Auction Catalogue

6 & 7 December 2017

Starting at 10:00 AM

.

Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Live Online Auction

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Lot

№ 1019

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7 December 2017

Hammer Price:
£400

Three: Private R. Kenneally, Leinster Regiment, killed in action at Premesques, 20 October 1914

1914 Star (9807 Pte P. [sic] Kenneally. Leins: R.); British War and Victory Medals (9807 Pte. R. Kenneally. Leins. R.) good very fine or better (3) £140-180

Robert Kenneally was born in Mogeely in 1894, the son of Michael and Elizabeth Kenneally, of Mogeely, Castlemartyr, Co. Cork. He enlisted on 29 June 1912 and served with the 2nd Battalion Leinster Regiment during the Great War on the Western Front from 8 September 1914 and was killed in action at Premesques, aged 20. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial, Belgium.

The 2nd Battalion Leinster Regiment embarked for St Nazaire on 8 September and disembarked on 12 September 1914. On 18 October, the battalion took part in their first major action: the attack on and capture of the heavily defended village of Premesques, with ‘D’ Company entering the village at 10am, the battalion having suffered 102 killed and wounded. Heavy shelling and sniping occurred throughout 19 October resulting in 12 casualties. On 20 October, ‘D’ Company were forced to retire under heavy shell fire around 8am. The enemy then attacked and entered Premesques, ‘C’ and ‘B’ Companies being overrun, fell back. ‘A’ Company held the wood facing Premesques and later Mont-de-Premesques Farm. During the retirement, the Leinsters carried out both British and German wounded troops. On realising this, the Germans withheld their fire. On 22
and 23 October, further enemy attacks were repulsed south west of Chapelle d’Armentieres. Casualties were reported for 18 to 23 October 1914 as 434, of which 155 were fatal.