Pte 300321 James Edward McGinley

• Age: 26
• From: Athlone
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Monday 29th April 1918
• Commemorated at: Tyne Cot Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 31-34

James Edward McGinley was born in Athlone, County Westmeath, Ireland, in 1892, the eldest son of Francis and Mary Ellen McGinley. Francis was from Ballymichael, a village on the coast of County Donegal, and Mary Ellen from Boyle, County Roscommon.  Francis McGinley and Mary Ellen Sharkey married in Boyle in 1890. They likely met when his father was serving in Roscommon with the Royal Irish Constabulary. They had nine children, of whom two died young.  His siblings found on censuses are:  Mary Josephine born in 1893 in Boyle, after which the family moved south to County Westmeath, where Arthur Francis was born in 1895 and John in 1897 in Littleton, Margaret Ellen in 1899, Margaret 1901 in Glasson, and Joseph in 1903 in Moate, all R.I.C. stations in Westmeath (birthdates approximate).

In 1901 his 31-year old mother is living in Glasson, with four children, James 9, Mary 8, Arthur 4, and Margaret Ellen 2 (who appears to have died before the next census). The census form was signed by Sergt. Francis McGinley, who is not listed in the household.

His father retired from the Royal Irish Constabulary in 1903 with the rank of Sergeant after 28 years’ service.

By 1907 the family have moved to Liverpool, where Kathleen (or Catherine) was born. 

The 1911 census finds his mother, 41, at 7 Harrowby Street, Princes Road, Toxteth Park, with seven children at home.  James, 19, is a waiter in a public bar, Mary, 18, is a draper’s assistant, and Arthur, 15, is a milk lad.  The younger children are at school: John 13, Margaret 9, Joseph 7, and Kathleen 4.  His father is listed on the census form as Francis McGinley, 53, police pensioner, ship inspector for Cunard, but his name is crossed off with the note, “at sea”.  They have been married for 21 years, two of their nine children have died.

James McGinley joined the Police Force on the 17th December 1913 as Constable 131B.  He joined the Army on the 09th June 1915.

He enlisted in Liverpool joining the 1/1st Lancashire Hussars as Trooper 250729,  on 09th June 1915. In 1915 the regiment was divided, B Squadron joining the 31st Division and, after landing in France, was briefly attached to the 2nd Indian Cavalry Division. C Squadron was attached to the 35th Division and D Squadron to the 30th Division. 

The regiment was re-formed in May 1916 to form the VIII Corps Cavalry Regiment.  In July 1917, they were dismounted and sent for training as infantry. After infantry training, in September 1917, the men were posted to the 18th Bn K.L.R., which was redesignated the 18th (Lancashire Hussars Yeomanry) Battalion, the King’s Liverpool Regiment. 

He was serving with the 18th Battalion K.L.R. as Private No 300321 when he was killed in action on the 29^th April 1918 during the German Spring Offensive.

On the day of his death 29th April 1918, the Battalion was serving on the Ypres Salient and was in the front line at Elzenwalle, near Ridge Wood, awaiting a renewal of the German assault on that front.

At 02.30 am the attack began with a devastating bombardment along the whole battle front, from the forward positions back to a depth of over a mile. At 6am the enemy Infantry attacked, the main force of the assault being directed at a position near Ridge Wood, where one of the Battalion’s forward listening posts was captured and held. Then, 16999 Company Sergeant Major G Sutton of No.1 Company gallantly drove out the attackers with Mills Bombs, an action for which he was later awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. After a strong defence along the Battalion frontage, the Germans withdrew. They continued their artillery barrage throughout the rest of the morning and afternoon, however, and at about 17.00 began to mass once more for another Infantry attack. This was contained by Rifle and Lewis Gun fire, until a large British Artillery barrage at 18.00 finally broke up all enemy activity. 

James' body was either not recovered from the battlefield or was subsequently lost as he is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial in Belgium.

Those United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after August 16th 1917 are named on the Tyne Cot Memorial, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war.

The Tyne Cot Memorial now bears the names of almost 35,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Herbert Baker with sculpture by Joseph Armitage and F.V. Blundstone, was unveiled by Sir Gilbert Dyett on 20 June 1927.

The memorial forms the north-eastern boundary of Tyne Cot Cemetery, which was established around a captured German blockhouse or pill-box used as an advanced dressing station.

His loss was the second grievous loss that the family had suffered as his brother Arthur served with the 10th Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers, and died of wounds at the military hospital in Lewisham on 13th December 1916. He was laid to rest on 18th December in Liverpool Yew Tree Cemetery,  he was aged 20.  

James’ Army Effects and a War Gratuity of £13-10s (showing surname McKinley and McGinley) went to his father Francis.  

His mother, at 7 Harrowby Street, “mother and guardian of soldiers’ sisters” was awarded a pension of 10/- a week from May 1918 in respect of Arthur and 12/6d a week in respect of James from August 1919.

In 1939 his parents are living at 122 Harrowby Street. His father is 80, a retired Police Constable (R.I.C.), his mother is 70.

His father died in 1943 aged 87 and his mother in 1953, aged 86. They rest with their son Arthur in Yew Tree Cemetery.

Arthur (but not James) is commemorated in Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Bernard, Princes Park, Liverpool.

James and Arthur are both commemorated on Ireland’s National Roll of Honour.

Grateful thanks are extended to Neil Murphy for allowing us permission to use the photograph of James now on the website.  

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