Site Home
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site you agree to accept cookies.
If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation.
Great War Home
Search
Add Stories & Photos
Library
Help & FAQs
Features
Allied Army
Day by Day
RFC & RAF
Prisoners of War
War at Sea
Training for War
The Battles
Those Who Served
Hospitals
Civilian Service
Women at War
The War Effort
Central Powers Army
Central Powers Navy
Imperial Air Service
Library
World War Two
Submissions
Add Stories & Photos
Time Capsule
Information
Help & FAQs
Glossary
Our Facebook Page
Volunteering
News
Events
Contact us
Great War Books
About
209458Pte William Henry Conroy
British Army 11th Battalion Cheshire Regiment
from:New Brighton, Wirral, Merseyside
(d. 7th July 1916)
William Henry Conroy 16550, was my Great Grandfather. My mother's mother, who we called Nan, was William's daughter. It was always thought that William died on the Somme and that he had no grave. This was until two years ago in 2010, when I discovered that he was injured on the 4th July 1916, when nearly all of his battalion were "melted away" by machine gun fire. He was casevacd to the 3rd Casualty Clearing Station at Puchevillers in Northern France.
Sadly, he died of his wounds some days later on the 7th July. By being injured he, unlike the hundreds of men that were shot with him on that dreadful 4th July was guaranteed a burial and headstone at Lutyens's cemetery at Puchevillers, which was erected just across the track from the CCS location.
William Henry Conroy 16550 volunteered to fight the moment the war began, he was 35 years of age, employed and the father of five children. He was not expected to fight at his age and family position, nevertheless he marched forward. On arriving in France, Sept 1915, he was sent to Belgium border at Ypres or "wipers" and was involved in Ploegstreet wood fighting. His wife never remarried and wore black till she died in the early 1960's.
Clearly this man was immensely brave, given that he had seen the worst of fighting in Belgium, then seeing the first 3 days of the Somme, then going into battle himself on the 4th.
My Brother Corporal Stewart Peter Frank McLaughlin, 3rd Battalion the Parachute Regiment was killed aged 27 just after the capture of Mount Longdon ,Falkland Islands 1982, he too was incredibly brave and was cited for a Victoria Cross, sadly it appears the citation was lost in transit to the Awards Committee. On visiting William's Grave on November 11th 2010, I discovered that in the grave next to his lies a young man named Stewart, aged 27 years of age.
Related Content:
Can you help us to add to our records?
The names and stories on this website have been submitted by their relatives and friends. If your relations are not listed please add their names so that others can read about them
Did your relative live through the Great War? Do you have any photos, newspaper clippings, postcards or letters from that period? Have you researched the names on your local or war memorial?
If so please let us know.
Do you know the location of a Great War "Roll of Honour?"We are very keen to track down these often forgotten documents and obtain photographs and transcriptions of the names recorded so that they will be available for all to remember.
Help us to build a database of information on those who served both at home and abroad so that future generations may learn of their sacrifice.
Celebrate your own Family History
Celebrate by honouring members of your family who served in the Great War both in the forces and at home. We love to hear about the soldiers, but also remember the many who served in support roles, nurses, doctors, land army, muntions workers etc.
Please use our Family History resources to find out more about your relatives. Then please send in a short article, with a photo if possible, so that they can be remembered on these pages.
The free section of The Wartime Memories Project is run by volunteers.
This website is paid for out of our own pockets, library subscriptions and from donations made by visitors. The popularity of the site means that it is far exceeding available resources and we currently have a huge backlog of submissions.
If you are enjoying the site, please consider making a donation, however small to help with the costs of keeping the site running.
Hosted by:
Copyright MCMXCIX - MMXXIV
- All Rights Reserved -We do not permit the use of any content from this website for the training of LLMs or for use in Generative AI, it also may not be scraped for the purpose of creating other websites.