John James Halfpenny

This story and photo is shared by the Trust courtesy of Brian Dilley, researcher, in collaboration with Donna Kells, great-niece of John Halfpenny.

John James Halfpenny was born on 10th November 1916. He was one of eight children, having four sisters and three brothers in a wide range of ages, born between 1908 and 1931. John was the fourth child, his sister Mary-Ann was Donna’s granny.

John’s parents were Frances/Frank and Annie. They lived in the village of Ligoniel, which lies to the north of Belfast, County Antrim, Ireland. In the 1900s it was a village that revolved around the mill industry. Families were employed and housed by the mill owners. Frank, Annie and other family members worked in the mill and the entire family lived together in Lehnavea Street.

There was no conscription in Northern Ireland and both John and his older brother Joseph joined up voluntarily. John was a rifleman in the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Ulster Rifles. The only photograph of John that exists is of him in his uniform. John’s sister, Mary-Ann, kept it in her home until her death. John was a favourite brother of hers, so much so that she named her son John, although he was known as Sean. John was a slim built man who was very handsome. He certainly caught the eye of some of the mill girls!

Donna’s daddy recalls John as daring and afraid of nothing. A daredevil who would race his bicycle, which had no brakes, down the steep Ligoniel hill at breakneck speed. Life in the mill village would have held little appeal to someone like John. A life of danger and daring was more beguiling. Her uncle Joe recalls him looking very smart in his uniform and being a kind and friendly man.

After crossing the channel on D-Day, John’s Royal Ulster Rifles landed on Sword Beach and made their way to the assembly point at Lion-sur-Mer. They then moved to Périers Ridge, a high point overlooking the beaches to the north and Caen to the south, where they dug in for the evening.

The battalion’s first battle in Normandy was an assault on Cambes, a small village 10km south of the D-Day beaches, that was occupied by German forces entrenched behind 10ft high stone walls and surrounded by woods. Following an unsuccessful company strength attack by D Company the day after D-Day, the Rifles retreated to Le Mesnil where they stayed for the night.

The following day, the 9th of June, they were part of a battalion strength attack which involved the full battalion lining up along the edges of two fields of waist-high corn and marching 1,500 yards behind a rolling barrage of artillery fire, towards the stone walls of the village. If they moved too quickly, they would be killed by their own side’s fire from behind. If they moved too slowly, their commanding officers would pick them up from the corn and drive them forwards towards the enemy. As they advanced, they could see some of their comrades disappear into the corn as they were hit. John was one of the men that did not make it across the field. By the end of the day, the battalion counted 3 officers and 41 other ranks killed since D-Day.

Like many Irish soldiers that fought in the Second World War, their service was a difficult subject in the context of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, giving an additional reason, beyond the grief, for their sacrifice to be quietly remembered by the family but not discussed. His brother, Joseph, didn’t speak of his experiences either. His sister, Mary-Ann, just remembered him in her own quiet way. She and her children were very proud of John and Joseph.

John is now laid to rest in La Delivrande War Cemetery in Douvres. His grave bears the inscription:

I.H.S. JESUS HAVE MERCY ON HIM. ST. FRANCIS, PRAY FOR HIM R.I.P.