Pte 41723 Peter William Conroy

• Age: 30
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Tuesday 31st July 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

Peter Fitzpatrick was born on 14th February 1887 the son of Mary Fitzpatrick, he was baptised at St Joseph's R.C Church in Liverpool on 27th February 1887. His godparents are recorded as Peter Sullivan and Mary Conroy. His mother married William Conroy later in 1887.

The 1891 Census shows the family living at  3 Worfield Street, Liverpool. Peter is recorded as Peter Conroy and is 4 years of age. He lives with his parents William and Mary Conroy, his younger sister Mary aged 2, and brother James aged 1. His father is 25 years of age and was born in Liverpool, whilst his mother is 24 years of age, her birthplace recorded as Ireland.  There are also three boarders present in the household, John and Mary Clarke and their daughter Elizabeth.

His father William Conroy died in the June quarter of 1895 aged 30.

It has not been able to positively identify Peter on the Census of 1901. However, it appears likely that he is the Peter Conroy listed as an inmate of Kirkdale Industrial School aged 13 the fact that the census records his birth in Ireland led to uncertainty.

Records show that Peter joined the Royal Marines Light Infantry on 05th February 1904. His service records begin in 1904 as a Land boy arriving "from Kirkdale Industrial School, Liverpool". His physical stature is surprisingly small:- 4' 8 3/4", fresh complexion, dark brown hair and blue eyes. His birth date has been written down as 14th February 1888, a year on from the actual date on his catholic baptism as Peter Fitzpatrick. His next of kin is recorded as "mother" (no name provided) of 34 Torbock St, Soho St, Liverpool.

By 1906 he had grown to 5 feet  2 and a half inches and  was now a Musician, he embarked on HMS Conopus, a Dreadnought battleship. He was largely with the Royal Navy School of Music with very good conduct.

The 1911 Census finds him aged 23 and a musician serving with the Royal Navy, China and East Indies.

On the 14th February 1912 he was surprisingly "discharged invalided", giving his address 32a Queen Anne St, Liverpool. It is interesting to note that his soon to be spouse Agnes Kennedy was living at 27 Queen Anne Street. 

He married Agnes Kennedy on the 22nd September 1913 at St Mary of the Angels Church, Everton. Peter (Fitzpatrick) was of 32a Queen Anne St, Agnes of 27 Queen Anne Street. They had two children – Joseph Aloysius born on the 10th January 1914 and Peter Lawrence born on the 22nd September 1916.  An address of 8 Ruth Street is given on his pension record.

Peter enlisted in Liverpool and was serving in the 18th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 41723 when he was killed in action on the 31st July 1917 aged 30 during the Third Battle of Ypres, better known as the Battle of Passchendaele.

On this day, before Zero Hour, the 18th Battalion was part of 21st Brigade and was to form up for the attack from trenches from the area of Sanctuary Wood to Observatory Ridge but it was dark and continually falling rain gave very poor visibility. The departure of the 21st Brigade was delayed by heavy shelling.

The 18th King’s began to move forward in the rear of the 2nd Battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment who had been detailed as the left attacking battalion of the 21st Brigade.

No’s 1 and 3 Companies of the King’s led the way followed by No’s 2 and 4. In Sanctuary Wood there was considerable confusion, as a result No.2 and No.4 Companies became separated from the others, and were moved over to the left flank towards positions known as Surbiton Villas and Clapham Junction in the direction of the 90th Brigade.

No.1 and 3 Companies were soon in action with the enemy, and were for a time, held up against an enemy strong point. They pushed forward with their right on a trench known as Jar Row and their left on the tramway south of Stirling Castle. Advance along Jar Row was held up by the Germans who put up a fierce resistance and the party was forced to withdraw.

Another group of men from No.1 and No.3 Companies led by 2nd Lieut. Graham were being held up by another strongpoint which was south of Stirling Castle, which was eventually stormed and taken. Not far away from this action, an attempt, by other men of No.1 and No.3 companies, was made to penetrate a broad belt of uncut wire, but this was covered by Machine-guns which killed almost every man attempting to pass through the two gaps that were discovered.

The situation was similar with No.2 and 4 Companies, who had attacked along the wrong axis. Their advance was met with fierce opposition, and once all the experienced officer’s had been killed or wounded, all cohesion was lost, although some men did reach and cross the Menin Road at Clapham Junction.

By that time, the situation had become extremely confused, and the whereabouts of all four companies being unknown to Battalion Headquarters, urgent attempts were made to discover their locations. Eventually by mid- afternoon, it was established that the bulk of the companies, although all mixed together, were dug in the vicinity of Stirling Castle and by mid evening, the Battalion Headquarters moved forward to meet them.

During its time in the line the 18th Battalion lost 7 officers and 76 men killed or died of wounds and 7 officers and 177 men were wounded. They were relieved on the 2nd August.

Peter  was one of those casualties, his body was either not found or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial,at Ypres in Belgium.

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

A notice was published in the Liverpool Echo on the 31st July 1918, a year after his death:

Conroy – In sad but loving memory of Peter (41723) missing July 31st 1917, afterwards reported killed. – Never forgotten by his Mother, Sister and baby Bill.

Soldiers Effects to widow Agnes, Pension to Agnes and children Joseph A. and Peter L. (On pension card Agnes was born 14th September 1886).

The 1939 Register shows Agnes, dob 14th Sept 1886, living at 25 Warburton Street with son Peter L. and Catherine Kennedy.

Agnes died aged 71 in the September quarter of 1958.

Grateful thanks are extended to Peter Barry Conroy the grandson of Peter who has given permission for use of the wonderful photograph now on this site. 

We currently have no further information on Peter William Conroy, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.