Pte 35872 Alfred Kelly

• Age: 23
• From: Marown, I.O.M
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Guillemont Rd Cem
  Panel Ref: IV.F.9

Alfred Kelly was born on 03rd September 1893 at Marown, Isle of Man, the son of William Kelly and his wife Louisa (nee Crellin). He was baptised in Marown on 29th October 1893. His parents married in 1875 and had ten children;  Alfred was their youngest son.  He had older siblings John William, Elizabeth, Edith Annie, Jane Braid (who died at age 7), Emily, Edward, Arthur (who died at 9 years old), and Lucy May, and a younger sister Frances Ada.

The parents had lived in The Garth, Marown, since moving from Peel after John’s birth. Just before Christmas in 1894, the worst storm in living memory hit the Isle of Man, causing unprecedented destruction and loss of life. The newspapers carried many details, including a report that, at 3 o’clock in the morning, the roof was blown off the Kelly’s home, the family fleeing the house before the gable end collapsed.

The 1901 Census shows the family living at Stugardoo, Braaid, Marown, Isle of Man. Alfred’s father, William, was 50, born in Marown, and is a self employed tailor. Alfred’s mother, Louisa, is 48 and had been born in Peel. All their children were born in Marown, except John who was born in Peel, Alfred has two older brothers, both working as labourers – John aged 25 and Edward who was 15. He also has two sisters living at home: Lucy aged 12, and Frances aged 4. They also have William’s father John aged 76, living with them.

Alfred and Louisa have three other daughters Elizabeth aged 24, Edith aged 22, and Emily aged 18. At the time of the 1901 census Edith is working as a domestic servant in the home of a retired builder in Douglas. Elizabeth and Emily are both working in Douglas as domestic servants for an elderly clergyman and his daughter.

By the 1911 census only Frances (Fanny) lives at home with William and Louisa. Alfred is working as a horse man on the farm of William and Rubena Collister, Ballajerei, St. Marks, Malew.  He is 18, but based on his birthdate he would have been 17. The census lists his birthplace as Malew, not Marown. Another farm servant is John Kelly, also 18 and also born in Malew, relationship, if any, unknown. No other census entry has been found for Alfred. His siblings John, Edward, Edith and Emily are all married. Elizabeth is working as a general servant for a tea and coffee salesman in Douglas, and Lucy is also in Douglas working as a general servant for a printer.

Alfred enlisted in Liverpool and was serving in the 17th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 35872 when he was killed in action on the 30th July 1916 aged 23 at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive.

17^th Battalion Diary 30^th July 1916

The Bn was in support to 19 & 20 Bn K.L.R. 2 Coys. behind 19th & 2 Coys. behind 20^th. Very thick mist. The attack was pushed home to the objective in places but in the main was held up by machine gun fire from hidden machine guns.

Fighting continued all day swaying backwards and forwards until by 6pm about 300 yards in depth had been gained & consolidated all along our front.

Casualties in the 17^th Battalion were 15 Officers and 281 Other Ranks

Further details are reported in more detailed by Everard Wyrall in his book The History of the King’s Regiment (Liverpool) 1914-1919 Volume II 1916-1917

The 17^th King’s had advanced (two companies each behind the 19th and 20th Battalions)  in small columns. They too suffered heavily from machine-gun fire and were quickly absorbed into the waves that preceded them. They also shared the gains and losses of that terrible day.

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30^th Division held a line from the railway on the eastern side of Trones Wood , southwards and including Arrow Head Copse, to east of Maltz Horn Farm. On this line the division was relieved by the 55^th Division during the early hours of the 31^st July. 

The events of 30^th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89^th Brigade written by Brigadier General Ferdinand Stanley which gives an indication of the events of the day.

Guillemont

Well the hour to advance came, and of all bad luck in the world it was a thick fog; so thick that you couldn’t see more than about ten yards. It was next to impossible to delay the attack – it was much too big an operation- so forward they had to go. It will give some idea when I say that on one flank we had to go 1,750 yards over big rolling country. Everyone knows what it is like to cross enclosed country which you know really well in a fog and how easy it is to lose your way. Therefore, imagine these rolling hills, with no landmarks and absolutely unknown to anyone. Is it surprising that people lost their way and lost touch with those next to them? As a matter of fact, it was wonderful the way in which many men found their way right to the place we wanted to get to. But as a connected attack it was impossible.

The fog was intense it was practically impossible to keep direction and parties got split up. Owing to the heavy shelling all the Bosches had left their main trenches and were lying out in the open with snipers and machine guns in shell holes, so of course our fellows were the most easy prey.

It is so awfully sad now going about and finding so many splendid fellows gone. 

Alfred was buried close to where he fell and after the war, when graves were concentrated, his body was removed and reinterred in Guillemont Road Cemetery where he now rests. 

Guillemont was an important point in the German defences at the beginning of the Battle of the Somme in July 1916. It was taken by the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on 30 July but the battalion was obliged to fall back, and it was again entered for a short time by the 55th (West Lancashire) Division on 8 August. On 18 August, the village was reached by the 2nd Division, and on 3 September (in the Battle of Guillemont) it was captured and cleared by the 20th (Light) and part of the 16th (Irish) Divisions. It was lost in March 1918 during the German advance, but retaken on 29 August by the 18th and 38th (Welsh) Divisions.

The cemetery was begun by fighting units (mainly of the Guards Division) and field ambulances after the Battle of Guillemont, and was closed in March 1917, when it contained 121 burials. It was greatly increased after the Armistice when graves (almost all of July-September 1916) were brought in from the battlefields immediately surrounding the village and certain smaller cemeteries, including:-

HARDECOURT FRENCH MILITARY CEMETERY. The village of Hardecourt-au-Bois was captured by French troops on the 8th July 1916, and again by the 58th (London) and 12th (Eastern) Divisions on 28 August 1918. Five British Artillerymen were buried by their unit in the French Military Cemetery, in the middle of the village, in September 1916; and in 1918 the 12th Division buried in the same cemetery 14 men of the 9th Royal Fusiliers and two of the 7th Royal Sussex.

Guillemont Road Cemetery now contains 2,263 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 1,523 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to eight casualties known or believed to be buried among them.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.   

His death was reported in the Mona’s Herald on 30th August 1916:

“Word has been received that Private A. Kelly, of the King’s Liverpool Regiment, was killed in action on the 30th July.  He was 23 years old, and was the youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. Kelly, Slieu Chairn, Braaid, Marown.  He joined the Army in February last, and was sent to France at the beginning of July.  He was home on leave only about a fortnight previously.  Before joining up, he was employed by Mr. Isaac Crennell, miller, Douglas, on a threshing machine.”

Alfred’s Army pay went to his father William, who was awarded a pension of 5/- a week from April 1917.  Sadly, he died a month later, aged 65, and the pension was transferred to his widow Louisa who also received the War Gratuity of £3.

He is commemorated on the following Memorials:  

Marown War Memorial

Isle of Man National War Memorial

St Runius Churchyard, Glen Vine, Isle of Man. 14 men from Alfred’s parish gave their lives in WW1 and are also remembered. 

Alfred’s parents died within a few months of each other in 1922. His father died on 02nd May 1922, aged 65.  

We currently have no further information on Alfred Kelly. If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.