Pte 241768 John McLoughlin

• Age: 20
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 20th May 1917
• Commemorated at: Heninel-croisilles Rd Cem
  Panel Ref: II.E.16

John was born on 31st March 1897, the only son of Joseph James McLoughlin and his wife Teresa (née Fay). His parents married in 1895 and had three children. John had an older sister Isabella, born in 1895.  Another daughter, Ada, was born in 1900, but died in infancy. John was baptised in Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, Liverpool, on 10th April 1897.

In 1901 the family is living at 9 Shaw Terrace, Everton. His parents are both 37; his father is a labourer in a mineral water works, Isabella is 6 and John is 4. All were born in Liverpool.

By 1911 they have moved to 32 Field Street, Everton. His father, 43, is a mineral water bottler, his mother is 44. They have been married for 17 years and have had 3 children, 2 of whom have survived. Isabella is 15 and John 14, no occupation or school noted.

He enlisted in Liverpool as Rifleman 4041 joining the 6th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment (Liverpool Rifles). He embarked from Southampton-Rouen on 26th March 1916, reaching the 55th Division Base Depot on 28th May 1916. He left base for the front on 05th June 1916. He was admitted to 39 Casualty Clearing Station with diarrhoea on 19th September 1916 and moved to 38/CCS with suspected dysentery on 21st September, he was then moved to No.9 General Hospital with dysentery on 25th September. He was transferred aboard the Hospital ship Panama to England on 04th October 1916.

He re-embarked from Folkestone for Boulogne on 05th March 1917 and was posted to the 4th Battalion K.L.R. on 26th March 1917. 

He was serving with as Private 241768  with the 17th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment when he was killed in action on 20th May 1917, aged 20. 

He now rests at Heninel-Croisilles Road Cemetery in France where his headstone bears the epitaph:

"ON WHOSE SOUL SWEET JESUS HAVE MERCY"

The 21st Division captured Heninel on 12 April 1917 and advanced eastwards on the two following days. The 33rd Division then took over the attack. These two divisions are largely represented in the cemetery. In April 1918 this ground was lost, and the eleven German graves in Plot I, Rows D and E, were made when the cemetery was in German hands. After the Armistice, graves were brought in from a wide area round Heninel. The cemetery now contains 307 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, 104 of them unidentified. The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

There are nine graves of soldiers from the 4th K.L.R. in this cemetery, 7 miles southeast of Arras. Seven of them were killed on 20th May 1917. John is the only one from the 17th or any Pals battalion.

The 17th battalion War Diary shows the unit was east of Heninel on 23rd April.  On the 28th they moved to the Hindenburg system west of Wancourt.  On 29th to Arras and entrained for Houvain, route marched Vaulx, Le Ponchel, Willencourt (nearly 40 miles northeast of the cemetery) to Valhoun (30 miles from the cemetery) on the 21st May, on its way to the Ypres Salient; no casualties recorded.

The 4th Bn K.L.R. War Diary shows the unit in the Hindenburg Line in May 1917.  On the 19th they moved into trenches near Fontaine-les-Croisilles (under 2 miles from the cemetery) and on the 20th participated in the 33rd Division attack on the Line. The battalion engaged in bombing down the Hindenburg Line in conjunction with an attack made by the 19th and 100th Bdes.  The attack was successful.
Casualties:  Officers: 5 Killed, 3 Wounded;  O.R. 15 Killed, 1 Missing, 79 Wounded

Although his CWGC certificate states 17th Battalion, the Graves Registration Form shows 4th Bn (and his regimental number as 441768, later amended to 241768).

However, the Medal roll shows only 1/6th Bn K.L.R. (#4041), and 4th Bn (#241768).

Soldiers’ Effects (showing Pte., 1/4th Bn) shows that his parents received John’s Army effects, including a War Gratuity of £6-10s.

The pension card (giving his rank as Rifleman), in the name of his mother, at 21 Craven Street, Islington, shows she was awarded a pension of 4/- a week from December 1917, increased to 5/- a week from November 1918.  His parents later moved to 11 Carver Street, Islington, Liverpool. 

It is therefore probable that John was serving with the 4th Battalion K.L.R. but as his CWGC record shows the 17th Battalion K.L.R. his name will continue to be recorded on this site until definitive proof can be provided that he did not serve in the 17th Battalion.  

His mother died in 1931 aged 65, and his father in 1938 aged 71. 

John is commemorated on Liverpool’s Hall of Remembrance Panel 18 as McLaughlin.


We currently have no further information on John McLoughlin, 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 Kevin Shannon the author of the book The Liverpool Rifles for providing details of John's service with the 6th Rifles.