Local
Hero Henry Kelly V.C.M.C.
One of our most Decorated Soldiers
Born July
10th 1887 in Collyhurst, and Baptised at St Patrick’s Chapel, Livesey St.
His mother was Jane (Nee McGarry) a St. Patrick’s schoolgirl and a relative
of Bishop Henshaw of Salford. His father Patrick Kelly was from Roscommon, Ireland.
In 1903 at the age of sixteen, Henry got a job at the Post office, his father
had died and Henry found himself having to support his widowed mother who was
left with ten children.
In 1914, He volunteered
to fight for his Country, he first joined the Cameron Highlanders then the Manchester
Regiment, attaining the rank of Sergeant Major. He later gained a commission
as a Second Lieutenant in the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment.
By 1915 Henry was on active
service on the Somme where he showed great bravery, saving the lives of a number
of his comrades, for this he was awarded the Victoria Cross which he received
from King George V. He also saw action at Ypres, Messine Ridge and the Menin
Road. In this theatre of war he was also awarded the Belgian Croix de Guerre
and the French Medaille Militaire.
In Italy he again demonstrated
great courage against the Austrian forces, at the Asiago Plateau he was awarded
the Military Cross and a Bar to Military Cross at Piave. In 1918 he rose to
the rank of Major. During his army career he’d been wounded on two occasions.
In 1925 after a short return
to the Post office, he and his brothers opened retail grocery shops on Rochdale
Road and Upper Chorlton Road, their ‘V.C. Pies’ were very savoury
and very popular.
As a Licensed Victualler,
Henry also tenanted a number of Hotels including the Crown at the corner of
Ancoats Lane and Oldham Road.
During the Spanish Civil war he joined the ‘International Brigade’
ranked Commandente Generale, and was awarded the Grand Laurelled Cross of San
Fernando. Then in 1939 he re-joined the British army at the age of 52 giving
much valued service.
In 1960 Henry Kelly V.C
M.C. died in Prestwich Hospital. his remains lie buried in Southern Cemetery
Wythenshawe, marked by a grey granite monument. His medals are on display at
the Duke of Wellington’s Museum in Halifax.
Extracts with kind permission from Mr Tom Ball, author of “Henry Kelly
V.C.M.C.”
Dear Have Your Say
Many thanks for the magazine, I congratulate you on the quality. For
myself it brought back lots of memories, my father came from Collyhurst
and he was one of a family of ten children in the early 1900s.
Our home was in Blackley but I used to visit two of my uncles who lived
in Livesey Street, in the 1940s, I used to go shopping for them on Saturdays
and while doing so I learned that one of the shops I went to on the
“Angel Meadow” side of Reather Street once belonged to Henry
Kelly.
My uncles were Tom and Bert Ball. Tom worked at Baxendales and Bert
worked for the Gas Board. Uncle Tom was a talented athlete, he was a
fine runner and ran for Hugh Oldham Lads Club. As a runner he was in
his prime and was hoping to represent the County and Country, however
during the Great War he joined the Manchester (Pals) Regiment.and during
the slaughter at Passchendale in 1917 he was seriously wounded and lost
a leg, so putting a full stop to his ambition to be a runner.
As a coincidence, my uncle Tom was in the same class as Henry Kelly
and many years later (another coincidence) I was asked by Xaverian College
and the Knights of St Columba to research and write Henry Kelly’s
life story.
Best wishes
Tom Ball
|
