Pte
Joseph Edwards O'Brien
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 17/05/1888 |
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Place of birth: Rochdale, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Profession: Cotton Mill Worker |
Army information
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Country: England, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 19624 |
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Enlistment place: Rochdale, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment), 1/4th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 20/09/1917 |
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Place of death: Aisne Farm, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 29 |
Memorial
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Tyne Cot Memorial Panel: 18 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Private Joseph Edwards O’Brien served in the King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment), 1st/4th Battalion, part of the 164th Brigade, of the 55th (West Lancashire) Division. The Battalion participated in the Battle of the Menin Road Ridge (20-25 September 1917), a stage in the Third Battle of Ypres.
On the 20th of September 1917 his Division was to attack to the southeast of Sint-Juliaan. During the previous night the men of the 4th Royal Lancaster Regiment had taken up positions in isolated shell holes West of the line Somme-Hindu Cottages. At zero hour, 5.40 a.m. the first wave, consisting of “B” and “D” Company advanced behind a creeping barrage towards the German positions at Schuler Galeries and Aisne. Both Companies quickly encountered stiff resistance, especially from the German strongpoints at Schuler Galleries Aisne Farm, Loos and Gallipoli. Nevertheless the men reached their objective, capturing the stronghold at Aisne. While consolidating their position the men came under sniper fire from Schuler Galleries and from isolated German positions in their back, who hadn’t been mopped up.
After a slight pause in the barrage “A” and “C” Company continued the advance. Both platoons immediately suffered heavy casualties, due to enfilade fire from German machine-guns from both flanks. Especially machine-gun fire on the left coming from Schuler Galleries was persistent. As a result of the relentless machine-gun fire the 1st/4th King’s Own (Royal Lancs) got intermixed with the 1st/4th Loyal North Lancs, who were to take over the attack. A few hundred yards east from Aisne and Loos the advance gradually slowed down. Any attempt of capturing the second objective proved neigh to impossible, due to the many German concrete positions, who kept on showering the battlefield with machine-gunfire. Eventually the intermingled Battalions had to consolidate a line, roughly running from Schuler Farm through Loos towards Gallipoli. The men held this line throughout the day despite heavy German shelling. The battered Battalion would remain in the frontlines till they were relieved in the early morning of the 24th of September 1917.
Private Joseph Edwards O’Brien was killed in action on the 20th of September 1917. He possibly fell near Aisne during the first day of the Battle of the Menin Road Ridge. His remains were never found or never identified. Private Joseph Edwards O’Brien is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial.
On the 20th of September 1917 his Division was to attack to the southeast of Sint-Juliaan. During the previous night the men of the 4th Royal Lancaster Regiment had taken up positions in isolated shell holes West of the line Somme-Hindu Cottages. At zero hour, 5.40 a.m. the first wave, consisting of “B” and “D” Company advanced behind a creeping barrage towards the German positions at Schuler Galeries and Aisne. Both Companies quickly encountered stiff resistance, especially from the German strongpoints at Schuler Galleries Aisne Farm, Loos and Gallipoli. Nevertheless the men reached their objective, capturing the stronghold at Aisne. While consolidating their position the men came under sniper fire from Schuler Galleries and from isolated German positions in their back, who hadn’t been mopped up.
After a slight pause in the barrage “A” and “C” Company continued the advance. Both platoons immediately suffered heavy casualties, due to enfilade fire from German machine-guns from both flanks. Especially machine-gun fire on the left coming from Schuler Galleries was persistent. As a result of the relentless machine-gun fire the 1st/4th King’s Own (Royal Lancs) got intermixed with the 1st/4th Loyal North Lancs, who were to take over the attack. A few hundred yards east from Aisne and Loos the advance gradually slowed down. Any attempt of capturing the second objective proved neigh to impossible, due to the many German concrete positions, who kept on showering the battlefield with machine-gunfire. Eventually the intermingled Battalions had to consolidate a line, roughly running from Schuler Farm through Loos towards Gallipoli. The men held this line throughout the day despite heavy German shelling. The battered Battalion would remain in the frontlines till they were relieved in the early morning of the 24th of September 1917.
Private Joseph Edwards O’Brien was killed in action on the 20th of September 1917. He possibly fell near Aisne during the first day of the Battle of the Menin Road Ridge. His remains were never found or never identified. Private Joseph Edwards O’Brien is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial.
Sources 3
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164 Infantry Brigade: 4 Battalion King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment. (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/2922/2). https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14303 Sources used |
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McCarthy C., The Third Ypres Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account, (London, Arms & Armour Press, 1995), pg. 76-79. Sources used |
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Shannon K., The Lion and the Rose. The 4th Battalion The King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment 1914-1919, (Stroud, Fonthill, 2015), pg. 159-171. Sources used |
More information 3
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/832531 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=681c7298-e189-434d-be00-20504621bc2e |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/3298383 |