Anthony Tuohy (Service No. 14655365) was killed in action on 17 October 1944 near Overloon. He was aged 19 and a Rifleman     in the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Ulster Rifles. He was initially buried at Cemetery A. Arts Holtheseweg, Overloon and re-interred on 2 June 1946 in Grave IV. D.14 at the CWGC Cemetery in Overloon. His inscription reads “In memory of a dear son and brother. Fragrant memories. Mam, Dad and Family.
 
No photo of Anthony Tuohy has yet been found. Should anyone reading this have a photo of him or further information regarding him – or if they are aware of any errors in his biography below can they please contact the Foundation?
 
Anthony was the son of James and Mary Tuohy.

Family history

James Tuohy married Mary Dalton in Goole, Yorkshire in 1907. James had been born in Foxford, County Mayo in Ireland on 6/4/1877 and Mary in Goole on 10/4/1892. She was therefore 15 years his junior.
 
In 1911 they were living at 68 George Street, Old Goole. James was working as a chemical labourer. With them was their first child, Rose Annie, who was born in Goole in 1908.
 
They appear to have had another two daughters in 1912 and 1913 called Mary and Kathleen, but both are thought to have died the year they were born. Mary was born in Goole and Kathleen in Hull, suggesting that they moved to Hull between 1912 and 1913. They seem to have gone on to have a further four children by 1921 in Hull, but another one of these died in infancy. The three who survived were, in addition to Rose: Stephen on 31/12/1916, Charlotte (also called Caroline or Carrie) on 15/7/1917 and Winifred (known as Wynne) on 17/12/1920. Stephen and Charlotte (Caroline) were baptised at St Patrick’s, Spring Street, Hull and their address was given as Hessle Place, Porter Street, Hull.
 
By 1921 they were living at 3, Staves Buildings, Porter Street, Holy Trinity and St Mary in Hull. James was a Dock Labourer. With them were certainly Stephen, Caroline and Winifred. Rather oddly, they stated they had 4 children alive (not necessarily living with them) – and showed Kathleen (who it is thought had died) further down the page from the others. It may be that they were confused by the form as they did have 4 children who were alive at the time – but Rose, aged 12 years and 8 months, was living at the Convent of Mercy, Anlaby Rd, Hull and was in full time education.
 
A further six children were born between then and 1934, but the three youngest all died in infancy. Those who survived were Honora M (called Nora) in 1923, Anthony Peter on 17/5/1925 and Sheila on 15/4/1927.
 
Their eldest child, Rose Ann Tuohy, married Harold Burton in 1936 in Hull.
 
In September 1939, James and Mary were living at 75 Goodwin Street, Hull. James was shown as a retired dock labourer. With them were Stephen, Winifred and Sheila. Stephen was working as a Baker Confectioner and Sheila as a Cinema Usherette.
 
It isn’t known where Caroline, Honora or Anthony were in September 1939.
 
It is known that, before he enlisted, Anthony had been educated at St. Charles RC School and was subsequently employed by the Cooperative Wholesale Society Ltd., Northgate, Hessle. He enlisted in 1942.

Military career

After enlisting, Anthony Tuohy will have spent time training in the UK in preparation for D-Day. The 2nd Battalion of the Royal Ulster Rifles fought in the Battle of Normandy, specifically in Operation Charnwood where they were the first British troops to enter the city of Caen, which had previously seen bitter fighting in the British attempt to capture it. This was on 9th July. The War Diary states that “The civilians came out of their houses, cheered, sang and offered presents of food and wine. Their delight and sense of release was beyond question, which was very satisfactory for ourselves who doubted whether the extensive RAF bombing would make such a reception possible.”
 
They made their way from there through Northern France, entering Belgium on 16 August between Valenciennes and Mons where they were again warmly welcomed. On 17 to 20 September they took part in the operation to cross the Escaut Canal and entered the Netherlands on 21 September at Maarheeze.
 
On 1 October, they reached Beers, then Cuijk the following day. They remained in that vicinity until 11 October.  This was a relatively quiet period. On 8 October there were Church parades for Church of England, Roman Catholic and Presbyterian Soldiers. The Battalion football team played a local eleven at Beers, winning by 5 goals to 1. The game was watched by a large number of spectators and the Pipe Band was loudly applauded when they played during the interval & after the game. Read here the detailed story about 8 october 1944, the day of the match, told after the war by the son of Sergeant Reginald Hammersley who played along and survived the war himself.
 
On 12 October, the Battalion moved to near St Anthonis. It was decided that the 3rd British Infantry Division, of which the Battalion was a part, would clear the area of woody country as far as Venray and possibly further. The role of the Battalion was to lead the Brigade with the intention of capturing & clearing the large wood to the south west of Overloon. The following day they therefore marched from St Anthonis southwards and the initiative started at 0900 hrs. They had a few casualties crossing the open ground but had more cover once in the wood. However, the wood presented its own problems as it varied in thickness, tracks through it were soft and sandy and the tracks and woods on the map bore little relation to tracks and woods on the ground. Most of the enemy had, however, left the wood and they reached their intended position by 1800 hrs. Tanks had been unable to help as they could not follow the infantry through the wood. Indeed, no vehicles could reach the forward companies because tracks had not been cleared of mines so food, water, blankets & greatcoats had to manhandled up to the company positions by relays of working parties. They also had to dig in – so little sleep was had that night. Casualties during the day had not been heavy and these few were caused principally by mortar fire.
 
