Sweeney | Patrick
Biography
Patrick Sweeney (Service No. 3315414) was killed in action on 16 October 1944 aged 26. At the time of his death he was a Lance Corporal in the 4th Battalion of the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. However, a military record indicates that he was initially in the 10th Battalion of the Highland Light Infantry. He was initially buried at near G. van Herpen, Langstraat, Vierlingsbeek and subsequently re-interred on 2 June 1947 in grave IV. E. 6 at the Overloon Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in Overloon. His inscription reads “Death has left a vacant place this world can never fill”.
Patrick’s family
Patrick was the son of Annie Sweeney from Port Dundas in Glasgow.
Patrick McManus Sweeney was born in Glasgow Maternity home at 5:15 am on 2 May 1918. His birth was registered in the St Rollox area of Glasgow. His mother was given as Annie Sweeney – a domestic servant of 15 Bridge Street, Maryhill, Glasgow. No father’s name was given.
In June 1921 Patrick was living with his mother, shown as Annie C. Sweeney at 68 Whitelaw Street in the Maryhill Parish of Glasgow. Annie was born at Campsie in Dumbarton around Feb 1897. She was working as a Brickfield Worker for P&M Hurll Ltd., Brick Makers. The brick making firm of P&M Hurll was located at Drumchapel and operated from about 1903 to November 1941. She and Patrick were living with her parents who were James and Helen C. Sweeney. James Sweeney had married Helen C. Coll in 1897 in the Maryhill area. James had been born in Letterkenny in Donegal, Ireland around January 1876. He was a general labourer for McColl & Welsh, Iron Merchants. His wife was born at Balmore in Stirling around July 1866. A large number of other families were also living at 68 Whitelaw Street suggesting it was probably a Glasgow tenement. The family of four people were all living in one room.
Patrick McManus Sweeney married Annie McQuade on 13 March 1940 at St Aloysius Church, Glasgow. Banns had been read according to the forms of the Roman Catholic Church. The marriage was registered in the Milton Burgh of Glasgow. Patrick was living at 6 Swan Street, Glasgow. He was aged 21, a bachelor and a Brickfield Labourer – as well as being a Private in the 10th Battalion of the Highland Light Infantry. His mother was recorded as Annie Sweeney – a Domestic Servant – and it was stated that she was now married to Francis Duncan, a Railway Porter. It is noted that Patrick now signed his name as Patrick Sweeney with no reference to McManus. Annie McQuade was aged 23, a spinster and working as a Sewing Machinist. Her address was also given as 6 Swan Street. Her father was named as Neil McQuade, a Chemical Works Labourer, and her mother was Elizabeth McQuade (Maiden Surname McAllister). The marriage ceremony was performed by Joseph Dempsey S.J. a Roman Catholic Clergyman at St Aloysius Church, Glasgow. The S.J. indicates that Fr Dempsey was a Jesuit Priest. The witnesses were David Kane of 6 Swan Street and John Glen of 5 Swan Street. Given David Kane’s address, it is likely that 6 Swan Street was again occupied by a number of families and was again a Glasgow tenement. Today, Swan Street would be described as being in Port Dundas.
Patrick and Annie Sweeney had one child, Francis Joseph, in 1944 in the Townhead area.
Annie McQuade’s family
Neil McQuade married Lizzie McAllister in 1906 in the Blythswood area of Glasgow. They seem to have had children as follows, all registered in the St Rollox Parish of Glasgow. : Margaret 1906, Mary 1907, Elizabeth 1910, Helen (known as Ellen) 1912, Catherine 1915, Annie 1916 and Rebecca 1920. Catherine died in infancy and they may have had another daughter whom they called Catherine F McQuade in 1925.
In 1921, Neil and Elizabeth McQuade were living with their children at 6 Swan Street in the St Rollox Parish. Neil was born around June 1886 in Glasgow. He was working as a Grinder for the Caledonian Railway Locomotive Department. Elizabeth was born around April 1995 in Glasgow. Their daughter Margaret was working as a Bookbinder for J. Cree Junior & Co. Stationers. Again, several families were living at 6 Swan Street. The family of 8 people were shown as living in 2 rooms. A family called Kane were recorded next to the McQuades. A David Kane later witnessed Annie’s wedding.
Military Career
It is clear that Patrick was already a Private in the 10th Battalion of the Highland Light Infantry at the time of his marriage in March 1940. However, by the time of his death he was a Lance Corporal in the 4th Battalion of the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry.
The 10th Battalion of the Highland Light Infantry was formed in 1939 as a duplicate of the 5th Battalion in Glasgow. The 10th served as part of the Orkney and Shetland Islands’ defences, before moving to NW Europe for the 1944-5 campaign. They landed in Normandy on 18 June 1944 as part of the 227th (Highland) Brigade. They took part in Operation Epsom, engaging in heavy fighting around Cheux. They advanced through Normandy, fighting alongside the 6th Guards Tank Brigade. They moved on through France and Belgium, reaching Eindhoven on 23 September and Milheeze on 1 October where they remained until 19 October.
It isn’t known at what point Patrick Sweeney moved to the 4th Battalion of the Kings Shropshire Light Infantry, but it was certainly by 4 September 1944.
The 4th (Territorial) Battalion of the Kings Shropshire Light Infantry landed in Normandy on 14 June 1944 and fought its way through France, the Netherlands and Germany until May 1945.
