25888 Private William Kearney, (17/12/1892-7/6/1917). "no trace of him"

At 3.10 a.m. there was a shaking of the earth, a column of leaping flame quickly obscured by smoke and debris, and then a muffled roar. The mines had gone up. A brief pause. the sudden rattle of thousands of machine-guns, a flash round the horizon, and then with a thunderblast of sound the great barrage fell on the German line. The long roll of the heavy guns and the quick, stabbing, bang-snap-bang of the eighteenpounder blended into one tremendous volume of sound. Up from the enemy posts went the signals of distress and warning, but their urgent appeal met with small response, for the Hun artillery had been overwhelmed by the weight of the British counter-battery work. For hours their field guns were out of action, and the only reply they could make was with long-range guns of heavy calibre.

Behind the moving wall of steel and flame the infantry flung themselves on the demoralised enemy. With little opposition and light casualties the N.Z.R.B. and the 2/Brigade took the Blue, Brown and Yellow lines. A few scattered groups of Germans made a show of resistance, but little more than a show; by far the greater number were too dazed and shaken to think of anything but immediate surrender.  

Up in the front posts men ran greater risks from the short bursts of our own artillery than from the German fire. One battery of four big guns was continually firing short, and inflicted many casualties. For some reason or another, despite our complete control of the air and the large number of observation 'planes continually flying overhead, no message was got through to this battery. Its continued activity page 149caused considerable loss and the slight withdrawal of two posts. -Official History of the Auckland Infantry Regiment.

William Kearney was a victim of that four-gun battery.  His Army record includes statements from the Court of Enquiry which established the circumstances of his death:

Private C Maddock states: On the morning of 7th June my coy (company) was working in a c t  (communication trench) behind Messines. Private Kearney was working about 2 yards behind me. One of our own heave howitzer shells landed in the sap where I had just previously seen Private Kearney working. After the explosion no trace of him could be found. I believe he was blown to pieces.

Cpl Maynard states: On the morning of 7th June I set Pvt Kearney in his task in digging the C T. Later it was reported that a man had been blown up by one of our own shells landing amongst those working in the sap. When I took the roll at about 5.30 pm in the evening, Kearney was missing. There had been other casualties during the day. (low)

 

Andersons Bay Cemetery, Dunedin. DCC photo.