Lieut John Richard Jarlath MacHale

• Age: 29
• From: London
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 24th March 1918
• Commemorated at: Ham British Cem
  Panel Ref: II.A.15

John Richard Jarlath MacHale was born in the 4th quarter of 1888, his birth was registered in the Hackney district of London. He was the son of Patrick Lyons MacHale and his wife Jane Mary (nee Stewart). His parents married in Liverpool in 1881. 

The 1891 Census finds the family are living at Oldfield Road, Stoke Newington, London. His father Patrick Lyons MacHale is a printer corrector for the press born in Liverpool in 1858 whilst his mother was also born in Liverpool in 1860. John is living with his four sisters; Helena Carmella b. 1877 in London, Mary Jane b. 1883 in Liverpool, Annie Catherine b. 1885 in London and Norah Frances b. 1891 in London. Also present are a boarder, a visitor and a servant.

By 1901 the family have moved to 85 Beresford Road, Tottenham. Both parents are resident as are his four sisters from the 1891 Census with the addition of further siblings; Josephine Agnes b. 1894 at Wood Green, Grace Winifred b 1896 also at Wood Green , Patrick Bernard b.1899 at Tottenham and Leo Alexander born at Tottenham in 1901.

By 1911 the family are living at 54 Adelaide Road, Lewisham. Both parents are still at the property, they advise that they have been married for 29 years and have had nine children, all of whom have survived. John is shown as a 22 year old Civil Service clerk. He has seven siblings in the household; Annie Catherine, Helena Carmella, Norah Frances, Josephine Agnes, Grace Winifred, Patrick Bernard and Leo Alexander,  There are also three boarders at the property. 

Prior to the war he was employed at Board of Trade - Labour Department (London & South Eastern Division).

John was living at 39 Ramsden Road, Balham, London, when he enlisted, shortly after the outbreak of war, initially joining the Royal Army Medical Corps as Private and reaching the rank of Serjeant, 35257. He was granted a Commission to the King’s (Liverpool)  Regiment on 03^rd April 1915 and was commissioned into 19^th Battalion, Liverpool Regiment in March 1916 as Second Lieutenant. 

He was wounded during the Somme offensive on 11^th July 1916. No 3 Company was sent to Trones Wood in support of the Befords and “were badly cut up”. C.O was killed and 3 Officers wounded. 2^nd Lieutenant MacHale received a Gun Shot Wound to the left leg. He was hospitalised between 17th July- 7th August, 1916 at Queen Alexandra's Military Hospital at Millbank. He was sent to Polesden Hospital for convalescence.

On 01^st July 1917 he was promoted to Lieutenant.

He was killed in action on 24th March 1918, after the German breakthrough around St Quentin.

The 19th Battalion had been stationed behind the Battle Zone near Germaine, when the German attack began on 21st March. It moved up to man battle stations and took the brunt of the German assault at Roupy on the 22nd, when it was all but wiped out. It was then forced to retire through Fluquieres towards Ham, which it reached at 02.00 am. Ham itself fell at 06.00am that morning and the Battalion was forced to retire further to the canal bank between Esmery Hallon and Moyencourt. By this time it had sustained losses of 19 officers and three hundred and forty other ranks.

By the morning of the 24th March a further withdrawal became necessary and although the Battalion was harried throughout the day, it eventually reached Roiglise, (spelt Roye Eglise’ in the Battalion War Diary) at 19.30 pm. It had pulled back about seventeen miles since 21st March and lost virtually all its fighting strength.

Although the Battalion War Diary states that two other officers, Major C W Biggs and Lieutenant J N Parker, along with sixty other ranks became casualties during the course of the day, Lieutenant MacHale is not mentioned at all. Probably because of the chaotic situation brought by the retreat, as there is no doubt that he lost his life that day. He was aged twenty nine.

Originally buried close to where he fell, his body was exhumed and reburied at Ham in April 1920. He now rests at Plot 2,Row A, Grave 15 in Ham British Cemetery, Muille-Villette, France where his headstone bears the epitaph:

"JESUS UT PALMA FLOREBIT PS. XCI. RIP"   which translates as the righteous shall flourish, the words of a Gregorian Chant. 

