Kinlay, James Aloysius
Private
No. 436, 4th Regiment, South African Infantry
Died of wounds on Friday 21 July 1916 (aged 38)
Buried:
Wimereux Communal Cemetery, France (Grave I. O. 15)
Commemorated:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
BIOGRAPHY
James Aloysius Kinlay was a son of James and Catherine Kinlay (nee Breen) of 37 Synge Street, Dublin and formerly of Portaferry, Co Down. They were married on 24 September 1871 in Portaferry Roman Catholic Church. James Kinlay’s connection with Portaferry was noted in the report of his death in the 5 August 1916 edition of the Newtownards Chronicle:
PORTAFERRY
Pte. J.A. Kinlay, South African Infantry, son of Mr James Kinlay, formerly of Portaferry, died of wounds.
James Kinlay Senior worked as a printer and he and Catherine had at least nine children:
Bernard (born 28 October 1872 in Gloucester Street, Dublin)
Mary Catherine (born 14 February 1874 at 6 Royal Canal Terrace, Phibsboro, Dublin)
Sarah Maynard (born 20 August 1875 at 37 Synge Street, Dublin)
Mary Catherine (born 9 March 1877 at 37 Synge Street, Dublin)
James Aloysius (born 20 August 1878 at 37 Synge Road, Dublin)
Hugh Joseph (born 14 February 1880 at 37 Synge Street, Dublin)
Sarah Josephine (born 8 August 1881 at 37 Synge Street, Dublin; died)
Anne Josephine (born 29 December 1882 at 37 Synge Street, Dublin; died)
Sarah Agatha (born 7 May 1884 at 37 Synge Street, Dublin)
Their mother, Catherine Kinlay, died in 1885 (aged 39).
Their father, James Kinlay, died on 29 January 1914 (aged 73).
James Aloysius Kinlay served for a year in the Royal Irish Rifles before he and his brother Hugh Joseph moved to South Africa. They lived in Capetown where James Aloysius Kinlay worked as a Civil Servant in the Department of Agriculture before he enlisted on 17 August 1915 at Potchefstroom. It was noted in his attestation papers that he was 5 feet 9½ inches tall and that he had a naevus above his umbilicus.
Private Kinlay sailed from South Africa to England and from there he sailed to Alexandria in Egypt before he went to France. He disembarked at Marseilles on 20 April 1916 and was seriously wounded on 17 July 1916 at Wimereux. He sustained gunshot wounds to his left shoulder and hand.
Private James Aloysius Kinlay died four days later in hospital at Boulogne and was buried in Wimereux Communal Cemetery, France. There is an inscription on his CWGC headstone:
CI GIT UN SOLDAT IRLANDAIS DE SUD AFRIQUE
FILS DE J. KINLAY
This means:
Here lies an Irish soldier of South Africa, son of J. Kinlay