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Photo submitted by Neil Hutton

William Stephen Keneally VC (sometimes spelt Kenealy), (26 December 1886-29 June 1915) was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest military award given to British and Commonwealth forces.

On 25 April 1915 west of Cape Helles, Gallipoli, Turkey, he was 28 years old when he performed an act of bravery for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross.

Biography

Born in Wexford, his father John^[1] was a colour sergeant in the Royal Irish Regiment. When his father retired from the army, the family moved to the district of Ashton-in-Makerfield, Lancashire where his father worked as a check-weigher at Bryn Hall Colliery. Keneally became a coal miner at age 13. Ten years later, he enlisted into the army, signing up for 7 years.^[2] He joined the 1st Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers, British Army as a private in during the First World War.

Citation

On 25th April, 1915, three companies, and the Headquarters of the 1st Bn. Lancashire Fusiliers, in effecting a landing on the Gallipoli Peninsula to the West of Cape Helles, were met by a very deadly fire from hidden machine guns which caused a great number of casualties. The survivors, however, rushed up to and cut the wire entanglements, notwithstanding the terrific fire from the enemy, and after overcoming supreme difficulties, the cliffs were gained and the position maintained. Amongst the many very gallant officers and men engaged in this most hazardous undertaking, Capt. Willis, Serjt. Richards, and Pte. Kenealy have been selected by their comrades as having performed the most signal acts of bravery and devotion to duty.
— The London Gazette (No. 29273), 24 August 1915^[1]

Private Keneally was one of the six members of the regiment elected by their colleagues in the regiment for the award, and described in the press as 'six VC's before breakfast'.^[3] Lieutenant-General Sir Ian Hamilton, the overall Allied army commander at Gallipoli ordered that the beach be renamed Lancashire Landing because of his conviction that "no finer feat of arms has ever been achieved by the British Soldier - or any other soldier - than the storming of these beaches".^[4]

The other five members of the regiment who received the award as a result of the landing were Cuthbert Bromley, John Elisha Grimshaw, Alfred Joseph Richards, Frank Edward Stubbs and Richard Raymond Willis.

Shortly afterwards he was promoted to corporal and then lance-sergeant. He was seriously wounded in the Battle of Gully Ravine on 28 June 1915 and died the next day.

References

^ ^a ^b Keneally, William, Commonwealth War Graves Commission
^ Find a grave website, entry for William Keneally
^ Lancashire Fusiliers at 1914-1918.net
^ UK Ministry of Defence website, Gallipoli Day

Listed in order of publication year

The Register of the Victoria Cross (1981, 1988 and 1997)
The Irish Sword (Brian Clarke 1986)
Irelands VCs ISBN 1-899243-00-3 (Dept of Economic Development 1995)
Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
Irish Winners of the Victoria Cross (Richard Doherty & David Truesdale, 2000)

[cwgc-1] Keneally, William, Commonwealth War Graves Commission

[2] Find a grave website, entry for William Keneally

[3] Lancashire Fusiliers at 1914-1918.net

[4] UK Ministry of Defence website, Gallipoli Day

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 [[Image:VCWilliamKeneally.jpg|thumb|175px|Photo submitted by Neil Hutton]]
+{{use dmy dates}}
+'''William Stephen Keneally''' [[Victoria Cross|VC]] (sometimes spelt '''Kenealy'''), (26 December 1886-29 June 1915) was an [[Irish people|Irish]] recipient of the [[Victoria Cross]], the highest military award given to [[United Kingdom|British]] and [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] forces.
+On 25 April 1915 west of Cape Helles, [[Gallipoli]], [[Turkey]], he was 28 years old when he performed an act of bravery for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross.
-'''William Keneally''' [[Victoria Cross|VC]] (sometimes spelt '''Kenealy'''), ([[26 December]] [[1886]]-[[29 June]] [[1915]]) was an [[Irish people|Irish]] recipient of the [[Victoria Cross]], the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to [[United Kingdom|British]] and [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] forces.
+==Biography==
+Born in [[Wexford]], his father John<ref name=cwgc>[http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=600033 Keneally, William],
+Commonwealth War Graves Commission</ref> was a [[colour sergeant]] in the [[Royal Irish Regiment (1684-1922)|Royal Irish Regiment]]. When his father retired from the army, the family moved to the district of [[Ashton-in-Makerfield]], [[Lancashire]] where his father worked as a check-weigher at Bryn Hall Colliery. Keneally became a [[coal miner]] at age 13.  Ten years later, he enlisted into the army, signing up for 7 years.<ref>[http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=10363225&pt=William%20Keneally Find a grave website, entry for William Keneally]</ref> He joined the 1st Battalion, [[Lancashire Fusiliers]], [[British Army]] as a [[private (rank)|private]] in during the [[World War I|First World War]].
+===Citation===
-Born in [[Wexford]], his father was a [[colour sergeant]] in the [[Royal Irish Regiment (1684-1922)|Royal Irish Regiment]]. When his father retired from the army, the family moved to the district of [[Ashton-in-Makerfield]], [[Lancashire]] where his father worked as a check-weigher at Bryn Hall Colliery. William Keneally became a [[coal miner]] at age 13.  Ten years later, he enlisted into the army, signing up for 7 years.<ref>[http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=10363225&pt=William%20Keneally Find a grave website, entry for William Keneally]</ref>
+{{quote|''On 25th April, 1915, three companies, and the Headquarters of the 1st Bn.  Lancashire Fusiliers, in effecting a landing on the Gallipoli Peninsula to the West of Cape Helles, were met by a very deadly fire from hidden machine guns which caused a great number of casualties. The survivors, however, rushed up to and cut the wire entanglements, notwithstanding the terrific fire from the enemy, and after overcoming supreme difficulties, the cliffs were gained and the position maintained. Amongst the many very gallant officers and men engaged in this most hazardous undertaking, Capt. Willis, Serjt. Richards, and Pte. Kenealy have been selected by their comrades as having performed the most signal acts of bravery and devotion to duty.|The London Gazette (No. 29273), 24 August 1915<ref name=cwgc/>}}
-At the time of his award, he was 28 years old, and a [[private (rank)|private]] in the 1st Battalion, [[Lancashire Fusiliers]], [[British Army]] during the [[World War I|First World War]].
-On [[25 April]] [[1915]] west of Cape Helles, [[Gallipoli]], [[Turkey]], three companies and the Headquarters of the 1st Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers, when [[Landing at Cape Helles|landing at W Beach]], were met by a very deadly fire from hidden machine-guns which caused a large number of casualties. The survivors, however, rushed up and cut the wire entanglements notwithstanding the terrific fire from the enemy and after overcoming supreme difficulties, the cliffs were gained and the position maintained.
 [[Image:William Keneally's grave at Lancashire Landing Cemetery.JPG|left|thumb|175px|William Keneally's grave at [[Lancashire Landing Cemetery]], Gallipoli Peninsula]]
@@ Line 14: / Line 16: @@
 The other five members of the regiment who received the award as a result of the landing were [[Cuthbert Bromley]], [[John Elisha Grimshaw]], [[Alfred Joseph Richards]], [[Frank Edward Stubbs]] and [[Richard Raymond Willis]].
-Shortly afterwards he was promoted to [[corporal]] and then [[lance-sergeant]]. He was seriously wounded in the [[Battle of Gully Ravine]] on [[28 June]] [[1915]] and died the next day.
+Shortly afterwards he was promoted to [[corporal]] and then [[lance-sergeant]]. He was seriously wounded in the [[Battle of Gully Ravine]] on 28 June 1915 and died the next day.
 ==References==