Beggs Thomas Alexander Thompson. He fought in 15 major battles while in France. The Victoria Cross was awarded to three men from the Royal Irish Rifles: Edward De Wind, 15th Bttn - 21st March 1918 at Grugies, France. It travelled from Southampton to Le Havre at the start of November and took up positions east of Laventie in the Pas de Calais. 9th Btn. While 7th Bn The Royal Irish Rifles was the only battalion of our antecedent regiments to serve in either 47th or 48th Brigades, 49th Brigade included two battalions of Inniskillings and two of Faughs (7th and 8th in both cases) and was known unofficially as the 'Ulster Brigade'. William John Thompson 13th Battalion, B Company Royal Irish Rifles (d.30th May 1916). Haig wanted a delay so that the British Expeditionary Force could amass more artillery and better train their citizen soldiers. The Rifles were honoured for Bazentin Ridge, Pozires and Ancre Heights, while one of their affiliated Territorial Force battalions, 1st Bn The London Irish Rifles, also received the honour le Transloy. 8th Btn. (d.22nd Mar 1917), Mailey John Henry. - Royal Irish Fusiliers Museum Thomas Robert Corkin 16th Btn. AU $50.00 + AU $7.00 postage. (d.2nd August 1917), Burnett Corry. SEVER CEMETERY EXTENSION, ROUEN France ' 14th Btn. Rflmn. Rfm. 3 February 1918 : transferred to 107th Brigade in 36th (Ulster) Division. Both regular battalions of the Inniskillings were involved, as were 1st Bn The Royal Irish Rifles and 1st Bn The Royal Irish Fusiliers. Not so well known are the stories of other Irish regiments and other battalions of our antecedent regiments in that attack. We have discovered photographs that we didn't know existed and have just recently discovered what our father looked like as a young man. dailyinfo[4]=' Matrose Paul KURZKE Torpedoboot "G85" German Navy who died 04/03/1919 CANNOCK CHASE GERMAN MILITARY CEMETERY United Kingdom ' 3rd (Reserve) Battalion 4th Btn. By October its strength was further reduced to two officers and 46 men and by the end of 1914, some 97% of the battalion had been killed, wounded or taken prisoner. It was increased after the Armistice by the concentration of graves (chiefly of 1914-15 and 1918) from the battlefields East of Estaires and Bethune and from certain smaller cemeteries, including:- . Rflmn. The ceremony was the result of four years of work by the Robert Quigg V.C. 2nd Battalion (d.6th Aug 1917 ), McClements William James. 14th Btn. (d.28th Jul 1917), Boyd Samuel. I came across a reference to my own granduncle's death (he was a mere rifleman/private) in Taylor's history of the 2 nd Royal Irish Rifles in the Great War. 6 November 1914 : landed at Le Havre. 16th Battalion (d.22nd Aug 1916), Gorman Gilbert. (d.2nd May 1915), Bowes Michael. Update News. Bennett Robert William . Royal Irish Rifles (d.1st Jul 1916), Sgt. Returned to UK and landed at Devonport on 18 November 1914, then came under command of 82nd Brigade, 27th Division. Rfm. 12th Batallion, Davison J. H.. 11th Btn. (d.1st Jul 1916), Hill William Quintis Ewart. Formed in Belfast in September 1914 from the Belfast Volunteers. Beggs Thomas Alexander Thompson. However, the German assault on Verdun in February affected the Western Front plan when the defence of that town sucked in French reinforcements, reducing their commitment to the summer offensive. Ourheroesinmemoriam.co.uk. (d.1st Jul 1916), Gallagher Thomas. Typically eighteen year old recruits received further training, e.g Machine Gun Corps, or were posted to a home service unit until they became of age, this posting would not usually appear on the Medal Rolls. Rfm 15th Btn (d.1st Jul 1916). I don't know exactly how he died, as records say he "Died of Wounds." (d.21st March 1918), McComb Francis. Killed in action on the 1st July 1916 - Age 20. (d.31st Jan 1917), Brady Edward. - Royal Ulster Rifles Museum For Falls, the main attack was that by 109th Brigade, with 107th Brigade following up. 1996-2023 The Long, Long Trail. Belfast City Hospital History . (The exception was after April 1918, but not relevant here as he was captured during the German Spring Offensive). McComb James. 