Pte 16208 Charles William Sweeney

Charles William Sweeney was born in Sligo, Ireland in 1897 and was the son of Alfred Sweeney, a brewer, and his wife Madeline (nee Crocket). His parents were both born in Lancashire and were married at St. Peter's C.of E. Church, Liverpool on the 28th March 1888.

At the time of the 1901 census the Sweeney family (Church of England) were living at House 2, Finisklin, Knockaree, Sligo. His father, Alfred is not present, mother Madeline is 32 years of age and born in England. She has four children in the househoild listed as; Kitty aged 7 and a scholar born in England, Aileen  aged 5 is also a scholar born in Sligo, Charles  is 3 aan a scholar b.Sligo, Alfred is 2 and was also born in Sligo. They have a servant Bridget Brett 26.

The 1911 Census shows the family living at Moorbridge House, Netherton. His father, Alfred, is aged 52 having been born 1859 in Bootle, heis a brewer.. His wife Madeline is aged 43, born 1868 in Seaforth. They have been married for twenty three years and have had eight children. At the time of Census the children listed in the household are;  Ella  born 1893, Katherine, born 1895 and Frank Langford, born 1902. Charles and his younger brother, Alfred Heath Sweeney, were boarding at Shrewsbury Boys High School. 

Prior to enlistment he was employed by Lever Brothers.

He enlisted on the 02nd September 1914 at St George's Hall in  Liverpool joining the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 16208. He gave his age as 19 years and occupation as a clerk. (It would appear he had lied about his age on joining as he would have been aged 17 years in 1914) He was five feet two and half inches tall, weighed 106lbs, of sallow appearance, blue eyes, dark hair and gave his religion as Church of England. 

From the 23^rd September 1914 he was billeted at Hooton Park Race Course and remained there until 03^rd December 1914 when they moved into the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 18th 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. 

07.11.15: Embarked for France with his battalion.

31.05.16: Attached to 30th Division Grenade School.

01.07.16: Wounded in action with gunshot wound to thigh and left buttock.

02.07.16: 96 Field Ambulance.

11.07.16: To UK.

28.04.17: Transferred to 1st Labour Battalion as 193474.

29.06.17: 556th (H.S.) Employment Coy, The Labour Corps

09.08.17: Transferred to Western Command Labour Centre with effect from 09.08.17. 

08.10.17: Transferred to No 1, St Lennards on Sea, Royal Flying Corps

28.03.18: Transferred back to the 3rd Battalion King's Liverpool Regiment.

11.08.18: Appointed acting Corporal.

He died aged 21 when the Royal Mail steam packet R.M.S. Leinster was torpedoed and sunk in the Irish Sea on the 10th October 1918. Over 500 lives were lost, including many crewmen, military personnel on home leave, postal workers, and civilian passengers.


Charles William is commemorated on the Hollybrook Memorial at Southampton.

The Hollybrook Memorial commemorates by name almost 1,900 servicemen and women of the Commonwealth land and air forces* whose graves are not known, many of whom were lost in transports or other vessels torpedoed or mined in home waters (*Officers and men of the Commonwealth's navies who have no grave but the sea are commemorated on memorials elsewhere). The memorial also bears the names of those who were lost or buried at sea, or who died at home but whose bodies could not be recovered for burial. Almost one third of the names on the memorial are those of officers and men of the South African Native Labour Corps, who died when the troop transport Mendi sank in the Channel following a collision on 21 February 1917. Other vessels sunk with significant loss of life were: HS Anglia, a hospital ship sunk by mine off Dover on 17 November 1915. SS Citta Di Palermo, an Italian transport carrying Commonwealth troops, sunk by mine off Brindisi on 8 January 1916. In rescuing survivors, two Royal Naval Otranto drifters were themselves mined and blown up. HMTs Donegal and Warilda, ambulance transports torpedoed and sunk between Le Havre and Southampton on 17 April 1917 and 3 August 1918. HS Glenart Castle, a hospital ship torpedoed and sunk off Lundy on 26 February 1918. SS Galway Castle, torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic on 12 September 1918. RMS Leinster, the Irish mail boat, torpedoed and sunk in the Irish Sea on 10 October 1918. Among those commemorated on the Hollybrook Memorial is Field Marshall Lord Kitchener, Secretary of State for War, who died when the battle cruiser HMS Hampshire was mined and sunk off Scapa Flow on 5 June 1916. (There were 14 members of the Indian Forces commemorated here who are now known to have been cremated at Patcham Down, Sussex, and are now commemorated on a dedicated memorial there). The memorial was designed by T. Newham and unveiled by Sir William Robertson on 10 December 1930.


He is also remembered on the family headstone at Toxteth Park Cemetery and on the Lever Brothers Memorial at Port Sunlight.