On 14 October, the Battalion stayed in position while the 2 Lincolns passed through and carried out an attack on woods 500yds to the south with some assistance from the Battalion in holding it the following day. On 16 October, the Battalion was initially ordered to pass through the Lincolns and take Kleindorp while the enemy was distracted by a combined infantry and tank attack across the Molenbeek towards Venray. D Company were able to move into Kleindorp without difficulty. However, plans changed, and A and C Companies were held back from following D Company with the intention that the Battalion should instead move to an area east of Overloon. They achieved this by 2130 hrs. despite tracks having been torn by tracked vehicles and flooded by rain.
 
On 17 October, which was the day that Anthony Tuohy died, the Battalion remained in this new position while preparations were made to attack the woods to the south east. It was thought the attack might be ordered for that night, but in the evening it was postponed and the plan changed again the following day. No mention of any casualties are mentioned in the War Diary that day so the exact circumstances of Anthony’s death are not known.

Aftermath

The Hull Daily Mail of 6 November 1944 reported Anthony’s death as follows:
“Mr and Mrs Tuohy of 35 Alliance Ave, Hull, have been informed that their son, Pte Anthony Peter Tuohy, was killed in action on October 17 while serving in North-West Europe. Aged 19 years, Pte Tuohy had been in the Army for two years previous to which he was employed by the Cooperative Wholesale Society Ltd., Northgate Hessle. He was educated at the St. Charles RC School.”
 
His family had already placed memorial notices in the same paper on 31 October:
“Tuohy – Aged 19, Tony loved and youngest son of Mr and Mrs Tuohy. Killed in action during October. Rest in peace.
Tuohy – Tony, beloved brother of Wynne and uncle of Stuart. He died that we may live. Ours to remember Tom, Wynne,  baby Stuart. RIP.
Tuohy – Tony Darling brother of Rose, Steve (BLA), Carrie, Honor, and Sheila, Harold, and Jimmy (in-laws) killed in action aged 19 with all our love and memories. RIP.”
 
This indicates that his brother, Stephen, also fought in WW2.
 
After Anthony’s death, his parents and his siblings placed memorial notices in the Hull Daily Mail on anniversary of his death in 1945 to 1949 and on his birthday in 1948 and 1950.
 
In 1945 one message read “In memory of our loving brother Tony, killed October 17th, 1944. We who loved him only knew how much we lost a year ago. Though memories fail and life departs, he lives forever in our heart. From Rose, Carrie, Wynne, Nora, Sheila and brother. Steve.” Another read “In loving memory of our dear son Tony, killed October 17th 1944, This year has been lonely without you. Life to us is not the same we would give the world to see you and hear you call our names Mam and Dad.” The memorial in 1946 was from Mam, Dad and family, Bert and Sheila, USA. In 1947 it was from Mum, Dad, Rose, Steve, Win, (Carrie), Honour, Sheila and in laws.
 
During the war, three of Anthony’s sisters had married. Winifred married Thomas H Crymble in 1943 in Grantham, Lincolnshire. They had two children: Stuart J in 1943 and Peter A in 1947. They emigrated to Australia in 1950/51.
 
Honora married James Milne McGuire in 1944 in Hull. She was in the ATS at the time. They had a child called Peter in 1948 in Hampshire.
 
Sheila married Bertram T Gilbert in Hull in 1945. They had a child, Alison, in Hull 1945. They emigrated to the USA on 12 April, 1946. Bertram was a Private First Class in the US Army ( Serv. No ASN 18201937) from Scroggins, Franklin Country, Texas.
 
The remaining two married after the war.
 
Stephen married Joyce I Lawson in Hull in 1948. They had three children in Hull between 1949 and 1960: Anthony, Sharon and Patrick. Sadly, Stephen P Tuohy died on 11/11/1960, aged just 44.
 
A Carolyn Tuohy married Arnold C Lawson in Hull in 1949. It is possible, but not certain, that this was Anthony’s sister.
 
Anthony’s father, James, died in Hull in 1954 while his mother, Mary, died in Beverley in 1980. 

From FindMyPast website: Civil and Parish Birth, Marriage and Death Records; England Census and 1939 Register Records; Military Records, Electoral Rolls
Wikipedia: Information on 2 Battalion Royal Ulster Rifles
War Diaries from Traces of War Website
Hull Daily Mail: 31 October 1944, 06 November 1944, 17 October 1945, 17 October 1946, 17 October 1947, 17 May 1948, 17 October 1949, 17 May 1950, 12 November 1960

Research Elaine Gathercole