17117 Lance Corporal. Battle Honour ST QUENTIN - German Spring Offensive 1918. Royal Irish Rifles, Rfm. "Orbita." In July 1968 the three constituent Regiments merged to form the three component battalions of the newly created "Royal Irish Rangers (27th (Inniskilling), 83rd & 87th)". The 2nd Battalion recovered and went on to take part in the First Attack on Bellewaarde and the Actions at Hooge, defence of Vimy Ridge in May 1916; took part in the Battle of the Somme with 75th Brigade making a costly attack near Thiepval on the 3 of July 1916; the Battle of Bazentin, the Battle of Pozieres and the Battle of the Ancre Heights. Las mejores ofertas para 10 x Army buttons London Irish Rifles group horn WW1 WW2 era KC 24 mm and 17 mm estn en eBay Compara precios y caractersticas de productos nuevos y usados Muchos artculos con envo gratis! (d.7th Jun 1917), Currie David. Moved to Hursley Park and came under command of 25th Brigade in 8th Division. He left behind his wife Catherine (Nee McCormick) and his three sons Richard, Patrick and John. 1st Btn. of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and Donegal County Museum. else { document.write(fontstart+"No major events today"+fontend); } Trace your military heritage through our Research Database. We place some essential cookies on your device to make this website work. Royal Irish Rifles This page summarises records created by this Organisation The summary includes a brief description of the collection (s) (usually including the covering dates of the. Rflmn 1st Battalion (d.16th August 1917), Craig James. August 1914 : at Downpatrick. This production was made possible with support from The Minstrel Boys Living History Group, the Dep. (d.1st Jul 1917), Bothwell Thomas Henry. There is help on how to research a soldierhere. In August 1914, Sergeant OCathain was with the 2nd Battalion garrisoned at Tidworth, Wiltshire in England. 11th Btn. Rest in peace in Mill Road Cemetery . Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for British Army pre WW1 period Artist Rifles hat badge at the best online prices at eBay! dailyinfo[6]=' 345190 Sapper Forrest A. KNOWLES Canadian Signal Corps who died 06/03/1921 REIDS MILLS CEMETERY Canada ' Moved to England in April 1918, going to Larkhill. 13 November 1917 : transferred to 108th Brigade in 36th (Ulster) Division, absorbing 7th Battalion. (d.1st July 1916), Mills J.. Rfm. The Faughs too received le Transloy as a battle honour. S.. 2Lt. Ironically, the sole Somme battle honour not awarded to an Irish regiment was Thiepval. Moved to Hursley Park and came under command of 25th Brigade in 8th Division. (d.1st Jul 1916), De Carteret Henry James. (d.1st Jul 1916), Topping Samuel. 9th Btn. They moved to the Curragh in February 1915 then in May 1915 they moved to Hackwood Park, Basingstoke, England for final training. dailyinfo[26]=' Chaplain 4th Class The Rev. Rflmn. Formed in County Antrim in September 1914 from the Antrim Volunteers. On that date, Saturday 1st July 1916, soldiers from seventeen battalions of our antecedent regiments took part in the opening attack of an offensive that lasted until late-November. The Royal Irish. If anyone has any further information as to how he died, I would be very grateful to hear from you. Loker Churchyard, 2nd Btn. Trace your military heritage through our Research Database. My grandfather Wilfred Lewis was 6 years younger than William so survived the great war, but we will never forget him or the sacrifice he made for our freedom. The amalgamation of two historic regiments - the 83 rd (County of Dublin) and the 86 th (Royal County Down) Regiments of Foot, formed one of many two battalion Regiments in the army - the 1 st and 2 nd Battalions Royal Irish Rifles . It played a prominent role in opposing the German attack during Operation Michael (known to the British as the Battle of St Quentin) in March 1918. The regiment was then posted to Nova Scotia. Royal Army Medical Corps who died 22/02/1919 NUNHEAD (ALL SAINTS) CEMETERY United Kingdom ' Battle Honour ST QUENTIN - German Spring Offensive 1918. All but one of those were awarded to Irish regiments. . The Royal Irish Regiment, until 1881 the 18th Regiment of Foot, was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, first raised in 1684. 