Pte 26145 Frank McCoy

• Age: 17
• 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.

26145 Private Frank McCOY, 17^th Battalion, KLR. 

Frank was born 22 Boston Street, Liverpool on 23rd August 1898 and baptised on 21st September 1898 in St Matthew’s Church, Bootle. He was the son of Andrew McCoy and his wife Sarah(nee Thompson) who were married on the 7th Sept 1893 at St Peter, Birkenhead. Andrew was born on the 28th May 1870 at 11 Boyd St, Belfast, the son of Mathew and Mary(nee Paisley). 

Parents were living at 1 Signal Works Road, Fazakerley, Liverpool at the time of the war. 

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 84, Park Street, Bootle cum Linacre, Liverpool. His father, Andrew, is aged 30, born in Belfast in 1871 and is a boiler maker, whilst his mother Sarah is aged 35, born 1866 in West Derby, Liverpool, she has no occupation listed. They have three children living at home at the time of the Census, John aged 5, born 1896, Frank aged 2, and Henry born 1901. The children were all born in Bootle.

The 1911 Census shows the family have moved and are living at 21 Fifth Avenue, Fazakerley, Liverpool. Frank's father Andrew aged 40, is employed as a boiler riveter and his mother Sarah is aged 45.  They have been married for seventeen years and have had three children, all of whom are listed on the Census; John now aged 15 is a technical student, Frank aged 12 and Henry aged 10 are both at school. Alice McCoy, Andrew’s sister aged 38, born 1873 and employed as a domestic servant is also living at the address.

Frank enlisted in Liverpool on 20th April 1915 and had been previously employed at the biscuit manufacturer of W & R Jacob (Biscuit) Co Ltd, in Fazakerley.

He was billeted at Prescot Watch Factory, he trained there and also at Knowsley Hall until 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.
He embarked for France on 07^th November 1915, disembarking at Boulogne.

Frank was killed in action, during the attack at Montauban on 01^st July 1916, aged 17.

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 and 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 death was reported in the Liverpool Echo on the 21st July 1916: 

DEATHS 

McCOY -  July 2,  killed in action, aged 17 years 11 months, Frank McCoy (“Pals”), the dearly loved and second son of Andrew McCoy, Signal Works Road, Fazakerley. 

Frank has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing 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.”

Soldiers Effects to father Andrew, Pension to mother Sarah, 1 Signal Works Road, Fazakerley.  

He is remembered on the following Memorials:

Emmanuel Church, Longmoor Lane,

Longmoor Lane School, Fazakerley

W & R (Biscuit) Co Ltd war memorial, Long Lane, Liverpool

Hall of Remembrance, Liverpool Town Hall, Panel 18 

His mother died, aged 62, in 1927 and Andrew remarried to Mary Garner in 1934 and they appear on the 1939 Register at 144a Upper Aughton Road, Southport.

His father died, aged 85, in 1955 

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