Pte 300498 James O'Laverty

• Age: 31
• From: Anfield, Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• D.O.W Thursday 9th May 1918
• Commemorated at: Boulogne East Cem
  Panel Ref: IX.B.67

The 1891 Census shows the family living at 30 Raymond Street, Liverpool. His father, Robert, aged 41 is a fruit warehouseman who was born in County Antrim. His wife Mary is aged 45 and also born in County Antrim. They have six children, Robert aged 12 and Hugh aged 11 are both scholars who were born in County Antrim, Catherine M. aged 9, John aged 6 are both scholars born in Liverpool, James is aged 4 and Malachy aged 1 were also born in Liverpool.

The 1901 Census shows the family are now living at 26 Premier Street, Liverpool. His father, Robert, aged 51, is a fruit porter, and his wife mother Mary 45, has no occupation listed. They now have nine children in the household; Robert aged 22, is a railway porter, Hugh aged 21, is an apprentice cooper, Catherine M. aged 19, is a book bindress, John aged 15, has no occupation listed James aged 14, is an errand boy, Malachy aged 12, Echlin aged 10 and Jane aged 6 are at school, and Joseph aged 4. The children were all born in Liverpool.

The 1911 Census show the family living at 48 Venmore Street, Liverpool. His father, Robert, aged 61, is a foreman fruit porter and his wife Mary 55 has no occupation listed. They have been married 34 years and have had ten children of which one had died. They still had eight siblings living with them at the time of the Census; Robert aged 32 is a railway goods handler, Hugh aged 31 is a cooper, Catherine Mary aged 29, is a housekeeper, James now aged 24 is a postman, Malachy 21 is a shorthand clerk and book keeper, Jane aged 16 is a shirt cutter and Joseph aged 14, is an office boy.

James enlisted in Liverpool and was serving in the 18^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 300498 when he died of wounds on the 09^th May 1918, aged 31 during the German Spring Offensive. 

His death was reported in the Liverpool Echo on 17th May 1918:

Died Of Wounds

O'LAVERTY - May 9, died of wounds in military hospital JAMES O'LAVERTY (L. H.) K.L.R., late of Northern District P.O., fifth son of Mr and Mrs O'Laverty of 48 Venmore Street.  (God Rest Him).

His death was also reported in the Nottingham and Midland Catholic News on 25th May 1918

Private James O'Laverty, King's Liverpool's, who has died in hospital from the effects of wounds received in action, was the fifth son of Mr and Mrs O'Laverty of 48 Venmore Street, Everton, Liverpool, and was a member of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception congregation. 

He now rests at Boulogne East Cemetery, France where his headstone bears the epitaph:

“GOD REST HIM”

Boulogne, was one of the three base ports most extensively used by the Commonwealth armies on the Western Front throughout the First World War. It was closed and cleared on the 27 August 1914 when the Allies were forced to fall back ahead of the German advance, but was opened again in October and from that month to the end of the war, Boulogne and Wimereux formed one of the chief hospital areas.

Until June 1918, the dead from the hospitals at Boulogne itself were buried in the Cimetiere de L'Est, one of the town cemeteries, the Commonwealth graves forming a long, narrow strip along the right hand edge of the cemetery. In the spring of 1918, it was found that space was running short in the Eastern Cemetery in spite of repeated extensions to the south, and the site of the new cemetery at Terlincthun was chosen.

During the Second World War, hospitals were again posted to Boulogne for a short time in May 1940. The town was taken by the Germans at the end of that month and remained in their hands until recaptured by the Canadians on 22 September 1944.

Boulogne Eastern Cemetery contains 5,577 Commonwealth burials of the First World War and 224 from the Second World War.

The Commonwealth plots were designed by Charles Holden.

James' death was the second that the family had to endure as his elder brother, Robert O'Laverty, was killed in action on the 06th September 1917 serving as Private 267177 with the 2/7th Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, he was aged 38. Robert's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, in Belgium. 

His family placed a notice in the Liverpool Echo on 01st October 1917.

Condolence

O'LAVERTY - Mr and Mrs O'Laverty, 48 Venmore Street, Liverpool, desire to thank their many friends for kind expressions of sympathy in their recent bereavement.

His brother Echlin went on to become Parish Priest of All Souls R.C. Church, Liverpool.

His mother Mary died, aged 76, in March 1932 and his father Robert died December 1936, aged 86.

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