By 3 September the 4 KSLI had reached Ninove in Belgium, south of Antwerp. Their objective for the following day was Antwerp. About four miles out of the town the Fife and Forfar Yeomanry, who were ahead of the 4 KSLI, reported that the outer perimeter of forts was not held by the enemy and that the city, held by some 2000 enemy, had been taken by surprise at the speed of the advance. The Battalion therefore continued in its transport to the outskirts of the town. A dense crowd, cheering and embracing “their liberators” made military operations very complicated. Their first objective was to take a park in the centre of the city. No opposition was met during the approach to the park and milling crowds made it like a triumphal march. At the park however, the enemy had strong defences and the leading company came under very heavy machine gun fire. After desperate hand to hand fighting, the enemy surrendered. A company was then sent to clear the mayor’s house. The garrison there held out until dark, when they finally surrendered. During the night one company was sent to hold one of the bridges on the Northern outskirts of the city. The War Diary reports that all operations were carried out with the greatest difficulty, due to the enthusiasm of the civilians who literally carried off complete Platoons and Companies shoulder high. The Battalion HQ established itself in the park behind the German wire and sentries were mainly concerned with keeping out the cheering populace. During this day, Lance Corporal P Sweeney was at first reported missing and then later it was reported that he was now not missing. Perhaps he had been one of those carried away by the populace!
The 4 KSLI remained in and around Antwerp until 8 September when they moved to Louvain, Heusden then Hecteren which they reached on 11 September and where they remained until 21 September. By this time, they had taken on men from various regiments and it was stated that they were becoming a mixed bag. While here on 15 September they were told of a planned large drive for Arnhem and on 17 September they saw lots of fighters and heavy bombers overhead in support of the greatest airborne operation ever launched. This would be the push for Arnhem in Operation Market Garden.
On 18 September they moved to near Bree and took part in a deception plan to disguise a bridging operation across the Escault Canal. They crossed this at Lille St Hubert on 20 September and crossed into the Netherlands. They spent that night at Budel. The diary states that “Everyone seemed quite pleased to see us and they waved orange flags with much gusto”. They moved on to Vaarsel on 21 September where they waited for the Herefords to build a bridge over the Willems Canal. The following day, with the Fife and Forfars, they captured Asten. On 25 September they moved on to Gemert where they got an excellent reception and then on to St Anthonis. The following day they heard that the bridgehead at Arnhem had been evacuated. They remained at St Anthonis until 29 September, defending the village and patrolling the surrounding area including Boxmeer.
They were relieved of their duties at St Anthonis by American troops, enabling them to return to a rest area at Gemert where they remained until 7 October. They had the pleasure of having bathing and entertainment facilities there. On 7 October they headed to the Mullem area to take over defensive positions from the US 7 Armoured Division. They remained in this area, carrying out extensive patrols, until 15 October.
On 15 October the Battalion were ordered to carry out an attack from an area occupied by the 2 KSLI directed on the village of Smakt, the limit of exploitation to be the railway line running N-S a few hundred yards to the west of Smakt. They passed through Overloon with some difficulty as heavy traffic had turned the roads and tracks into a very bad state. Overloon had only just been captured a day or two previously. The attack included assistance from the Fife and Forfar Yeomanry and a rolling Artillery barrage which was to move at a rate of 100 yards every 2 minutes. The barrage was to dwell on the opening line for 10 minutes. Unfortunately, some guns fired short, dropping in the area of the KSLI causing some casualties. The barrage eventually moved on, but the momentum of the attack was halted until the offending guns ceased. The attack proceeded and the barrage was called off, concentrations being fired instead. The ground over which the Battalion moved was a large sandy waste, scarred with dunes – impassable for all vehicles except tanks and carriers (with difficulty). The C.O.’s Scout Car was towed by the Fife and Forfar Regimental Commander’s Tank all the way in order to maintain communications with the rear radio link. Various companies met with some opposition but reached the railway line. When the Battalion consolidated its position, the enemy began to shell and mortar the area with the companies on the right being subjected to heavy ‘stonking’ from 105 mms, 88 mms, mortars and Nebelwerfer. There was quite an amount of airburst fired. The action cost the Battalion 4 man killed and 29 wounded. It was for his actions on this day that Sgt George Harold Eardley was awarded the Victoria Cross.
The following day, the shelling and mortaring continued as actively as on the previous day. This was the day on which Lance Corporal Patrick Sweeney was killed in action. Later that day, the Battalion was relieved by 1 KOSB and moved to a harbour area in Heidewoude then Milheeze on 17 October.
Patrick’s Family after his Death
Annie Sweeney married for a second time in 1952, following Patrick’s death. The marriage took place in the Townhead district of Glasgow and her husband was James McNiff Campbell. James McNiff Campbell was born in 1923 in St Rollox Parish. They had children as follows, three of whom were triplets: James McNiff 1953, Donald 1953, Elizabeth 1953 and Anne 1959. The first three were registered in the Milton district and Anne in Campsie.
Annie Campbell died in 1993 in Glasgow aged 76.
James McNiff Campbell died in 2008 in Glasgow. His obituary in the Evening Times on 12 February 2008 read as follows:
“CAMPBELL — JAMES McNIFF. Peacefully, at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, on 9 February 2008, James (formerly of Swan Street), beloved husband of the late Annie, father of Frank, James, Donald, Liz and Anne, a loving grandfather and great-grandfather.”
Francis Joseph Sweeney died on 16 October 2020 in Glasgow – on the anniversary of his father Patrick’s death.
