Photo submitted by Neil Hutton

William Keneally VC (sometimes spelt Kenealy), (26 December 1886-29 June 1915) was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. See below the section "Separate Commonwealth awards" Note that since Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. Year 1886 ( MDCCCLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 512 - A Solar eclipse is recorded by a monastic chronicler in Ireland. Year 1915 ( MCMXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The Irish people ( Irish: Muintir na hÉireann, na hÉireannaigh, na Gaeil) are a Western European Ethnic group who originate See below the section "Separate Commonwealth awards" Note that since The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

Born in Wexford, his father was a colour sergeant in the Royal Irish Regiment. Wexford (derived from Old Norse Veisafjǫrðr (in some sources spelled "Waes Fiord" – veisa meaning "mudflat stagnant pool" Colour Sergeant ( CSgt or formerly C/Sgt) is a non-commissioned rank in the Royal Marines and Infantry Regiments of the When his father retired from the army, the family moved to the district of Ashton-in-Makerfield, Lancashire where his father worked as a check-weigher at Bryn Hall Colliery. Ashton-in-Makerfield (or archaically Ashton-in-the-Willows) is a town both in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea William Keneally became a coal miner at age 13. Coal mining is the extraction or removal of Coal from the Earth by Mining. Ten years later, he enlisted into the army, signing up for 7 years. ^[1]

At the time of his award, he was 28 years old, and a private in the 1st Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers, British Army during the First World War. A Private is a Soldier of the lowest Military rank (equivalent to NATO Rank Grades OR-1 to OR-3 depending on the force served in The Lancashire Fusiliers was a British Infantry Regiment that was amalgamated with other Fusilier regiments in 1968 to form the Royal The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All

On 25 April 1915 west of Cape Helles, Gallipoli, Turkey, three companies and the Headquarters of the 1st Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers, when landing at W Beach, were met by a very deadly fire from hidden machine-guns which caused a large number of casualties. Events 1607 - Eighty Years' War: The Dutch fleet destroys the anchored Spanish fleet at Gibraltar. Year 1915 ( MCMXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Gallipoli peninsula (Gelibolu Yarımadası is located in Turkish Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches The landing at Cape Helles was part of the amphibious invasion of the Gallipoli peninsula by British and French forces on The survivors, however, rushed up and cut the wire entanglements notwithstanding the terrific fire from the enemy and after overcoming supreme difficulties, the cliffs were gained and the position maintained.

William Keneally's grave at Lancashire Landing Cemetery, Gallipoli Peninsula

Private Keneally was one of the six members of the regiment elected by their colleagues in the regiment for the award, and described in the press as 'six VC's before breakfast'. Lancashire Landing Cemetery is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery located on the Gallipoli peninsula ^[2] Lieutenant-General Sir Ian Hamilton, the overall Allied army commander at Gallipoli ordered that the beach be renamed Lancashire Landing because of his conviction that "no finer feat of arms has ever been achieved by the British Soldier - or any other soldier - than the storming of these beaches". General Sir Ian Standish Monteith Hamilton GCB GCMG DSO TD (16 January 1853 &mdash 12 October 1947 was a general in the British ^[3]

The other five members of the regiment who received the award as a result of the landing were Cuthbert Bromley, John Elisha Grimshaw, Alfred Joseph Richards, Frank Edward Stubbs and Richard Raymond Willis. Cuthbert Bromley (19 September 1878-13 August 1915 was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face John Elisha Grimshaw VC ( 20 January 1893 - 20 July 1980) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest Alfred Joseph Richards VC (21 June 1879–21 May 1953 was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry Frank Edward Stubbs VC ( 12 March 1888 - 25 April 1915) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest Richard Raymond Willis VC ( 13 October 1876 - 9 February 1966) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross

Shortly afterwards he was promoted to corporal and then lance-sergeant. Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and also by some police forces or other uniformed organizations A Lance-Sergeant ( LSgt or L/Sgt) was a British Army Corporal acting in the rank of Sergeant. He was seriously wounded in the Battle of Gully Ravine on 28 June 1915 and died the next day. Prelude The third battle of Krithia on 4 June had made some progress in the centre of the line at Helles but had failed on the left flank (west along Gully Spur and Gully Events 1098 - Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul. Year 1915 ( MCMXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year

References

1. ^ Find a grave website, entry for William Keneally
2. ^ Lancashire Fusiliers at 1914-1918.net
3. ^ UK Ministry of Defence website, Gallipoli Day

Listed in order of publication year

• The Register of the Victoria Cross (1981, 1988 and 1997)
• The Irish Sword (Brian Clarke 1986)
• Irelands VCs ISBN 1-899243-00-3 (Dept of Economic Development 1995)
• Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
• Irish Winners of the Victoria Cross (Richard Doherty & David Truesdale, 2000)