New Commonwealth war grave for Tipperary soldier

Michael Reynolds, founder of the Nenagh Military Facebook group and researcher into the history of Nenagh Military Barracks outlines the story behind this grave in the past and present day of  the Nenagh-born Soldier who died 104 years ago: Sergeant Randolph Rudolph Julian (R.R.J.) Hennessy (Service Number S/23240).

Known by many as ‘Julian’, he was born on January 30, 1891 at Nenagh Military Barracks.

He was the youngest of six sons of Barrack Sergeant Philip Hennessy and Julia Kearney.

He was baptised in St Mary’s Rosary Catholic Church in Nenagh on 3rd February 1891 with his sponsors Thomas Reynolds and Bridget Tuohy.

He was seven years old when his father suddenly died at the barracks in 1899, leaving behind a widow with eight children.

All the Hennessy brothers were educated at the Royal Hibernian Military School (RHMS) in Phoenix Park Dublin, with Julian being admitted as a pupil there at the age of nine years, two months to be a carpenter and army volunteer. 

His two older brothers both died tragically. Bertie Hennessy of the Gordon Highlanders was killed in action during the South African War on June 6, 1901, and Charlie Hennessy died from illness at the RHMS on August 6, 1903, where he is still buried at the school chapel yard to this day.

Julian was accepted into the RASC (Royal Army Service Corps) as a boy clerk on June 14, 1905, at the age of 14 years (Service Number B44).

Shortly afterwards he obtained his 2nd and 3rd class army certificates. He carried out home service in the UK in places such as Aldershot, Dublin, Newbridge, the Curragh and Preston until he was posted to Egypt in 1912.

His mother Julia Hennessy, who had endured the loss of her husband and two of her sons within a five-year period, struggled in life and died from alcoholism at Nenagh Workhouse in March 1914.

Only a few months later the First World War began that would be Julian’s first military campaign and the second for his two older brothers Oscar and Edgar.

Over 100 pages in a file relating to the service of Julian Hennessy give insight into his military career, having recently been transferred along with thousands of other soldier files from the Ministry of Defence to the UK National Archives.
He was promoted to Lance Corporal in 1913, Corporal in 1914 and Sergeant in 1917.

He was assigned to the Supplies Division in Cairo with the Egyptian Army in October 1914 as a clerk, and where he completed his drill training course.

He was described by his officers as ‘smart, intelligent and trustworthy and fair typist.’  On January 1, 1917, Staff Sergeant Julian Hennessy was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for ‘his abilities in the field of action on the eastern front’ during the previous Darfur Expedition in 1916.

This was not the first time a Hennessy soldier in the family was mentioned in the London Gazette during the War, as Oscar Percy Hennessy was awarded the Military Cross (MC) in 1916 for his bravery during the Battle of Festubert in 1915.

After his discharge in 1920, Oscar and his family later lived in Liverpool where he died in 1962. 

On March 9, 1918, while temporarily assigned to the Royal Irish Regiment on probation as a cadet, Julian received a gunshot wound to the leg during a battle.

After his recovery, he was sent to the Artillery Corps to continue his service and then seconded once again to the Egyptian army.

He was then assigned to Palestine until May 1918. He was accepted on 30th May 1919 into the Artillery Cadet Unit for training in Aldershot.

Between September 6 1919 to April 20 1920, he was stationed in the Baltic Sea, North Russia. 

A few months later he returned to the UK and resided at Harrow on the Hill, London and was assigned to Kensington Palace Barracks.

While proceeding to become and cadet and eventually officer rank, Julian became ill and was admitted to Hounslow Military Hospital, located outside London.

He died there almost a month later on August 31, 1920, from compilations of Malignant Endocarditis, pneumonia and hemiplegia.

The Nenagh Guardian reported him at the time as Lieutenant Hennessy, though all other records noted he was a Sergeant.
He was buried in a nearby cemetery. Julian was also posthumously awarded the Sultan Sudan Medal in 1923.

As he was not married and did not have any children, his will named the next of kin as his eldest brother Gus Hennessy, who was an army schoolmaster in India, who later settled in Dublin and died there in 1953.

