L/Cpl 21577 John Nooney

• Age: 24
• From: Wallasey, Cheshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

John Nooney was born in July 1892 in Birkenhead, Cheshire. He was the ninth of eleven children born to his parents, James Patrick Nooney and Mary Ann Evans, who had married in Birkenhead in 1877. Of the 11 children, one, Winifred, had died in infancy. His older siblings were Andrew, Mary, Leo, Agnes, Randolph, Monica, and Josephine. He had two younger siblings, Dorothy and Bernard. All the children were born in Birkenhead. His father was born in Thomastown, County Westmeath, Ireland, and his mother in Egremont, Cheshire. His brother Randolph died in 1899, aged 13. 

In 1901 the family is at 1 Dalmorton Road, New Brighton. 

His father is aged 50, a shipping manager, mother Mary is aged 47, children Mary C. 21, Agnes M. 17, Monica H. 13, Josephine 11, John is 8 years old, and Dorothy G. 6. They also have a visitor Ellen Shephard 58 and servant Hannah Wyatt 18. 

His mother died on the 7th Sept 1903, aged 49, when John was 10 or 11 years old.  

Liverpool Evening Express - Tuesday 08 September 1903 

NOONEY—Sept, 7, at Dalmorton-road, New Brighton, Mary Ann, the beloved wife of J. P. Nooney. Fortified with the rites of Holy Church. Requiem Mass at St. Peter and Paul, New Brighton, to-morrow (Wednesday), at 10 a.m.; interment at Wallasey Cemetery at 11 a.m. (R.I.P.) 

His eldest brother Andrew died in 1909 aged 30. 

His father, James Patrick Nooney, was employed for 40 years with the Pacific Steam Navigation Co., and retired in early 1911. 

On the 1911 Census John is living with his widowed father, a retired shipping secretary, and his sisters Agnes, Josephine and Dorothy, at 16 Mayfield Road, Wallasey. John is 18, and a provision merchant’s clerk; Josephine, 20, and Dorothy, 16, are listed as students.

John was educated at St Francis Xavier School, Liverpool and after schooling he joined Armour and Co.

John enlisted in Liverpool on 14th September 1914, as Private 21577, in the 19th (Pals) Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment, although the original number on his service record, 18178, has been crossed out and replaced by 21577.  He gives his age as 22 years and 64 days, and his occupation as clerk. He is described as being 5’4 and a half inches tall, weighing 116 lbs, 36” chest, with fresh complexion, hazel eyes and brown hair. He gives his religion as Roman Catholic and next of kin as his father, at 16 Mayfield Road, Wallasey. 

Shortly afterwards, in December 1914, his sister Josephine, the sibling he was closest to in age, died, aged 23.

Formed on 07^th September 1914 the 19^th Battalion trained locally at Sefton Park and remained living at home or in rented accommodation until November 1914. They then moved to the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 19th 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. 

John shipped to France with his battalion, arriving at Boulogne on 07th November 1915.

After spending the night at Ostrehove Rest Camp, the battalion marches to Boulogne train station and entrain for Pont Remy, where the 19^th Bn is billeted at Buigny-l’Abbe. Shortly afterwards they move to Vignancourt, north-east of Amiens, and much nearer to the front line. Whilst here, on 3^rd January 1916, John is appointed unpaid Lance Corporal. A few days later, the Pals battalions take up position in the south of the Somme line, near Carnoy.  In May, whilst at Maricourt, the battalion comes out of the line and moves to Abbeville for specialist training for the ‘Big Push’.  On 1^st July the Battle of the Somme begins.

On the 27th July 1916, John is appointed paid Lance Corporal.  On the 29^th the battalion moves to take up its position for the attack on Guillemont.  The 30^th July is a black day for the city of Liverpool; the attack on Guillemont fails and the Pals battalions suffer losses approaching 500. Private John Nooney was killed in action on this day, aged 24.

19^th Battalion Diary 30^th July 1916

MALTZ HORN FARM

BATTLE begun. ZERO hour 4:45 am. The Battalion reached its objective, but suffered heavy losses, and had to evacuate its position owing to no reinforcements.

Everard Wyrall gives details of the attack in his book The History of The King’s Regiment; 

"The 2nd Attack on Guillemont- 29th July 1916 the 89th Brigade the 20th King's were to attack on the right and the 19th on the left. During the evening of the 29th the night was dark and foggy when the Battalions moved off and the 19th with Lt Col G Rollo commanding, when passing the South east of the Briqueterie they were heavily shelled first with H E and then with a new kind of asphyxiating Gas shell which had curious results, at first it had no nasty effect but about 8 hrs later men began to fall sick with violent headaches and pains in the stomach. All ranks had to wear gas masks which in the darkness and mist made the going terribly difficult. It was indeed wonderful that they were able to reach their Assembly point at all. But they did and by 2.45 a.m. on the 30th July 1916 the Btn was assembled having suffered about 30 Casualties on the way up ready for the Zero hour at 4.45 a.m.

It is known that the two left Companies of the 19th under Capt. Dodd and Capt. Nicholson advanced in touch with the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on their left although they suffered many casualties from Machine gun Fire did not encounter many Germans and reached their final objective about the time allocated, beginning at once to dig in south of the orchard on the South east corner of Guillemont.  

On the left of the 19th the Scots Fusiliers most gallantly forced their way through Guillemont to the eastern side of the village but were soon overwhelmed by the enemy and few returned. 

