Private James Riley (Reilly)

Private James Riley (Reilly)

10/11th Battalion Highland Light Infantry
Service No: 19852

427

3

4

1

5

Click here for a frameable A4 print

Personal details

Family Information

Son of John Reilly and Elizabeth Reilly (01/04/1856 - ). Husband of Alice Brogan Riley (12/08/1879 - ) of 19a Douglas St, Coatbridge. Father of 7 children according to the Newspaper clipping. 6 are listed on James' Pension Record, James Riley born 05/11/1902, John Riley born 11/07/1904, Margaret Riley born 03/03/1906, William Riley born 25/09/1909, Daniel Riley born 24/10/1911 and Joseph Riley born 19/10/1913. From the 1901 Census - Address - 9 Merrystone Square, Coatbridge - John Reilly aged 50, Elizabeth Reilly aged 44, John Reilly aged 26, Joseph Reilly aged 14, Patrick Reilly aged 13, James Reilly aged 11, Richard Reilly aged 6, William Reilly aged 3, Agnes Reilly aged 2. James' Pension was awarded to his wife Alice on the 02/04/1917. Their 6 children are also listed.

Born / Resided

Coatbridge / 19a Douglas St, Coatbridge

Died

Killed in Action on the 15/09/1916 on the opening day of the Battle of Flers-Courcelette (part of the Battles of the Somme 1916)

Enlisted

Glasgow

Employed

Iron Worker in the Martins Iron Works

Age

25 / DOB - 31/05/1890

Buried / Remembered

Thiepval Memorial (Pier and Face 15 C), Somme, France

Cemetery / Memorial Information

The memorial commemorates more than 72,000 men of British and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave, the majority of whom died during the Somme offensive of 1916. On the high ground overlooking the Somme River in France, where some of the heaviest fighting of the First World War took place, stands the Thiepval Memorial. Towering over 45 metres in height, it dominates the landscape for miles around. It is the largest Commonwealth memorial to the missing in the world. On 1 July 1916, supported by a French attack to the south, 13 divisions of Commonwealth forces launched an offensive on a line from north of Gommecourt to Maricourt. Despite a preliminary bombardment lasting seven days, the German defences were barely touched and the attack met unexpectedly fierce resistance. Losses were catastrophic and with only minimal advances on the southern flank, the initial attack was a failure. In the following weeks, huge resources of manpower and equipment were deployed in an attempt to exploit the modest successes of the first day. However, the German Army resisted tenaciously and repeated attacks and counter attacks meant a major battle for every village, copse and farmhouse gained. At the end of September, Thiepval was finally captured. The village had been an original objective of 1 July.

Additional Information

James and the 11th (Service) Battalion Highland Light Infantry arrived at Boulogne on the 13/05/1915 and were part of 28th Brigade, 9th (Scottish) Division. On the 14/05/1916 they transferred to 46th Brigade, 15th (Scottish) Division and amalgamated with 11th (Service) Battalion to form 10/11th Battalion. James was Killed in Action on the opening day of the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, 15th - 22nd September 1916 : This was a large-scale general renewal of the offensive after the weeks of attritional fighting for the third German system at Pozieres, High Wood, Delville Wood, Guillemont and Ginchy. It is historically noteworthy for being the first time that tanks were used in battle. Few in number, mechanically unreliable and as yet without proven tactics for their best use, the small numbers of tanks that actually went into action had an important positive effect. High Wood and Delville Wood were finally cleared and a deep advance was made to Flers and towards Combles. The Canadian Corps entered the Somme fighting for the first time. This Battle was part of the Battles of the Somme, 1st July - 18th November 1916 : A Franco-British offensive that was undertaken after Allied strategic conferences in late 1915, but which changed its nature due to the German attack against the French in the epic Battle of Verdun, which lasted from late February to November. Huge British losses on the first day and a series of fiercely contested steps that became attritional in nature. For all armies on the Western Front it was becoming what the Germans would call "materialschlacht" : a war not of morale, will or even manpower, but of sheer industrial material might. The 15th September 1916 saw the first-ever use of tanks in the step known as the Battle of Flers-Courcelette. The British army in France is now approaching its maximum strength in numbers but is still developing in terms of tactics, technology, command and control. James is listed as REILLY on the Census Record. He is also remembered on the St. Augustine's Church Roll of Honour (see photos). See photos for James' Medal Index Card, his Newspaper clippings x 2, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls x 2, his CWGC Grave Registration, his name on the Thiepval Memorial x 2, James' Pension Records x 3 and the Highland Light Infantry Cap Badge.

Photos

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Comments

My Great Grandfather.
Gerry Oâ€™Hagan, Coatbridge , 10/04/2023 6:05PM

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