Pte 59309 William Percy Kneale

• Age: 28
• From: Ramsey I.O.M
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Tuesday 31st July 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

William Percy Kneale was born on July 18th 1888 in Ramsey on the Isle of Man, the son of Jane Callister and John Southward Kneale who were married in Maughold, I.O.M. in February 1883.

The 1891 census records the family living at 2 Brookhill Road, Ramsey, a house on a hill that overlooks the sea. William’s father John is 34 and had been born in the parish of Lezayre, his occupation is described as lodging house keeper. William’s mother was 36 and had been born in Jurby, not far from Ramsey. William is 2 years old and has siblings – John aged 7, Helena 6 and Thomas aged 4. The children had all been born in Ramsey.

The 1901 Census shows the family living at Melrose, Mooragh Promenade, Ramsey, Lezayre, Isle of Man. This was a very large house overlooking the sea. William’s father John Southward is a butcher and farmer and his mother Jane is at home. John junior is now working as a draper, Helena is a worker, Thomas, William, and James, who had been born after the last census and is aged 9, are all at school. The family have two servants - 22 year old John Wallace aged 22, who is also a butcher, who must be helping John in his business, and 25 year old local man John Corlett. . Also living in the house is a boarder named Daniel Ellwood aged 26, who was a Methodist Minister who was born in England.

William’s eldest brother John, died aged just 19 in 1902, and his father in 1910. The 1911 census records his mother Jane is a lodging house keeper, still living in Melrose House which is described as having 30 rooms. Her daughter Helena is helping in the business. Thomas and William are both butchers and James is a hairdresser. Also living in the house is 21 year old William Callister who is a cab proprietor, he is possibly a relative of Jane as he has the same surname.

William married at some point before he enlisted, his wife was called Irene Amelia. After his father died he and his brother Thomas took over their father’s butchers shop in East Street, Ramsey. The brothers kept cattle and sheep for the shop and Thomas gained an exemption from war service as he was the slaughterer of the animals. William was given conditional exemption in early November 1916 as he claimed that he kept the accounts which Thomas was unable to do. However later that month at a tribunal the Military Authorities appealed against the exemption and the local newspaper reported the Deemster (Isle of Man judge) asked why William’s wife couldn’t look after the shop. “He did not think that two young men should be kept merely for shop work. Mr Hyde – for the applicant – said he understood the trouble was the cutting up of the meat. Deemster Callow said if the meat was cut into moderately small joints, the cutting of the joints would be no more than a cook had to do”. The Military Authority won the appeal and William was ordered to service at once.

William enlisted in Seaforth, Liverpool on the 4th January 1917 and was posted to France in May 1917. He was serving in the 17th Battalion (D Company), The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 59309 when he was killed in action on the 31st July 1917 aged 28 on the first day of the Third Battle of Ypres, better known as the Battle of Passchendaele.

On that day, the 89th Brigade was to follow up the attacks of the 21st and 90th Brigades and once their objectives had been taken, to go through them and secure a line of strong points on the German third line. The 89th Brigade line of attack was from the South West corner of Polygon Wood, to the Menin Road. The 17th Battalion The King’s Liverpool Regiment was on the left of the attack, and the 20th to the right, with the 19th Battalion and the 2nd Battalion The Bedfordshire Regiment, in Divisional Reserve.

The Battalion moved into assembly positions east of Maple Copse between 05.00 and 05.20am, they were heavily shelled and suffered many casualties. At 07.50 they began to advance with the 17th Battalion on the left, and the 20th on the right, the whole time under heavy shell fire. On reaching their position which was the Blue Line , troops of both the 21st and 90th Brigades were still pinned down and thus any attempt at further progress were futile.

Despite this they pushed on until their flank was just touching Clapham Junction. They then dug in and awaited the inevitable bombardment which hit them soon after. Despite this, they held onto the ground.

During the action and their time in the line the 17th Battalion lost three officers and 79 men killed or died of wounds, and four officers and 198 men wounded. They were eventually relieved on the night of 3rd -4th August.

William was reported missing on the 31st July 1917. His commanding officer Captain W.H.Priest wrote to Irene a few weeks later on August 16th :

Dear Mrs Kneale

Your wire was received. It is with great regret I have to tell you that we attacked on the 31st July against German positions and were relieved a few days afterwards. Your husband was unfortunately missing when the roll was called; no one left alive has seen any trace of him. The platoon he belonged to suffered very severe casualties; though it is possible I am extremely doubtful of his chance of being alive. I would have written sooner, but waited, hoping that some information would turn up from some hospital or other, but up to now have had no news whatever. Please accept my very sincerest sympathy with you in your great loss. Your husband had only been with us a short time but was very popular with both officers and men. – Yours faithfully W.H.Priest Capt. B.Co.

Irene received confirmation of Williams presumed death on the 27th August 1917. She had already written to the International Red Cross in the hope he may have been taken prisoner, but a negative answer came in May 1918.

William has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres in Belgium.

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

He is also commemorated on the National Manx War Memorial in St John’s and St Olaves Parishioners, Ramsey, both in the Isle of Man.

The Ramsey Courier carried the following notice on August 16th 1918:

Kneale – In memoriam and loving memory of my beloved husband who was missed from “Roll Call on July 31st 1917.

If those who caused this awful war

Were the only ones to fight;

A brighter world this would have been

For aching hearts tonight.

You are not forgotten Percy dear

Nor will you ever be

As long as life and memory last,

We will remember thee.

Sadly missed by Wife and Mother at Belvedere, Mooragh Parade, Ramsey.

Percy is commemorated on the following Memorials:

National Manx War Memorial in St John’s and St Olaves Parishioners, Ramsey, both in the Isle of Man.

William’s mother died in the autumn of 1920.

The Commonwealth War Grave Commission records Irene as Mrs. Robert Bruce (formerly Kneale), of Bowring Rd., Ramsey, Isle of Man.

Four generations of his family were present at a gathering at Ramsey War Memorial on July 31st 2017 to remember the 100th anniversary of his death.

We currently have no further information on William Percy Kneale, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.