Sergeant Thomas McNulty MM. 

13100 1st East Lancashire Regiment.

Missing in Action 21st March 1918, aged 23.

Thomas was born in Burnley about 1895 the son of James and Mary McNulty. In the 1901 census the family lived at 7 Park Lane, Burnley. Mary 26 weaver, Joseph 2, Thomas 4 and James 6 all born in Burnley.

In the 1911 census the family hadn’t moved far to 6 Park Lane, James 43 a brewers labourer, Mary 37, Thomas 16, Joseph 11, Dennis 6, Annie 2 and Edward 9 months. His parents had been married 18 years, they had had 10 children 4 of whom had died in infancy.

From the Burnley Express dated 11th November 1916: SOLDIER'S SOLDIER RELATIVES. REMARKABLE FAMILY RECORD.

 A few weeks ago we published the news of the death of Private Thomas O'Hara of Park Lane, Bridge Street Burnley, but unfortunately there was no portrait of him in existence. Thomas O'Hara 5873, was a reservist having served 8 years with the first East Lancashire Regiment and 5 years on the reserve. At the very outbreak of the war he reported at Preston Barracks and was told that he was time expired. He there upon immediately joined Kitchener's army and was attached to a battalion of his old regiment. He went out early in 1915. His last letter was received at the beginning of July. He was a member of St. Mary's RC Church. Private O'Hara was a single man aged 31. A remarkable fact is that he was the youngest but one of 15 Brothers out of a family of 19. The parents are both dead.

 Some particulars of the rest of the family serving will be interesting. His brother John aged 37 of the Lancashire Fusiliers, enlisted in the army in 1898, and at the time of the Boer War was stationed at Gibraltar. Called up as a reservist at the beginning of the war, he has been home one suffering from frostbite. Finally he came home from Salonika as a time expired man, and is now at Manchester on munition work. He is married with 5 Children.

Hugh O'Hara now with the East Lancs at the front, had been in the Militia in which he was a full Sergeant. He was in the Boer War, and on the present war breaking out he joined Kitchener's Army in September 1914.  He has been wounded slightly in the shoulder but was not sent home. He was a maltster at Keirby Brewery, and is 34 years of age, married with 5 Children.

 Driver Martin O'Hara of the A.S.C, has been in France since the Beginning. He joined the army in 1905, and was called up on reserve. He is 28 years of age and has been gassed once. In 22 months service he has only been home for a 3 days.

A brother-in-law of the O'Hara's is Lance Corporal McNulty who has altogether 21 year’s service to his credit. He went through the South African campaign with the Manchester's, and was a national reservist when war broke out. Despite his 47 years he is now again in khaki, and is engaged on guard duty at Barry Docks, Wales. He has three sons serving, two of them Sergeants. Sergeant James McNulty 4223, of the 1/4th East Lancashire Regiment is with the Egyptian Expeditionary Force; and Sgt Thomas McNulty, 13100 East Lancashire Regiment, is in France. James joined before war broke out and had only one week to serve at the time so I immediately took on again. He was wounded at Ypres, and was the soldier brought in by drummer Bent when that soldier got the V.C. Private Joseph McNulty the youngest, and listed at the early age of 15, and was accordingly recalled. He has now been serving again 12 months, but has been sent home till he is 18, and is now called up.

The Burnley Express dated 27th April 1918: FIRST DAY OF BATTLE - DEATH CLAIMS MILITARY MEDALLIST.

A member of a military family - Sergeant Thomas McNulty (23), 13100, East Lancashire Regiment, of Park Lane, off Bank Parade, Burnley, has made the supreme sacrifice on the first day of the German offensive, 21 March 1918. Sergeant McNulty at once responded to the call of his country. He enlisted on 4 August 1914, and went on active service in May of the following year. On 23 November 1916, he sustained a nasty bullet wound, which necessitated an operation at Netley Hospital. In the following June an act of conspicuous gallantry which he performed was brought to the notice of Major-General Bridge, and as a result he obtained the Military Medal. Before the war, Sergeant McNulty was a weaver at Hill Top Mill, but latterly he had worked at Grimshaw's Brewery. He was on the Roll of Honour of St. Mary's Catholic School. A votary of the navatorial art, he won several medals for his prowess in the water, and for three years in succession he assisted St. Mary's to win the schools' swimming shield. He was the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs James McNulty. The father, who was in the National Defence Corps three and a half years, was for 17 years in the East Lancashire's and two years in the R.G.A. he fought in the South African War. The second son, James, is also a Sergeant in the East Lancashire Regiment, and was wounded in the retreat from Mons. He was gallantly rescued, after being hit, by Drummer Spencer John Bent, who subsequently received the V.C. The youngest son, Joseph McNulty is serving in France.

Lived at 6 Park Lane, formerly Bridge Street.

Thomas left his effects to his mother Mary.

Thomas is commemorated on the Arras Memorial, France: Bay 6. Son of James and Mary McNulty of 6 Park Lane, Bridge St, Burnley.