15th(North Belfast)Btn. 1st Btn. I know around this time the Battalion were either stationed in Rainneville or St Gratien, so how he died exactly and what wounds were inflicted remains a mystery. dailyinfo[11]=' Captain Charles Edmund WOOD Mentioned in Despatches Adjt. Royal Engineers who died 31/01/1919 COLOGNE SOUTHERN CEMETERY Germany ' Attack of the Ulster Division, 1 July 1916'. My grandad was an instructor but on the 25th of December 1914 he was sent to the front with the 2nd battalion of the RIR because of the high losses suffered they needed more experienced men. var day=mydate.getDay() The 36 Division HQ (General Staff) diary ishere, orhere. At the subsequent Battle of Loos in SeptemberOctober 1915, the battalion carried out a subsidiary attack at Bois Grenier. Returned to UK and landed at Liverpool on 22 October 1914. 19th (Reserve) Battalion 108th Brigade / 36th (Ulster) Division . (d.1st July 1915), Blackadder Thomas. In the absence of a service record its impossible to be certain. The Somme offensive was part of an Entente strategic plan for 1916 with a Franco-British attack on the Western Front, Russian on the Eastern Front and Italian on the Southern. He was then aged 20 years 4 months. (d.1st July 1916), McAuley John. 3rd Bn. 36th CCS. (d.1st Jul 1916), Henderson J.. 14th Btn. 14th (Young Citizens) Btn. The original hangs in the City Hall, Belfast. When the Great War started in August 1914 The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, The Royal Irish Rifles and The Royal Irish Fusiliers were in the British Expeditionary Force that went to France and fought in the first battles that developed into the stalemate of trench warfare. Rfm. L/Cpl. 12th Btn. 8th (East Belfast) Btn. . (d.1st Nov 1916) Anderson Stanley Orme. 20 December 1915 : landed at le Havre. By the end of the day two companies had been lost, the Commanding Officer wounded (he died later), the Adjutant killed and the Assistant Adjutant found it impossible to produce an accurate report of the days fighting. At Armistice on 11 November the battalion were at Mouscron, north east of Tourcoing, where it remained and was demobilised by June 1919. Fortunately for Quigg, his platoon commander was twenty-year-old Second Lieutenant Sir Harry Macnaghten, the heir to the Macnaghten estate and a man he would have known well. My Grandfather, George Harper, served in the Royal Irish Rifles and his regimental number 5/9929, 7006511 and mentioned in another document 2 R.I.R. On the 7th of July 1915 they sailed from Liverpool for . If you have already submitted a story to the site and your UID reference number is higher than 261046 your submission is still in the queue, please do not resubmit. The London Irish Rifles (LIR) was a reserve infantry regiment and then company of the British Army. Rfm. The Royal Irish Rifles was formed in 1881, under the Childers Reforms, with the amalgamation of the 83rd (County of Dublin) Regiment of Foot and the 86th Regiment of Foot. (d.1st Jul 1916). was introduced to the new Queen and her husband at their brief stop at Coleraine railway station. Attacking on the left flank of the Ulster Division, as part of 29th Division, 1st Bn The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers sustained heavy losses, their casualties numbering 568, much the same as the most heavily hit units of 36th Division 13th Bn The Royal Irish Rifles and 11th Bn The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (595 and 598 respectively). You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. Would George or any soldierhave just done training until he was 19 years old when they were shipped overseas? Like this page to receive our updates, add a comment or ask a question. Royal Irish Rifles - Soldiers and their units - The Great War (1914-1918) Forum Home Serving in the Great War Soldiers and their units Royal Irish Rifles Remembered Today: 25368 Quartermaster Serjeant Leonard Henry CADE Meritorious Service Medal 12th Coy. Rifleman 12th Battalion (d.1st July 1916), Black John. Pte. Formed in Belfast in September 1914 from the Belfast Volunteers. 