In January, February and March 1918, the 61st (South Midland) Casualty Clearing Station was posted at Ham, but on the 23rd March the Germans, in their advance towards Amiens, crossed the Somme at Ham, and the town remained in German hands until the French First Army re-entered it on the following 6th September.

Ham British Cemetery was begun in January 1918 by the 61st Casualty Clearing Station as an extension of Muille-Villette German Cemetery.

In 1919 the graves in the British Cemetery were regrouped and others were added from the following sites:-

HAM COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION (the "Neuer Friedhof Chaunystrasse"); CROIX-MOLIGNAUX GERMAN CEMETERY (March and April 1918); ESMERY HALLON CHURCHYARD; VILLERS ST. CHRISTOPHE CHURCHYARD (March 1918); EPPEVILLE COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION (March 1918); and ST. SULPICE COMMUNAL CEMETERY.

Ham British Cemetery contains 485 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 218 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 14 soldiers, believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 39 casualties known to have been buried in other cemeteries whose graves were not found.

Other German Cemeteries in the area were HAM CHURCHYARD GERMAN EXTENSION; MUILLE-VILLETTE GERMAN CEMETERY and MUILLE-VILLETTE COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION. The British Graves from these three were moved to either HAM BRITISH CEMETERY or ROYE NEW BRITISH CEMETERY.

MUILLE-VILLETTE GERMAN CEMETERY adjoins the West side of the British Cemetery. It now contains the graves of 1,113 identified and 420 unidentified German soldiers.

His name is spelt McHale in the publication Officer’s Died in the Great War.

Medal Roll – details his entitlement to the British War Medal and Victory Medal. Note that he does NOT have a 1914 or 1915 Star which suggests he went overseas after 01/01/1916.

John is commemorated on the Ministry of Labour Memorial, now hanging in Caxton House, Tothill Street, London SW1. London and on the Memorial at Holy Ghost church in Balham. 

The family suffered the double tragedy of losing two sons when Patrick Bernard was killed in action on 30th August 1918 aged 20 whilst serving as Private 698016 in the 22nd Battalion of the London Regiment. He is commemorated on a Special Memorial at Combles Communal Cemetery Extension. 

The inscription on his headstone reads:

REQUIESCAT IN PACE NON RECEDET MEMORIA EJUS ECCLUS XXXIX which translates as: the memory of him shall not depart away. 

Soldiers Effects administered by father Patrick Lyons MacHale, no Pension record found.

Probate was granted at London on 09th August 1918: 

MacHale John Richard Jarlath of 39 Ramsden road, Balham, Surrey lieutenant His Majesty's Army died 24th March 1918 in France. Administration London 9 August to Patrick Lyons MacHale, journalist. Effects £257 3s 3d. 

Both John and his brother Patrick are commemorated on the family headstone as follows:

Lt John MacHale

And

Pte Patrick B. MacHale

Killed In France 1918

Their father died in the March quarter of 1933. His death was featured in the local press:

GIFTED IRISHMAN'S DEATH

Old friends in West of Ireland, and many in London will regret to learn of the death at Chingford of Mr P. L. MacHale, a well-known member of the gifted Co. Mayo family of that name. Mr MacHale, who was a grand nephew of the great Archbishop of Tuam, was like his brother Richard, an accomplished writer of verse, and a prolific contributor to the national journals of his day, in which, however, his brother's pen name "Ricardo" was the more famous. Another brother, Rev. John MacHale, went on the American Mission, and became the Pastor of Cleveland, Ohio. Educated by the Christian Brothers at Westport, and at St Jarlarth's College, Tuam. Mr MacHale turned his talents while in London to journalism, and, until his retirement about 5 years ago was a popular and respected Fleet Street personality. His amiable character and delightful conversation having gained him many friends.

It would appear that John's third christian name Jarlath was as a result of his father attending St. Jarlath's College as per the above report.

Their mother died in the March quarter of 1947.

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

Grateful thanks are extended to Janet Durbin for her assistance in providing some of the biographical details in relation to John.