battalion men struggling to advance in the mud towards them.   The 17^th Battalion, on the left, was particularly badly hit, as its portion of No Man’s Land contained a slight rise in the ground, and as the troops emerged onto it they were silhouetted against the sky and became easy targets.  Those on the left of the attack, who managed to avoid the hail of bullets and make it to the German wire, then found that it was totally uncut, and thus trapped, they too became easy targets, to be picked off almost at the enemy’s will.  It was hardly surprising that, seeing the first waves being wiped out, some of the following waves turned back and made for their start lines. These lines were now packed with other waves of troops, however, and the fleeing men added to the congestion already there, and became easy prey for the German gunners.  There is some evidence also, to suggest that at this stage, the British trenches were also being hit by their own heavy artillery shells which were falling short.” 

The Longford Leader reported his death on 04th November 1916:

“Death of Private Patk Keane, late of Cullyvore

We regret to record the death of Pte. Patk. Keane, late of Cullyvore who was killed in action in France on October 12th last. Private Keane was not yet 25 years old and was in the King's Liverpool Regiment.  He was one of the nicest and best liked young men in the whole parish, and universal regret is felt at his death so soon after going on active service. He was home on furlough only last spring and he looked fine and handsome in his kilt and Scottish uniform. We deeply sympathise with his sorrowing father and mother and family in their great affliction. R.I.P.”

Joseph Patrick's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, France.

The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916. 

On 01st August 1932 the Prince of Wales and the President of France inaugurated the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy. The inscription reads: “Here are recorded the names of officers and men of the British Armies who fell on the Somme battlefields between July 1915 and March 1918 but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.” 

His military records all show the surname Kane, perhaps the discrepancy is due to the perceived pronunciation when enlisting.

His widow Florence received Pat’s Army effects, including a War Gratuity of £3.  The pension card, shows Florence with a date of birth of 06th July 1884, giving her address as 12 St. Chad’s Road, Blackpool, shows that she was awarded a pension of 13/9d a week from April 1917.

On the 1921 census widow Florence is living with her parents Frances and John F. Hargreaves in Blackpool.  

Florence, Kane, 1884, Pudsey, Yorkshire, England, Blackpool, Fylde 

Frances, Hargreaves, 1859, Pudsey, Yorkshire, England, Blackpool, Fylde, Lancashire  

John F, Hargreaves, 1856, Farsley, Yorkshire, England, Blackpool, Fylde, Lancashire 

Florence can’t be found on the 1939 register with her dob.  

Patrick Kane is commemorated on the following memorials - 

Ireland’s National Roll of Honour 

Longford County Council Somme Plaque 

We currently have no further information on Joseph Patrick Kane, if you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.