Additions will be checked before being published on the website and where possible will be forwarded to the person who submitted the original entries. Your contact details will not be forwarded, but they can send a reply via this messaging system.
please scroll down to send a message
Cpl. Joseph Gregory Healy
British Army 1st Battallion Gordon Highlanders
from:Clydebank
(d.12th May 1917)
Corporal Joe Healy was the brother of my grandfather John Healy. He was killed in action at the Battle of Arras on 12th of May 1917, aged only 19 years old. He had enlisted in the early days of the Great War and had been in France for 2 years and 6 months.
An article in the local newspaper the ˜Clydebank Press, dated 15th of June 1917 states that he had seen much heavy fighting and was recommended for the Military Medal for bravery in the field in the early days of the Battle of the Somme, but nothing further transpired beyond the recommendation. The newspaper article states that: "In a letter from his sergeant, he writes ˜It was when we went into battle at the beginning of May and had met heavy shellfire up until then that Corporal Joseph Healy was killed. On the night of the 12th when the platoon bombing post was being relieved he was struck by a bullet and death was instantaneous. An officer was wounded there too and died half an hour later. We carried Joe's body back from ˜No Man's Land" and buried him decently behind the front line. We erected a cross on which I wrote the inscription. I can assure you that he suffered no pain, and his death was greatly regretted by us all. He was bright and willing man and greatly liked by all the NCO's of his platoon, and was a great help to all his fellow NCO's, because duty calls us in all these hot days".
