John William Kelly was born in mid-September 1881, the eldest son of William Edward Kelly and Agnes Russell (née Wheatley), who married in 1880 at St Jude's Church, Manchester.
In 1881, before John’s birth, his parents are living in New Cross, Manchester, at 23 Back Woodward Street. His father is 21, a warehouseman, born in Manchester, and his mother is 20, a machinist, born in Ayr, Scotland. Her birth was registered in Hutchesontown, Glasgow in 1860.
Other Kelly births with mother’s maiden name Wheatley are: Harry in 1883 in Manchester, Lily 1884 Manchester, James Harry 1886 Prestwich, and Walter 1888 Manchester.
In 1884 at Lily’s baptism (St. Barnabas, Miles Platting) they were living in Collins Court, Richmond Street. At the baptism of Walter in 1888 (also St. Barnabas) they were in Woodward Street. On both occasions his father’s occupation is given as warehouseman.
The family has proved elusive, and have not been found on the 1891 or 1901 censuses.
A notation on John’s Army record suggests his mother Agnes may have died in Oct 1898. There is a death record for an Agnes Kelly in late 1898 in Chorlton, age 36.
John’s WW1 service record survives and also provides details of his previous service. He enlisted in the Army Service Corps at Chatham, on 11th April 1900, giving his age as 19 years and 7 months, stating he currently serves with the 5th Lancashire Fusiliers. He is described as 5’ 3 and a quarter inches tall, weighing 122 lbs with a fresh complexion, grey eyes, and auburn hair. He has scars on his right forearm. He gives his next of kin as his father at 4 Carston Street, Manchester, and later at 4 Cook Street, Chorlton on Medlock, but states his father is deceased and substitutes his sister Lilly at 118 Southampton Row, Russell Square, London, W.C. His father was alive, as later records show. (At this London address in 1925 are William Robert and Louisa Wheatley, relationship, if any, unknown.)
John joined at Aldershot on 24th April, as driver 15853, 88th Company, ASC Transport. He served in South Africa from 28th March 1901 until returning to England on 2nd April 1904. He earned the South Africa Medal and Clasp, Second Boer War 1899-1902, Cape Colony and Transvaal. Shortly after his return to England he was discharged to the Reserve.
The 1911 census finds John at 27 Wyre Street, London Road, Manchester. He is 29, a general labourer, concrete. Wyre street is around the corner from Travis street, where his father lives later. In 1911 his father is a boarder 4 Carston Street, London Road, which seems to be a large lodging house. He is 51, a widower, employed as a cotton warehouseman. His brother Walter, 22, is found on the 1911 census as a Private, 1st Durham Light Infantry, Nasirabad, India.
John was discharged on 23/4/1912 after serving 4 years with the Colours and 8 in the Reserves, time expired.
When war broke out he enlisted or was likely recalled signing up in Manchester on 17th August 1914 giving his age as 32 years and 338 days. He had seen previous service with the Army Service Corps. He is described as being 5’ 3 and a half inches tall, weighing 133 lbs, with a ruddy complexion, blue eyes and fair hair. He gives his occupation as labourer and his religion as Church of England. He initially stated no next of kin, but later his father’s name was added, at 5 Travis Street, London Road, Manchester (next to Piccadilly Station).
He was posted to the 11th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment on 03/9/1914 as Private 12446.
On New years Day 1915 John was admonished for being drunk, while on active service, at Euston Station at 12:15 a.m.
He arrived in France on 19th May 1915. The battalion saw action at Hooge, which saw the first use of flame throwers, and the second attack on Bellawaarde.
On 26th August 1915 John was “slightly” wounded in action, with a gunshot wound to the back. His name appeared in the list of Wounded published in the Manchester Courier 21st September 1915.
In 1916 the battalion moved to the Somme, and saw action at Delville Wood (14 July - 3rd September) and at Flers-Courcelette (15th -22nd September). In 1917 the battalion participated in the advance to the Hindenburg Line, the First and Third Battles of the Scarpe at Arras, and at Passchendaele.
On 12th October 1917 he was transferred to the 20th Battalion K.L.R. and to the 18th Battalion in February 1918, when the 20th was disbanded, serving in No.1 Company, 4th Platoon.
John was declared Missing during the German Spring Offensive and his death later assumed, for official purposes, as having occurred on 28th March 1918.
The Battalion Diary gives an insight into the chaotic events of the day
28th March
At about 6am the enemy commenced to shell heavily the whole of the forward line and brought Trench Mortars and MACHINE Guns into action.
FOLIES was shelled and the area in the rear of the village as far back as LE QUESNEL.
Rations were received at dawn and parties were organised to carry them to the Companies on the right. Owing to the heavy fire, however, it was not possible to get them up.
