Pte 17304 James Colligan

• Age: 20
• From: Liverpool
• 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.

James was born in Liverpool on 14th November 1895, the son of John Colligan and his wife Ellen (nee Fitzpatrick) who married on the 13th June 1881 at St Sylvester, Vauxhall. John was of 10 Verlock St, father Henry, whilst Helena was of 4 Verlock St, father James. He was baptised on the 18th of November in St. Patrick's Church, Liverpool. His parents, both born in Liverpool, had 14 children, five of whom died young. James had older siblings William James (who died at age 4), Annie, Ellen, Margaret, John, Rebecca (died when she was 2), William, twins Gertrude and James (who both died in infancy), and Henry, and younger siblings Francis (died at 3 years old), Alice, and Winifred. 

At the time of the 1901 Census, the family were living at 43 Yates Street, Toxteth, Liverpool.

James' father, John was 44 and working as a shipwright, his mother, Ellen, was 38 and mother to eight children: Annie who was 17 and working as an assistant in a tobacco factory, Ellen who was 16, Margaret 15, John 12, William 10, Henry 7, James 6, and Alice aged 1.

By 1911 the family were at the same address. The couple have five of their children living with them.

His father, John, aged 55 is still working as a shipwright with the White Star Line, his mother, Ellen, is 48. William is also working as a shipwright, James is 15 and is working as a telegraph messenger, Alice and Winifred are still at school, and Annie is married and living there with her husband George Airey.

James enlisted on 05th November 1914 at St George's Hall in Liverpool joining the 19th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 17304.

Formed on 7^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. He arrived in France on 7^th November 1915.

James was killed in action on the 30th July 1916 at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive.

19th Battalion Diary 30th 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 30th 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 55th Division during the early hours of the 31st July.

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

The events of 30th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89th 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.

James was initially declared Missing and his death later presumed to have occurred on or since 30th July 1916.

His body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial in France.

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 01^st 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.”

He earned his three medals.

His outstanding Army pay and a War Gratuity of £8-10s went to his father John.

James' loss was the second unbearable tragedy that the family had faced in July 1916. His brother, Private 18854 Henry Colligan, 1st Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, was killed in action on the opening day of the Battle of the Somme 01st July 1916. He now rests at Ancre British Cemetery, Beaumont Hamel where his headstone bears the epitaph:

"SACRED HEART OF JESUS HAVE MERCY ON HIM"

The CWGC has his service shown as Pte. 18854 J. Colligan, 1st Bn. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, aged 23, son of John and Ellen Colligan of 43 Yates Street, was presumed killed in action on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, 01st July 1916.

Military records give his first name as Joseph, but these parents did not have a son by the name of Joseph. It appears that Henry enlisted under a different first name, per an In Memoriam notice in the Liverpool Echo in July 1917 -

"Sacred to the memory of Henry Colligan (late Inniskilling Fusiliers), of 43 Yates Street, Liverpool, killed in action July 1, 1916.
  Ever green in my memory is he who is gone,
  I lost a brother, my mother a son;
  His dear face is with us though death us divide,
  We're awaiting the day when we will stand by his side."

Henry had shipped overseas in August 1915 and served in the Balkans before transferring to the Western Front.
 
Their mother Ellen was awarded a combined pension for both sons of 15 shillings a week for life from May 1917.

His father John died in 1928 aged 72, and his mother Ellen in 1937 at the age of 74.

James and Henry are both commemorated in St. Malachy's Church, Liverpool

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