685742 Acting Bombardier Hugh Link Loughlin, R.F.A.

Amanda T
Oct 2, 2021
3 min read

Identification

The CWGC had only one result for Hugh L Loughlin.

Photograph of Hugh L Loughlin, courtesy of a family member

Hugh Link Loughlin was born in Liverpool on 29th March 1898 and Baptised in the Parish Church of St Peter on 13th April 1898.

His parents were Stephen and Elizabeth Loughlin of James Street, Stephen's occupation was Paper Ruler.

The 1901 census shows the family living at 102 Park Street, Stephen was employed as a paper ruler and Elizabeth was a machinist. Hugh was the 5th of 6 children with elder siblings Margaret E (13) Thomas (9), Stephen(7) and Flora (5) and a younger sister Norah (9 months) Elizabeth's mother, Margaret Loughlin (this was not her surname, it is a mistake by the enumerator) who was a retired domestic cook, also a family of 3 boarders.

The 1911 census shows the family living at 121 St James St. Stephen was now a paper ruler employer and Elizabeth was not working. They have added 4 children to the family; Ellen (8),Maria (6), Veronica(3) and Ronald (1) their eldest child Margaret has moved out and the census shows that they had an 11th child who died. Hugh was 13 and in school, his elder brothers were employed in the family business as a paper ruler and a bookbinder's apprentice

Hugh's grandmother was also still with them and her surname is given as Lynk, explaining Hugh's unusual middle-name.

Another brother was born in 1912, John, who would later sing in the choir at St James’ Church. A sister Kathleen was born in 1914. Around that time the Loughlin family moved to 13 Wesley street.

Military Information

Hugh Loughlin was in the Royal Field Artillery with the regimental number 685742. I am informed by an authority on these matters that this number is within the block allocated to the 3rd West Lance Royal Field Artillery Territorial Force when the force was renumbered in 1917. This means that he had an original 4-digit number which was probably from early 1915.

The 3rd West Lancs Brigade crossed to France on 30 Sept/1st Oct 1915 and they were part of the 2nd Canadian Divisional Artillery. They stayed with this division until the old West Lancs Division was re-formed in January 1916, numbered as 55th.

Later in 1915 the 3rd West Lancs became the 277th Brigade R.F.A. and in January 1917 a wholesale reorganisation of the artillery led to its removel from its divisional role and it became the 277th Army Brigade R.F.A., attached to a succession of higher formations as needed.

On 17th September 1917 685742 Gunner. (Acting Bomdardier.) H. Loughlin, R.F.A. (Liverpool) was gazetted for earning the Military Medal. His Medal Index Card for this award shows that he was in C Battery, 293rd (London)Brigade, R.F.A. (T.F.) and it was awarded for bravely rescuing wounded men under heavy fire.

The following notice of his award was printed in the Liverpool Echo on 15 August 1917.

The Medal Index Card for his campaign medals is quite bare, it doesn't show his earlier regimental number and wasn't updated with the details of his arrival in France, his Military Medal or his death.

Death and Commemoration

It was with the 293rd Brigade that, on 6th November 1917, Hugh Loughlin was killed in action aged 19.

Many thanks are due to a relative of Hugh Loughlin who has sent me this copy of a letter received by Hugh's mother after his death.