Tess McTiernan has provided the following:
Born in Carlisle, Cumberland in October 1895, Tom was the son of James and Mary Connelly (née Brodie, née Jackson). He was part of a large family, having five half siblings and two sisters who died in infancy. The 1911 census shows Thomas living with his parents at Flinthill, Dipton. Aged 16 years, he worked as an underground putter in the coalmines.
Enlisting at Consett in 1914, Thomas joined the 24th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers at the age of 19 years. Following limited training on Tyneside, field training began in Alnwick in March 1915 on land donated by the Duke of Northumberland. Further training took place on Salisbury Plain.
On 11 January 1916 the battalion was trained sufficiently and travelled by train to Southampton. After resting on the docks for some hours they embarked on the SS Mona's Queen sailing for Le Havre. Having spent the night at rest camps the battalion marched to the railhead where they entrained for St Omer. On arrival, the battalion was given instructions to move to Blendeques where on arrival they detrained and marched to Esquerdes. Further training was undertaken: route marches, musketry and inspections of one form or another were the order of the day.
By 7.30 on the morning of 1st July 1916 the Tyneside Irish Battalions were poised behind the Tara-Usna hills, astride the Albert-Bapaume road on the opening day of the Battle of the Somme, as part of the 34th Division. In front of them, in a strongly defended sector of the frontline, was the village of Boisselle. The Germans had heavily fortified the village with deep dugouts, rolls and rolls of barbed wire and machine gun nests. The men climbed out of their trenches and descended the Tara-Usna hills towards the German lines. The machine guns opened up...and the Tyneside Irish went down like ninepins. The lines of the Tyneside Irish were decimated.
Corporal Thomas Connelly lost his life on this day. He was 20 years old.
Remembered with Honour
He is remembered as Connolly in Burnopfield on B155.01, in Dipton on D46.06 and in Leadgate on L65.01