Heavy fighting was in progress on the right from soon after dawn and at 8am the enemy was reported to be in possession of BOUCHOIR and progressing towards the BEETROOT FACTORY. About 10am the 59th Infy Brigade was notified that it was relieved by the French and the Battalions of that Brigade were at once withdrawn in the direction of LE QUESNEL.
At noon the enemy was bombarding the village and vicinity heavily and reports were received that he was in occupation of WARVILLERS on the left and ARVILLERS on the right.
The front line East of FOLIES continued to resist until about 2pm when the order was received from the 89th Infy Brigade to the effect that the Battalions were relieved by the French and would withdraw at once to MEZIERES, where the men would be fed. Companies withdrew under some shelling and very heavy M.G. and rifle fire from the left , through K10 -K3 – North side LE QUESNEL to the main ROYE road and reorganised about D.29 c. The march from this point was conducted in good order despite the congested roads.
At MEZIERES it was decided to continue a rearward movement and the march was resumed via VILLERS-MOREUIL – MORISEL – ROUVREL, which village was reached about 7pm and the Battalion billeted. The men had marched 13 miles from the left position in good order and with practically no straggling. They were exhausted on arrival at ROUVREL, but in good heart.
Echelon ‘A’ of the Transport joined the Battalion at this village and the men were fed immediately on arrival. The night passed without incident. There was some delay and miscommunication in notifying his family.
In response to an Infantry Records enquiry, his father responded, from 4 Carston Street, on 20th Nov 1918:
“In answer to your enquiry for further particulars of my son, he was two years Time Expired when he rejoined in 1914 having served in the South African Campaign with the A.S.C. When he rejoined he was put in the 11th Battn then in the 20th afterwards to the 18 Battn. To say that you cannot trace him surprises me in face of the enclosure that I send you from a personal friend who wrote without my knowledge. By this you will notice that I gave you his right number. Kindly return the regimental form enclosed, and oblige, yours respectfully, W.E. Kelly.”
On 27th November 1918 the Army wrote asking his father, at 5 Travis Street, if he had received any further news from his son but the correspondence was returned, marked, ‘gone, no address’. With the assistance of Manchester Police, the Army was informed that his father now 22 Travis Street.
Nearly eighteen months after John was declared Missing, his father was still seeking information, writing to Infantry Records on 26th August 1919:
“I received a letter asking had I seen or heard anything from him. I answered that I had not. Since that time I have not heard anything more, is it not time that I did. Hoping that you will let me know something, Yours respectfully, His Father.”
Two years later, on 20th March 1920, his brother Walter, L/Cpl 8451 W. Kelly, 1st Bn Durham Light Infantry, wrote to Infantry Records from the Union Jack Club, Waterloo Road, London:
“Sir, Can you please give me information about my brother, No.12446, D Coy, Pte. J. Kelly, 11th Bn, King’s Liverpools. I have just returned from India and have had no correspondence with him, but he kept regular correspondence with our grandmother, who is 85 years of age, her last communication from him was from France May (?) 1918 and told her he was coming on leave in a couple of days time. Since then she had not received a letter from him or any official communication from the War Office. Will you please write and set our doubts at rest. Believe me, Yours sincerely, His Brother, L/Cpl W. Kelly.”
Infantry Records responded on 1st April 1920:
“I regret to inform you that his death was assumed by the Army Council to have been on or since 21-28/3/1918. Notification being sent to his father at 22 Travis Street, London Road, Manchester.”
John's death was presumed to be 28
th March 1918. He was aged 36. His body was not recovered from the battlefield and his name is recorded on the Pozieres Memorial in France.
The POZIERES MEMORIAL relates to the period of crisis in March and April 1918 when the Allied Fifth Army was driven back by overwhelming numbers across the former Somme battlefields, and the months that followed before the Advance to Victory, which began on 8 August 1918. The Memorial commemorates over 14,000 casualties of the United Kingdom and 300 of the South African Forces who have no known grave and who died on the Somme from 21 March to 7 August 1918.
The cemetery and memorial were designed by W.H. Cowlishaw, with sculpture by Laurence A. Turner. The memorial was unveiled by Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien on 4 August 1930.
Walter had shipped overseas on 21st August 1915 and after the war his battalion returned to India; he was awarded the Afghanistan North-West Frontier 1919 Medal. He was discharged some time after 1921.
In 1919 his father provided information to the Army stating that John had no other living relatives, no siblings, no grandparents. He received John’s Army effects of £50-9s-7d, including a War Gratuity of £21. The pension card in his father’s name does not show an amount.
John earned his three medals. His father received John’s Memorial Plaque and Scroll. Sadly, his British War Medal was “found and returned” according to a notation on the Medal Roll, 29th October 1929.
His father died in December 1926 aged 66.
We currently have no further information on John Kelly, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.
J
