Hon. Lt. Joseph Michael Connery

Joseph Morial Cardinal Connery was born in Gorton in July 1878.  His father, Michael Henry Connery, was the long serving Quartermaster of the 9th Battalion Manchester Regiment.

On June 19, 1893, when he was just 14 years and 11 months old, he joined the Manchester Regiment as Joseph Michael Connery. He spent 21 years with the Regiment, rising to the rank of Company Sergeant Major. Serving with the 1st Battalion, he deployed to Gibraltar in 1897 and then fought in the Boer war in South Africa where he spent more than 3 years. From South Africa the 1st Manchesters deployed to Singapore returning to the UK in 1904. On January 24, 1906 he married Edith Kate Whitehorn and about nine months later his first son Arthur Henry Connery was born. Geoffrey James Connery followed in April 1910.

At the outbreak of war, he was serving with the 2nd Battalion Manchester Regiment who deployed to France in August 1914. He was wounded at the battle of Mons and invalided back to the UK in September 1914. Upon his return to Ashton under Lyne he was discharged to pension from the 2nd Battalion due to completing 21 years of service and subsequently applied for, and was awarded, a commission of Honorary Lieutenant and Quartermaster in the 9th Battalion Manchester Regiment Territorial Force.

On August 2, 1915 Hon Lt. Joseph Michael Connery embarked on His Majesty’s Transport Ship Arcadian along with 3 other Officers and 145 other ranks en-route to Mudros where they arrived on August 19th and joined the Battalion at Cape Helles on August 22nd.  Within 4 days he was sent sick to hospital and invalided to the UK three weeks later. After he recovered, he was retained in the UK by the War Office and was promoted to Honorary Captain on January 17, 1918.

After the war he moved with his family to Great Horkesley, near Colchester. Captain Joseph Michael Connery died there on November 30, 1934. He was 56 years old.