Healy, James
Private
No. 5154, 2nd Battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers
Killed in action on Thursday 27 April 1916 (aged 43)
Buried:
Bully-Grenay Communal Cemetery, French Extension, France (Grave A. 81)
Commemorated:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
BIOGRAPHY
In some records and newspaper reports his surname is spelt Healey.
James Healey was born on 28 February 1873 in the townland of Ballywoolen, Co Down and he was a son of Henry and Mary Ann Healey (nee Purdy) who were married on 2 December 1861.
Henry Healey worked as a mechanic and he and Mary Ann had at least thirteen children:
Mary Jane (born 17 December 1864)
Annabella (born 27 December 1866)
Henry (born 25 May 1869; died of tuberculosis on 9 March 1893 aged 24)
Elizabeth (born 11 April 1871)
James (born 28 February 1873)
Agnes (born 7 March 1875)
William (born 10 August 1878)
Matilda (born around 1879)
Sarah (born 3 June 1880)
Andrew (born 17 May 1882)
Robert (born 10 May 1884)
Samuel (born 29 April 1886)
Louisa (born 17 December 1887)
James Healey worked as a hackle setter and his sister, Annabella Healey, married Samuel William McBratney on 2 April 1888 in Killinchy Presbyterian Church. Annabella Healey from Tullymacnous was a daughter of Henry Healey, a mechanic.
The McBratney family lived at 28 Brownlow Street, Comber and, after James died, it was reported in the press that Annabella McBratney had been informed of his death.
James Healy enlisted in Downpatrick and in the Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914 – 1919 database it is recorded that he served with the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (No. 16984) before being transferred to the 2nd Battalion Royal Munster Fusiliers (No. 5154).
Private James Healy was 43 when he was killed in action on 27 April 1916 and, just nine days later, his nephew John Henry McBratney was also killed in action.
Private James Healy was buried in Bully-Grenay Communal Cemetery, French Extension, France.