5th (Extra Reserve) Battalion based on surviving service records dates from between 17thOctober (5/9858)-18thNovember 1916 (5/9986) so could not have served in a theatre of war in 1914/15, therefore no entitlement to the 14-15 Star. (d.1st Jul 1916), Mulholland David. Formed in Dublin in November 1915 and moved to India in February 1916. dailyinfo[12]=' 457 Lance Corporal Arthur Price ROWE 2nd/7th Bn. + AU $7.00 postage. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for WW1 14th Battalion (Young Citizens Volunteers) Royal Irish Rifles Cap Badge Bras at the best online prices at eBay! 8 February 1918 : transferred to 107th Brigade in same Division. 15 May 1918 : disbanded at Deir-el-Nidham. Those known to have served with Royal Irish Rifles during the Great War 1914-1918. Their front line skirted the northern edge of Thiepval wood, facing a gentle upward slope toward Schwaben Redoubt, a defensive complex in the second main German trench system north of Thiepval. - Royal Ulster Rifles Museum We are now on Facebook. Royal Irish Rifles. Rfm. The third Battalion was short-lived and was disbanded in . dailyinfo[27]=' 5778 Private William CUMMINGS 6th Bn. [2], The battalion's first major action was the Battle of Neuve Chapelle between 10 and 13 March 1915. Pat Toman was part of the re-built battalion until the 2nd of June 1918 when he was wounded while on a night patrol in the Ypres area. After an initial artillery bombardment, the battalion advanced to the previously captured German front lines and helped to secure the village of Neuve-Chapelle. Moved to Dublin but was at Newtownards by February 1916. Formed in Belfast in September 1914 from the Belfast Volunteers. The sculpture was created by David Annand (www.davidannand.com). There is a guide at TNAhttp://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/prisoners-of-war-british-hands/. The Regiment was officially formed in 1881 when the 83rd and 86th Regiments of Foot were amalgamated however its history can be traced back 88 years prior to this date. The regiment returned home in 1875 and then Rory found himself in Bermuda in 1880 before the unit was amalgamated. 6 November 1914 : landed at Le Havre. though the '5/' prefix to his 9929 number intimates that at one time he was with the 5th Battalion.. Pte 15th Btn (d.22nd Nov 1917), Cathcart Herbert. Robert Quigg, 12th Bttn - 1st July 1916 at Hamel, France. The unit's final incarnation was as D (London Irish Rifles) Company, the London Regiment. 1st Battalion (d.24th April 1917), Gibson Walter David. Repatriated 27.11.1918. This happened on the 14th of July 1916 after his battalion had been in action at Ovilliers. A Coy. By 16 August, when it had advanced well forward of the rest of the attacking force, it only had one surviving officer and 60 other ranks. Recruting map of Ireland in the First World War. The regiment was one of eight infantry regiments raised and garrisoned in Ireland during this period. For Sergeant OCathain the war ended in the Winter of 1914. He received four metals and have attached two pages of the medals that my uncle/his son sent to me: (1) Victory Medal; (2) medal from his tour in Middle East because it read Iraq under the ribbon and the medal; (3) a silver medal with the bust of George V on one side and on the other side is a man on a horse; and the last one is gold with crossed sword with a wreathon one side and on the other side is 9929 (line 1), - I cannot read -Harper (line 2), and Royal Irish Rifles (line 3). [6] Very few of its original members from 1914 survived the war.[7]. Royal Irish Rifles (d.1st Jul 1916), Rfmn. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Search for WW1 Service Personal with Irish connections. Thank you, Janis. 