Julian’s two sisters also ended up leaving Nenagh as the rest of the Hennessy family had. Norah Hennessy lived in Blackburn and died there in 1943, having never married.

Gladys Hennessy emigrated to Australia before returning with her husband to live in Lymington Hampshire where she died in 1984.

All possible descendants of the Hennessy family have been tracked down between 2020 and 2022 using appeals and Genealogical platforms such as Ancestry and MyHeritage.

In November 2020 Michael Reynolds was contacted by Mr Andrew Benns, historian of Duke of York School Kent, who was researching over 180 Ex-Hibs (former RHMS Pupils) who died in the Great War or subsequently, including Serjeant Hennessy RASC.

He explained an unknown fact that since Julian died while serving in the army before 1921, he would be eligible for a CWG (Commonwealth War Grave).

As part of the process to get the application started, Hounslow Council was contacted to locate Julian’s burial record and his resting place.

It was discovered that he was buried in New Brentwood Cemetery Hounslow in Plot F. H. 175 and was recorded as ‘soldier’ on his burial entry.

He then contacted the local parish where the local vicar sent him a picture showing a medium rock where which marked the spot where he was laid to rest.

Michael also contacted Tom Burnell and Terry Denman in February 2021 as part of the CWG In From The Cold Project and as a result Julian was added the list to be commemorated. In order to further process this application, a next of kin of Julian Hennessy was needed to agree to a headstone.

This was done with Julian’s grandniece Helena Pringle, granddaughter of Edgar Hennessy, who survived the war and later settled in Glasgow up until his death in 1959.

They informed the family that he would indeed be able to get a headstone but the process could take 3-5 years.

In March 2024 the CWG Commission informed the family that a message could be added to the bottom of the headstone.

It was agreed to put the following inscription: “Julian, Beloved Son & Brother, A Brave Irishman from a Loyal Military Family.”
It was hoped in the next few months the headstone would be erected in New Brentwood Cemetery though the exact date remained unclear.

On September 19, 2024, Michael was in London and as part of his trip decided to go to Hounslow and pay his respects at Julian’s resting place.

CAPTION: Michael Reynolds of Nenagh at the grave of Julian Hennessy in New Brentwood Cemetery Hounslow, September 19, 2024

As he walked into New Brentwood Cemetery for the first time ever, he noticed a group of CWG Headstones on the left-hand side of the old church, with some new fresh holes being dug in the ground.

As he approached them he saw a new headstone laid resting on the yellow heavy-duty moving trolley on the ground with the name R.R.J Hennessy.

He then spotted two men at the nearby CWG Van and explained that he had travelled all the way from Tipperary to the cemetery to find the grave of a soldier called Hennessy.

They could not believe the coincidence that Michael would walk into New Brentwood the exact same day and morning they were tasked to install the headstone.

Furthermore, they were shown photographs of this soldier to put a face to a name with the story.

Over 1,500 Nenagh men served in the war with over 120 having been killed, missing or died while serving as a result of wounds or illness.

Julian Hennessy is another name that can now be included.At last, after over 3 years of a process, there is a headstone placed on the grave of R.R.J. Hennessy, knowing that the life of another Nenagh Soldier, who is no longer forgotten. 

CAPTION: Original stone marking Julian’s grave

Further details on the life of this family can be read in the Tipperary Historical Journal 2021 Article entitled That Brave Irish Heart Within Him– Oscar Percy Hennessy, M.C. (1882-1962).

The author graduated with a MA in History of the Family from the University of Limerick in 2022 with his dissertation based on the life of the Hennessy Military Family of Summerhill Nenagh 1856-1962.

He wishes to give a special acknowledgement to everyone who helped out in this process including Andy Benns, Helena Pringle, Tom Burnell and Terry Denman, ‘Matty and Thorny’ of the CWG Team who erected the headstone for Julian Hennessy, Clare Ward of Hounslow District Register Office and to everyone else involved.

Anyone is welcome to join or let anyone who would be interested in the Facebook Group Nenagh Military History or contact Michael with any information on the military in Nenagh by email: nenaghmilitaryhistory@gmail.com.