Pte 29197 Patrick Cunningham

• Age: 22
• From: New Bliss, Co. Monaghan
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Guillemont Rd Cem
  Panel Ref: V.D.9

Patrick Cunningham was born in 1893 a native of Aughabog, Co Monaghan, Ireland. His parents were Patrick and Ellen Cunningham of 50 Wendell Street, Liverpool. The Irish Memorial records his birthplace as Newbliss, Co.Monaghan.

At the time of the 1901 census Patrick and Ellen Cunningham are living in Aghaclay, Drumhillagh, County Monaghan, about 5 miles from Newbliss. His father, 59, is a schoolmaster and farmer, his mother is 44. They have seven children: Bridget 20, Mary Anne 16, Ellen 14, Edward 10, Patrick, who is 8, Margaret 5, and Bernard Joseph 2. There were evidently older children, but unfortunately earlier Irish censuses are not available. The parents and children were all born in County Monaghan. Also in the household is sister-in-law Mary Anne Goodwin, a single, 40-year old ex-schoolmistress (which suggests his mother's maiden name was Goodwin). The family is Roman Catholic.

His father Patrick served as Hon. Secretary of the County Monaghan Association of Teachers and as principal of Dawson National School for many years, and retired in 1905 after 46 years in teaching.

He died in 1910, probate showing him as retired school teacher and farmer late of Aghaclay, effects of £572-10s to widow Ellen and John Cunningham, National School teacher (an elder son).

In 1911 his widowed mother Ellen 55, a farmer, is still living in Aghaclay, with son James 28, a farmer, Maggie 15, Bernard 12, and Michael 8. Patrick is not in the home.

A Patrick Cunningham, age 18, born in Monaghan, is found working as a barman/servant with the Lavery family, publicans, in Stanhope Street, Court, Antrim (Belfast).

He enlisted in Liverpool in 1915 and was serving in the 19th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 29197 when he was killed in action on the 30th July 1916, aged 22, 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.

Patrick was buried close to where he fell and after the war, when graves were concentrated, his body was removed and reinterred in Guillemont Road Cemetery where he now rests. 

Guillemont was an important point in the German defences at the beginning of the Battle of the Somme in July 1916. It was taken by the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on 30 July but the battalion was obliged to fall back, and it was again entered for a short time by the 55th (West Lancashire) Division on 8 August. On 18 August, the village was reached by the 2nd Division, and on 3 September (in the Battle of Guillemont) it was captured and cleared by the 20th (Light) and part of the 16th (Irish) Divisions. It was lost in March 1918 during the German advance, but retaken on 29 August by the 18th and 38th (Welsh) Divisions.

The cemetery was begun by fighting units (mainly of the Guards Division) and field ambulances after the Battle of Guillemont, and was closed in March 1917, when it contained 121 burials. It was greatly increased after the Armistice when graves (almost all of July-September 1916) were brought in from the battlefields immediately surrounding the village and certain smaller cemeteries, including:-

HARDECOURT FRENCH MILITARY CEMETERY. The village of Hardecourt-au-Bois was captured by French troops on the 8th July 1916, and again by the 58th (London) and 12th (Eastern) Divisions on 28 August 1918. Five British Artillerymen were buried by their unit in the French Military Cemetery, in the middle of the village, in September 1916; and in 1918 the 12th Division buried in the same cemetery 14 men of the 9th Royal Fusiliers and two of the 7th Royal Sussex.

Guillemont Road Cemetery now contains 2,263 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 1,523 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to eight casualties known or believed to be buried among them.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.

His death was reported in the Northern Whig (Belfast) on 11th September 1916:

"Lance-Corporal Patrick Cunningham was killed in action in France on the 30th July. Prior to joining the King's (Liverpool) Regiment the deceased resided with his brother in that city, where he held a respectable position. He left for the front in March last. His brother, Mr.J. Cunningham, is principal of Dawson National School, Co. Monaghan."

His outstanding Army pay and a War Gratuity of £4-10s went to his  mother Ellen, who was awarded a pension of 10/- a week from March 1917, by then having moved to Liverpool, and living at 50 Wendell Street. Another pension card shows 15/- a week for life from April 1917.

His younger brother Bernard Joseph attested in the K.L.R. at Seaforth on 05th February 1917, address 50 Wendell Street, giving his age as 17 and 11 months, unemployed, next of kin mother Helen (sic) of 50 Wendell Street. He was mobilised the following month and posted to the 51st Training Reserve Bn. He was later transferred to the Labour Corps and discharged on 04/12/1917, as no longer fit for war service (due to vision problems).

His elder brother Edward emigrated to Canada and served with the Canadian Expeditionary Force in the 13th Royal Highlanders. He was captured at Mouquet Farm during the Somme offensive on 07th September 1916. He was held at the Citadel of Cambrai and Dulmen POW Camp (about 40 miles north of Dortmund).

The Belfast Telegraph reported on 03rd November 1917:

"Pte. Edward Cunningham, Canadian Forces, who had been a prisoner in the hands of the Germans at Gefangenenlager [prison camp] for some twelve months, has succeeded in making good his escape. He is now on his way to Canada, where his wife resides. Pte. Cunningham, who emigrated a few years ago, lived for a period in Belfast. He is a brother of Mr. John Cunningham, principal Dawson National School, Newbliss, Co. Monaghan."

His mother is found on electoral rolls at 50 Wendell Street with James Cunningham and Michael Thomas Cunningham until 1927, when she appears to have died, aged 72.

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