WITH Armistice Day upon us, residents will gather to remember those from the town who fell in the World Wars.

However, one soldier whose name isn't featured on the town hall square war memorial is Hubert 'Hugh' Aloysius Deasey, who was killed in August 1918 while serving with the US army.

Hugh, born in St Helens, died on August 9, 1918 at Chipilly Ridge, Somme, France – on the second day of the '100 Days Offensive' - and went on to posthumously receive the US army's second highest military honour.

Hubert's name is not among those on the Monument - but is instead inscribed along with a few others on a marble pillar in a side chapel of nearby Lowe House Church, and on the Deasey family grave in section 23 of St Helens Cemetery.

Hugh had emigrated to Chicago, Illinois in 1913 after the death of his mother in November 1912. He was soon followed by two sisters and a younger brother, leaving two surviving sisters Annie and Cecilia (Cissie) in St Helens with father Patrick, a dairyman from Vincent Street.

When the USA joined the Allied forces in the Great War in 1917, Hugh promptly enlisted into the 1st Illinois National Guard Regiment which was eventually sent to France as the 131st Infantry 33rd Division US Army.

He was killed in action on 9th August 1918 at Chipilly Ridge, France in the Somme Sector and received a posthumous 'Distinguished Service Cross' for this action.

His citation reads:

“For extra-ordinary heroism in action near Chipilly Ridge, France 9th August 1918. Acting on his own initiative, he advanced alone against a machine gun nest that had been causing heavy casualties among his comrades, He crawled to within a short distance of the enemy position before he was detected. He then rushed the spot and bayonetted 3 gunners, being himself killed in the encounter.”

Hubert is buried in the American Cemetery at Suresnes, a suburb of Paris, high on a hill looking out to the Eiffel Tower in the distance. The DSC is second only to the Medal of Honor for gallantry in the US Army.

His family, especially two sisters Annie and Cissie were devastated and in time they commemorated his name in Lowe House Church and on the family grave.

Annie was married to Martin Healey, publican of the Royal Standard Pub in Naylor Street. Cissie lived with her sister and assisted her father in the dairy business, now also in Naylor Street, until she married James Connor of Sidney Street in 1920, Newtown. Both Annie and Cissie had sons who were given the name Hubert as a Christian name.

Descendants of the Deasey/Liptrot family are today living in Illinois.

The Healey family has a grave off the main path of St Helens Cemetery, not far from Hard Lane entrance.

Members of the Connor family still live in St Helens and ensure Hugh’s name is remembered.

A few of the family have visited his grave in Paris, and added his name to the St Helens “Roll of Honour” for the First World War.

This year the Connor family have worked on renovating the Deasey grave and will gather there on Sunday, November 11 and later at Taylor Park's Battle’s Over: Beacons of Light tribute ceremony to commemorate him.