At 8 a.m. finding that the village was not held the two left Companies of the 19th received no word from the rear or either flank believed themselves to be totally isolated so were forced to fall back and dig in, their position being untenable.

At midday the effective fighting strength of the 19th Btn was just 7 Officers and 43 other ranks" 

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30^th Division held a line from the railway on the eastern side of Trones Wood , southwards and including Arrow Head Copse, to east of Maltz Horn Farm. On this line the division was relieved by the 55^th Division during the early hours of the 31^st July. 

Casualties in the 19^th Battalion were 11 Officers and 435 Other Ranks 

The events of 30^th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89^th Brigade written by Brigadier General Ferdinand Stanley which gives an indication of the events of the day.

Guillemont

Well the hour to advance came, and of all bad luck in the world it was a thick fog; so thick that you couldn’t see more than about ten yards. It was next to impossible to delay the attack – it was much too big an operation- so forward they had to go. It will give some idea when I say that on one flank we had to go 1,750 yards over big rolling country. Everyone knows what it is like to cross enclosed country which you know really well in a fog and how easy it is to lose your way. Therefore, imagine these rolling hills, with no landmarks and absolutely unknown to anyone. Is it surprising that people lost their way and lost touch with those next to them? As a matter of fact, it was wonderful the way in which many men found their way right to the place we wanted to get to. But as a connected attack it was impossible.

The fog was intense it was practically impossible to keep direction and parties got split up. Owing to the heavy shelling all the Bosches had left their main trenches and were lying out in the open with snipers and machine guns in shell holes, so of course our fellows were the most easy prey.

It is so awfully sad now going about and finding so many splendid fellows gone.  

John's body was not recovered from the battlefield, or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave, and is remembered 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.”

John’s Casualty Form shows him listed as Wounded to Field Ambulance on 30th July 1916, then as Wounded and Missing on the same date.  It wasn’t until 14th February 1917 that the Army Council used this date as Death Assumed for official purposes.  Notices in the local newspaper give an indication of the agonies families went through -

Liverpool Echo, 23^rd August 1916 –

“Not Killed.  Mr. J.P. Nooney, of Mayfield Road, Wallasey, has received official news that his son, Private John Nooney of the King’s Liverpool Regiment, has been wounded.  On Monday last it was stated that the flag was at half mast on the Produce Exchange for this young soldier who had been killed.  No news to this effect had reached the family, who are now in the relatively happy position of knowing that Private Nooney is alive.  Of the nature of his wounds no information has yet been obtained.”

News Report -

Killed On No Man’s Land Yesterday (Friday) Mr. J.P. Nooney, of 16, Mayfield Road, Wallasey, received word of the death of his son, Lance Corporal John Nooney, aged 24, of the King’s Liverpool Regiment. The major pf of the regiment, in forwarding the news, says that the deceased soldier fell in “No Man’s Land” as a result of a bullet wound. It will be remembered that about a fortnight ago it was rumoured that Lance Corporal Nooney and a Private Murray of the same regiment had been killed. Inquiries were speedily made, and news arrived from a member of the King’s that the former had only been wounded, but the sad news of his death was received yesterday morning. Lance Corporal Nooney, who joined H.M. Forces in September, 1914. Was a member of the Thorndale Tennis Club. He was employed previous to enlistment with Messrs. Armour and Co., Victoria Street, Liverpool.

Liverpool Echo, 26^th August 1916 –

"Mr. J.P. Nooney, of Mayfield Road, Wallasey, former secretary of the Pacific Steam Navigation Company, has now received news that his son, Lance Corporal Nooney, of the King’s (Liverpool Regiment) has fallen on the battlefield.  For a time there was some doubt as to this young soldier’s fate, as the Produce Exchange, with which he was associated with his service with Armour & Co., had its flag at half mast in his memory, Mr. Nooney received official news that his son was wounded.  Now, however, there appears no doubt, from letters that have come from comrades, that Lance Corporal Nooney was killed.  Educated at St. Francis Xavier’s, he enjoyed, in a marked degree, the confidence of his comrades, one of whom wrote, “The world has lost and heaven gained the very best the earth contained, and thus it is we continue in our duty inspired by his example.”

Liverpool Echo, 28^th August 1916 –

“July 30, killed in action, aged 24 years, the dearly loved son of J.P. and the late M.A. Nooney, of Mayfield Road, Wallasey.  R.I.P.  Requiem Mass at the Church of the English Martyrs, Wallasey, on Wednesday next at 10 a.m.”

However, John’s name appeared in the official list of wounded on 11^th September 1916.

John earned his three medals, which his father signed for on 12th November 1920 and 02nd November 1921.  

John is also commemorated on the following Memorials:

Wallasey Civic Memorial (Hospital)

Wallasey Roll of Honour

St. Francis Xavier’s RC School.

His father died in Llandudno on the 25th April 1927, aged 76. 

Liverpool Daily Post - Thursday 28 April 1927 

NOONEY— April 25, suddenly, at Llandudno, in his 77th year, PATRICK JAMES, beloved husband of the late Mary A. Nooney, late of Wallasey and P.S.N. Co.  R.I.P.  Requiem Mass at Llandudno, today (Thursday); Interment at Rake-lane, Wallasey at 1.30 p.m. (Motors will meet 1.10 boat at Seacombe.) 

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