Second Lieutenant Kenneth Macardle played a key role in the most successful part of the Battle’s opening day, but was killed a week later while attempting to continue his battalion’s advance.
Born in Ireland in 1890, Macardle was ranching in California when the First World War began. He returned home and obtained a commission in the Manchester Regiment (under the name Callan-Macardle). In February 1916 he was sent to France with a reinforcement draft. At Etaples, he was posted to the 17th Battalion, the Manchester Regiment, known as the 2nd Manchester Pals, part of the 30th Division.
Throughout the first half of 1916, the 17th Manchesters held the line around Maricourt and on 1 July their objective was the nearby village of Montauban. Despite having missed much of the intensive training for the battle, Macardle was chosen by his company commander for the assault.
After the first wave of the 30th Division advanced at 07.30, the 17th Manchesters followed an hour later, moving through the captured German first line. Macardle’s B Company pushed forward for one and a quarter miles and he was one of the first to enter Montauban at around 10.00. His men took up a position on the east of the village and remained there, despite intensive shelling and heavy casualties, for 48 hours. In his journal, written on 6 July, Macardle noted that for 60 hours he got no sleep.
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The battalion was relieved early on 3 July. Five days later it went forward again and around midnight on 8-9 July it was ordered to attack Trônes Wood. Now in command of A Company, Macardle led his men to the top of the wood where he was killed in the confused fighting towards late afternoon. His body was never recovered and today he is commemorated on the
Thiepval Memorial.
