John's Story.
Birkenhead News 18 May 1918“FACED A WITHERING SHOWER OF BULLETS.”
Mrs. Downey, of 18, St. Paul’s Road, Rock Ferry, has received intelligence of the death of her husband, Mr. John Downey, “somewhere in France.” The deceased who was a native of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, and educated at St. Mary’s Catholic Schools in the Tyneside city, came to Birkenhead about five years ago, and was an apprentice fitter at Messrs. Cammell Laird’s when he joined up in 1915 with the 4th Cheshires. He trained at Oswestry, and going out to France in July of last year was transferred to the Lewis gun section of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. His young wife has received a sympathetic letter announcing his death from Captain P. Holt, “A” Company, 13th Royal Welsh Fusiliers, in the course of which the writer says the deceased “was a fine soldier, a very capable Lewis gunner, and a man whom he could entrust a piece of work and rely on its being done well and cheerfully.” Captain Holt proceeds -: “At the time of his death we were attacking a hill which was very strongly held by the enemy. By sheer determination and dash your husband, with the rest of his gun team, had advanced a considerable distance in the face of a withering shower of bullets when he was struck by a bullet from a machine gun firing at close range, and died immediately.”