Pte 16359 Edward Conlan

• Age: 23
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Danzig Alley Cem, Mametz
  Panel Ref: Mem.8

16359 Private Edward CONLAN, 18^th Battalion KLR.

Edward was born in Liverpool on the 03^rd January 1892 , the son of James Francis Conlan and his wife Ellen (nee Jones) who were married in Liverpool in 1885. He was baptised on the 12^th January 1892 at St Joseph's Church, Liverpool. 

His mother died, aged 30, in 1897

The 1901 Census shows the family are living at 111 Field Street, Liverpool his Aunt's address. Edward is 9 years old. His father is a 42 year old widower working as a railway checker, born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He has one sibling in the household, his brother John, aged 11 and a schoolboy. His aunt is Elizabeth Jones a 46 year old widow born in Hawarden, North Wales. 

By 1911 the family are still living at 111 Field Street. Edward is now 19 years of age and is employed as a Railway porter for Midland Railway Company. His father, James aged 47,  is also recorded as a porter with Midland Railway Company. His brother John is now 21 and a labourer in a bakery. His aunt, Elizabeth Jones, aged 57 is the head of the household. Edward's father advised that he had been married for 24 years and that 3 of their 4 children had survived.

Prior to enlisting he was working as a storekeeper, having formerly worked for the White Star Line as a Steward. 

Edward enlisted in Liverpool on 07^th September 1914, joining the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 16359. He gave his age as 22 years 6 days, his occupation as storekeeper and his next of kin as his father, 111 Field Street. He was described as being 5'9" tall and weighed 132lbs, a 36" chest, with a sallow complexion,  hazel eyes and brown hair. His religion is stated as Roman Catholic.

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. 

His father, James Francis, died aged 52, in 1915. 

He crossed to France with his Battalion on board the SS Invicta and served in France from 07^th November 1915, and from 10^th to 16^th June 1916 was attached to 30^th Division Supply Column.

Edward was killed in action during the attack at Montauban on 01^st July 1916.  

18^th Battalion Diary

At 6.30am the artillery commenced an intensive bombardment of the enemy’s trenches. Zero Hour – 7.30 am – the battalion commenced to leave their trenches and the attack commenced. The attack was pressed with great spirit and determination in spite of heavy shelling and machine gun enfilade fire which caused casualties amounting to 2/3rds of the strength of the Battalion in action. The whole system of German trenches including the Glatz Redoubt was captured without any deviation from the scheduled programme. Consolidated positions and made strong points for defence against possible counter attacks. 

Graham Maddocks provides more detail concerning the events of the day:

As the first three waves began to move forward towards the German reserve line, known as Alt Trench and then on to the Glatz Redoubt itself, they suddenly came under enfilading fire from the left. This was from a machine gun which the Germans had sited at a strong point in Alt Trench. The gun itself was protected by a party of snipers and bombers, who, hidden in a rough hedge, were dug into a position in Alt Trench, at its junction with a communication trench known as Alt Alley. These bombers and snipers were themselves protected by rifle fire from another communication trench, Train Alley which snaked back up the high ground and into Montauban itself. The machine gun fire was devastating and it is certain that nearly of the Battalion’s casualties that day were caused by that one gun. 

Lieutenant Colonel Edward Henry Trotter  wrote in the conclusion of his account of the days action:

I cannot speak to highly of the gallantry of the Officers and men. The men amply repaid the care and kindness of their Company Officers, who have always tried to lead and not to drive. As laid down in my first lecture to the Battalion when formed, in the words of Prince Kraft:

“Men follow their Officers not from fear, but from love of the Regiment where everything had always and at all times gone well with them”.    

Joe Devereux in his book A Singular Day on the Somme gives the Casualty Breakdown for the 18^th Battalion as Killed in Action 7 Officers and 165 men and of those who died in consequence of the wounds 3 Officers and 19 men a total of 194 out of a total loss for the four Liverpool Pals Battalions of 257. 

Edward was originally buried at Vernon Street Cemetery but the location of his remains were lost, as such he has no known grave but he is now commemorated on the war memorial in Dantzig Alley British Cemetery, France.

The village of Mametz was carried by the 7th Division on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, after very hard fighting at Dantzig Alley (a German trench) and other points. The cemetery was begun later in the same month and was used by field ambulances and fighting units until the following November. The ground was lost during the great German advance in March 1918 but regained in August, and a few graves were added to the cemetery in August and September 1918. At the Armistice, the cemetery consisted of 183 graves, now in Plot I, but it was then very greatly increased by graves (almost all of 1916) brought in from the battlefields north and east of Mametz and from certain smaller burial grounds, including:-

VERNON STREET CEMETERY, CARNOY, in the valley between Carnoy and Maricourt, at a place called "Squeak Forward Position". 110 soldiers who died in July-October 1916 were buried here by the 21st Infantry Brigade and other units.

Dantzig Alley British Cemetery now contains 2,053 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 518 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 17 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 71 casualties buried in other cemeteries, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.

He was remembered by his family on the first anniversary of his death in the Liverpool Daily Post on 03rd July 1917: