October 19th 1914
The British Army were fighting to delay the advance of German troops across Belgium and France.
Timothy was one of the troops that fought at Le Pilly. At 1500 on the 19th October they advanced across a turnip field. Were isolated during the attack where they captured the village of le Pilly. They were later surrounded. In total 177 men were killed and wounded. Others captured. Timothy was one of the former. They fought to the last man and were slaughtered by German artillery.
Here is an article published in 2014 almost on the anniversary of the slaughter in the Irish Times about Le Pilly.
https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/letters/the-battle-of-le-pilly-1.1962035
Timothy has no known burial place and is remembered on the Le Touret Memorial.
Once the pandemic is over we would like to go over and pay our respects.
Hopefully the relaxing of the rules on PCR tests that the Government allowed will enable us to get over and visit the site.
Opening Google Maps on the computer or on the phone and entering "le Pilly" comes up with a suggestion, but the usual place marker is absent.
I decided to ask the question on a WW1 Forum on Facebook. The answer is the hamlet of le Pilly was utterly destroyed but there is a Rue du Pilly locally.
Using "streetview" and following the road for quite a while we find the Memorial as mentioned by the Irish Times.
This is some 12kms east of the Le Touret Memorial. The memorial is only four and a half kms from where we went to see the "wrong" T O'Leary!
From the IWM:
https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/3308496
The Irish Times also has a short video: https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/video-the-battle-of-le-pilly-1.2154718 - skip the irritating bloody advert.
Rest in Peace all these brave Irish Men that fought and died for King and Country.
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