Lance Corporal 22804 John Albert Cunniffe

John Albert (known as Jack) was born in Willaston, Cheshire (between Nantwich and Crewe), the son of Peter Cunniff and his wife Hannah (née Allcock).  His birth was registered in the March quarter of 1895, but his school record gives his birthdate as 19th January 1894.  However, this may have been an error, as his age on census and employment records supports his being born in early 1895.  The family name appears as Cunniff on many records. Jack enlisted as Cunniffe.

 

His father, born in Heywood, Lancashire, and his mother, in Willaston, Cheshire, married in 1890 and had ten children, one of whom died young.  John had older siblings Emily (born Allcock) and Charles, and younger siblings Ann, Hannah, Harold, Peter, Emily, and Ernest.

 

In 1901 the family (listed as Cunliff), is living at 69 Wistaston Road, Willaston.  His father is a railway coach cleaner; they have five children, John is 6.

 

His eldest sister Emily died in 1903, aged 13.

 

The family had moved to Crewe by 1906, when John was enrolled in Edleston Road School, the family living at 3 Stewart Street.

 

By 1911 they are found at 313 Alton Street West, with eight children aged between 2-20.  His father, 45, is a railway labourer (carriage dept.), and his mother is 42. Charles, 20, is a carriage painter (loco works), John is 16, a news boy.  The younger children are at school: Ann 14, Hannah 11, Harold 8, Peter 6, and Emily 4.  Ernest is 2. The census form is signed by his father as Cunniff.

 

Before enlisting, Jack worked for Jackson’s Stores Ltd., a large house furnishings company, in Victoria Street, Crewe, according to newspaper reports. However, Railway Employment records show John Albert Cunniff, aged 19, born 08th February 1895, engaged the week ending 16th July 1914 as a boy labourer at the rate of 18/- a week, with references from Mr. Seed, draper, Jackson’s Ltd., Victoria Street, having been employed there for three years.  

 

He enlisted in Liverpool  joining the 17^th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 26152. Based on the amount of the War Gratuity, and his regimental number, he enlisted in about April 1915.

 

Jack shipped to France with his battalion, disembarking at Boulogne on 7th November 1915.  

 

It is not known when Jack transferred to the Machine Gun Corps, but the 214th Coy was formed in December 1916, and joined the 58th Division in France on 25th March 1917, so some time after this date. The newspaper reports of his death refer to him as being with the K.L.R., with no mention of the M.G.C. 

 

Jack was killed in action on the 20^th September 1917 whilst serving with the Machine Gun Corps as a Lance Corporal with the service number 22804. CWGC gives his age, supplied by the family, as 24, but based on census records, he would have been 22 years old.

He has no known grave and 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 death was reported in the Nantwich Guardian on 28th September 1917:

“Mr. and Mrs. Cunniffe, 234 Alton Street, Crewe, received information on Thursday that their son, Lance-Corporal Jack Cunniffe, of the King’s (Liverpool Regiment), had been killed in action.  He was wounded some time ago.  He enlisted about two years ago and before the war was employed at Jackson’s Stores, Crewe.  Lance-Corporal Cunniffe, who was well-known in Crewe, will be greatly missed among his wide circle of friends.”

 

More information was published a week later, on 5th October 1917:

“Mr. and Mrs. Cunniffe, of 230 Alton Street, Crewe, have received the following letters in reference to their son, Lance-Corporal Jack Cunniffe, who was killed in action:-

 

 

 

 

Jack earned his three medals.  His 1914-1915 Star was mistakenly issued in the name Cunliffe, but was accepted, according to the medal roll.

 

His father Peter received Jack’s Army effects, including a War Gratuity of £10-10s.  The amount of the pension awarded is not clear from the pension cards, in the name of his parents at 335 Alton Street, and 236 Alton Street.

 

His sister Ann later had a son she called Jack.

 

In 1939 his parents were still living in Alton Street, at no.208.  His father, 73, is a retired carriage cleaner, and his mother is 69.   His father died in 1947 aged 81, and his mother lived until 1963, aged 93. 

 

John is commemorated on the following memorials - 

Crewe Mechanics Institution (Municipal Buildings, Earle Street, Crewe)

Crewe War Memorial (as Cunniff)