Pte 15549 Harold Farquhar Downey

• Age: 20
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

15549 Private Harold Farquhar DOWNEY, ‘G’ Coy 17th Battn KLR 

SDGW shows his number as 15540 but available Army records show his as 15549 and his date of death as – KIA 03.07.1916.

Harold or Harry Downey was born on 24th May 1896 and baptised in St Philemon Church, Toxteth, on 24th June that year, the son of Daniel Downey, a shipping clerk, and Agnes (nee Farquhar). His parents, both natives of Liverpool, married at St Philemon's Church, Toxteth on 24th July 1894.  

The 1901 Census shows the family are living at 2 Crawford Avenue, Liverpool.

Harold's father, Daniel, aged 29 and an assistant chemical manager, whilst his mother, Agnes, is 27 years of age. They are living with their two young children, both born in Liverpool, Harold aged 4 years and Hilda aged 1. Also declared are Agnes’s sister, Elizabeth Farquhar aged 30 years. 

By the time of the 1911 Census the family had moved to 10 Victoria Terrace, Prince Alfred Road, Wavertree by which time father Daniel, aged 39, is now a freight manager with a chemical Company, mother Agnes is aged 36(married 15 years 4 children), Herbert F. is aged 14 at school, Hilda is aged 11 at school, Grace V. is aged 9 at school, and Kenneth W. is aged 6. 

He enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool, joining the 17th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 15549.

He was billeted at Prescot Watch Factory from 14^th September 1914, he trained there and also at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 17th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain.    

Harold’s service record has not survived but his medal records show that he left for France on 07th November 1915 as part of the first detachment of Pals sent to France.

CWGC shows that Harold was killed in action on 01st July 1916 during the attack at Montauban, aged just 20 years.

17^th Battalion Diary

3.30 am the Battalion in position in assembly trenches -Battalion frontage from Maricourt – Briqueterie Rd to 100 yards west of Maricourt – Montauban Rd – 1^st wave, 2 platoons of A Company on the right and 2 platoons of B company on the left. 2^nd wave remaining platoons of these companies. 3^rd wave C Company and 4^th wave D Company in parallel trenches at about 100 yards distance. 3^rd Battalion 153^rd French Infantry on our right and 20 KLR on our left. The Battalion’s objective was Dublin Trench from Dublin Redoubt exclusive to a point 400 yards west.

7.30 am – “Zero Hour”. The assault commenced, some shelling but very slight infantry resistance and little machine gun fire encountered, the work of our artillery having been very effective on the German trenches.

8.30 am – the objective was taken at 08.30 am the French on our right gaining their’s at the same hour. Lieutenant-Colonel B C Fairfax and Commandant Le Petit commanding 3^rd Battalion 153^rd Regiment arrived together in Dublin Trench. A and B Companies dug in almost 100 yards south of Dublin Trench which the Germans shelled intermittently all day hardly touching the new trench. Casualties up to 12 noon, Captain E C Torrey commanding C Company, Lt D H Scott commanding A Company and 2^nd Lieutenant P L Wright wounded 100 other ranks. Later in the day the 90^th Brigade took Montauban and the 20^th KLR captured the Briqueterie. Lt Scott died of wounds in a French hospital at Cerisy where Captain Mirascou commanding the left Company of the French also lay wounded. Perfect liaison existed between the French and ourselves the above two officers commanding respectively our right Company and the French left Company being in constant touch. Shortly after the attack commenced the Battalion Headquarters moved to a German dugout in Favieres Support under Briqueterie Road where Commandant Le Petit also established his H.Q. During the remainder of the day there was intermittent bombardment of Dublin and Casement and  Favieres Support trenches. Rations were brought up safely at night. Disposition of the Battalion – 2 Companies in Dublin and 2 in Casement.

His body was not recovered from the battlefield or was subsequently lost as he is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Misisng of the Somme.

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.”

It would also appear that his family were also advised that he was killed on 01st July 1916 as shown when his death was reported in the Liverpool Echo on 17th July 1916:

DOWNEY - July 1, killed while nobly performing his duty with the King's (Liverpool Regiment), aged 20 years, Harold Farquhar Downey, the dearly beloved and devoted son of Mr and Mrs D. Downey, 47 Prince Alfred Road, Wavertree. Memorial service at St. Barnabas Church, Allerton Road, on Thursday next at 8 p.m.

Further details of Harold's death were reported in the Liverpool Daily Post on 20th July 1916

Mr and Mrs D. Downey, of 47 Prince Alfred Road, Wavertree, Liverpool have received many expressions of sympathy on the death of their son Harold, who was killed in France. Mr Downey is one of the church wardens at St Barnabas' Church, Mossley Hill. The vicar and congregation of which have been hit heavily by the war. Private Downey was in pre-war days regular in his attendance at the church where this evening, at 8 o'clock, the vicar, the Rev. J. Kirk Pike will conduct a memorial service. This is to be attended by members of the 3rd Battalion of the Liverpool City volunteer Guard, of which Mr Downey is an officer. The late Private Downey met his death after four lines of German trenches had been taken. He went forward with a party to strengthen a point in the line when a shell burst in the centre of the group. Private Downey fell with two others, and was killed instantly. One of his comrades narrating the incident in a letter to Mr and Mrs Downey, writes:- "The Platoon misses one of its best men. The only consolation we have is that he died whilst carrying out a very dangerous undertaking."

His family also placed Memorial notices in the following years:

Liverpool Echo 2nd July 1917

DOWNEY - In loving memory of our dearly loved son Harold Farquhar Downey, age 20 years, 17th K.L.R. (1st Pals), who, with other brave and noble comrades fell in action at the Battle of the Somme, July 1, 1916. - 47 Prince Alfred Road.

Liverpool Echo 1st July 1918

DOWNEY - In cherished memory of our beloved son, HAROLD FARQUHAR DOWNEY, who with other brave and noble boys of the K.L.R., fell in action in France, July 1, 1916.

His medal card shows him as “Harry”. 

Soldiers Effects to father Daniel, no Pension award.

Given that CWGC has Harold's date of death as 01/07/1916 and the family received details of his death on 01st July 1916 we have recorded Harold's date of death as 01st July 1916 rather than 03rd July 1916 as carried by SDGW. 

Harry is commemorated on the Memorial at Liverpool Institute as “H. F. Downey” which is now displayed within the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA).

His mother died in the March quarter of 1953, aged 79.

His father died later in 1953, in the September quarter, aged 82. 

Grateful thanks are extended to Ken Holmes for providing the wonderful photograph of Harold. Ken advises that Harold's name and service number were written on the back of the card, which turned up in America. The photo was taken when Harold was at Prescot with the 17th Battalion. 

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