Private 306772 Edward O'Neale

BMD details:
Marriage: 12/05/1900 at St Josephs, Peasley Cross: Edwardum O'NEALE of 27 Frazer Street, Parr, St Helens (parent shown as Thomae O'Neale?) married Margaritam A DOHERTY of 25 Manor Street, Peasley Cross (father Michaeli Doherty) - Witnessed by Petro Daire of 27 Frazer Street, Parr, St Helens and Margorie Murphy of The Fleece Hotel, St Helens. Vol 8b - Page 1208.

Census details:
1881 - 11 months old Edward is living at 12 Higher Parr Street, Parr, St Helens with parents Thomas (38), Catherine (38) and four siblings: Thomas (10), James (8), Richard (5), Johanna (3). Boarding at the address is Hugh Rory (28). 1891 - 11 years old schoolboy Edward is living at 89 Atlas Street, Parr, St Helens with parents Thomas (45), Catherine (44) and two siblings: James (18), Johanna (13). 1901 - 21 years old 'Chemical Labourer' Edward and his wife Margaret (20) are at 25 Manor Street, Peasley Cross, St Helens with Margaret's parents Michael Doherty (42), Mary Doherty (40) and her five siblings: Sarah J Doherty (18), John J Doherty (11), Thomas Doherty (7), Mary Doherty (1). Also at the address is Michael's nephew Willie Murphy (6). 1911 Sees 31 years old 'Chemical Labourer' Edward living at 62 Wilson Street, St Helens with wife Margaret (28) and five children: Edward (9), Mary (7), Catherine (4), Thomas (2), Johanna ( mths). Visiting the address is Ellen Macdonald (55).

Notes:
[b]Note[/b] Peter Daire married Edwards sister Johanna in 1898 at St Joseph's R.C. The census years give various spellings of O`Neale including Oneill, O`Neill, O`Niel.

Edward O'Neale attested for military service on 13th April 1915 and was assigned service number 4249 with the 8th (Irish) Battalion, King's (Liverpool) Regiment. The Battalion went to France in May 1915 but as Edward would still have been training, he followed on 3rd September 1915. In early August 1916, the Battalion was located close to BERNAFAY FARM on the Somme sector. They had not been heavily involved in the fighting so far and were out of the line training until 7th August. On the morning of the 8th, they were to attack the village of GUILLEMONT. At 4:00 am, they went into the attack and quickly advanced over the front line German trenches without much loss as they moved on to the ruins of the village. However there then came a strong German counter attack from the nearby village of GINCHY, forcing those could to retire. Initial reports after the action reported 47 Other Ranks wounded and 502 missing, though many of these would turn up later. Commonwealth War Graves figures for the Battalion on 8th August show 101 men as having died that day. The Commanding Officer of the 8th Bn., Lt. Col E A FAGAN, reported after the fighting, ''My battalion appears to have advanced over 1st line trenches without much loss and into the village. Owing to the attacks of the Battalions on the right and left not being able to be pushed home, the enemy were able to make a strong attack on the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment holding the German front line trench. The attack was so strong that the LNLR had to retire from the trenches and my men were thus left in position in the village with Germans on their front, flank and rear. Communication was cut off and a heavy barrage of machine gun fire was put on the ground between our assembly tranches and the German front line by the enemy. From information received from 2 men of 'D' Company, who came early this morning, my D and B Coys who formed the left half of the first and second waves appeared to have reached their objectives and commenced to dig in. The enemy then opened a heavy machine gun fire on them from all sides and they were given the order to 'retire slowly' by Capt. MURPHY, Officer Commanding D Coy. I can give no information as to what happened to A & C Coys, who were the right Coys of the first wave respectively. Owing to the mist, smoke of our barrage and smoke bombs of the enemy, the Coys appear to have got considerably mixed up. The two men of D Coy referred to above state that when they began to retire, machine guns fired on them from concealed positions and the party of 18 they were with eventually dug themselves into a shell hole on the western slope of the village. I have no doubt many more of the Battalion have done the same. The Battalion appears to have inflicted a certain amount of loss on the Germans by bombing dug-outs and by Lewis gun fire on reinforcements coming from GINCHY. Gas and Tear shells appear to have been used by the Germans." Edward O'Neale was one of these reported as missing after the action. It is noted that he has a second service number of 306772. This number was issued as part of the Territorial Force renumbering in February of 1917 and confirms that Edward was still listed as 'missing' at that date. After 12 months with no news, his status would have been changed to 'presumed dead' with an official death date of 'on or since 8th August 1916' Edward would have initially been buried close to where he fell, either by the Germans who took over the positions or (more likely) the British forces which retook the Guillemont and Ginchy area over the following weeks. In 1921, as part of the battlefield clearances, his body was exhumed and reburied in the new Guillemont Road Cemetery. It would appear that on exhumation, the body was originally classed as 'Unknown British Soldier' but he was subsequently identified. (Stephen Nulty) [pic]imgs/S1PWHYAOTV/ONeale_E_306772_KLR.jpg[/pic][caption]The headstone of Private Edward O'Neale at Guillemont Road Cemetery, Guillemont. (Photo courtesy of Ste M.)[/caption]