11th (South Antrim) Btn. var mydate=new Date() Eighteen was the conscription age under the Military Service Act 1916 which did not apply to Ireland. All Rights Reserved. (d.7th Jun 1917), Barnett Robert Henry. - Inniskillings Museum It participated in several of the most significant battles of the war, including the battles of Neuve-Chapelle, the Somme, Passchendaele and St Quentin. [1] The Ottoman Empire had not yet entered the war so the battalion was sent to England in September, where it prepared for a deployment to France, attached to the 25th Infantry Brigade, 8th Division. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. The Cairo garrison, together with a Royal Irish Rifles mounted infantry platoon of two officers and 37 other ranks, commanded by Brigadier Francis Grenfell, was hastily sent to Suakin in the Sudan were fighting ensued, where the military commander was Colonel Herbert Kitchener. Formed in Newcastle around October 1915 as a Reserve Battalion, from depot companies of 14th and 15th Bns. Probably because his enlistment in the R.I.R. August 1914 : at Tidworth. It was therefore most appropriate that on 28 June 2016 Her Majesty and His Royal Highness returned to the area to put the Royal seal of approval on this tribute to Bushmills very own Great War hero. 15th (Service) Battalion (North Belfast) The 1st Battalion took part in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle in March 1915, the Battle of Fromelles in July 1915 and the Battle of Loos in September 1915 before taking part in the Battle of the Somme in September 1916. Formed in Newcastle in March 1915 as a Reserve Battalion, from depot companies of 8th, 9th and 10th Bns. 12th Btn. Privacy Policy and August 1914 : at Newtownards. 8th (Service) Battalion (East Belfast) Irish men of all denominations fought side by side in the 10th (Irish), 16th (Irish) and 36th (Ulster) Division, and were decorated for their gallantry and bravery throughout the war. October 1915 : landed at Boulogne. (d.7th Jun 1917), Brown Patrick. If you use Twitter, you can always contact me at my account @1418research. Rfm. . 4th Bn. Rfmn. Rflmn. 10th Btn. This information will help us make improvements to the website. If you find it a valuable resource, please consider becoming a supporter. The Society raised approximately 60,000, thanks to the help and support of the people of the Causeway area and far beyond. All three regiments were awarded Albert, the official designation of the opening phase from 1st to 13th July 1916. (d.16th Aug 1917), McClelland James. Moved to Carrickfergus in April 1915 and on to Newry in April 1917. July 1915 : moved to Seaford. Formed in Holywood around November 1915 as a Reserve Battalion, from depot companies of 13th and 16th Bns. Allsopp Matthew. Rfm. The 107 Infantry Brigade HQ diary ishere, orhere. Rflmn. Also known as the 18th (Royal Irish) Regiment of Foot and the 18th (The Royal Irish) Regiment of Foot, it was one of eight Irish regiments raised largely in Ireland, its home depot in Clonmel. Among the other honoured engagements of the Somme campaign, the Inniskillings were involved at Bazentin Ridge and also received the honour Ancre 1916. There is help on reading map referenceshere. Val Whitty 1st Btn. The attack was unsuccessful and cost the battalion many lives, including that of its colonel, who was mortally wounded early in the offensive. (d.7th June 1917), McIlroy Samuel. 6 Reserve Lorry Park Royal Air Force who died 28/02/1919 BELGRADE CEMETERY Belgium ' 13th Btn. 11th Btn (d.1st Jul 1916), Moorhead James. William McCullough 9th Btn. In August the 1st Battalion was stationed in Aden (now Yemen). Rflmn. Rflmn. 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion Formed at Dublin in August 1914 as part of K1 and came under command of 29th Brigade in 10th (Irish) Division. Rflmn. 1st Bn. The Boers fought using guerrilla tactics. The last casualty that Quigg saved was Robert Matthews, from the village of Mosside, less than six miles from Bushmills. They proceeded to France with the BEF, landing at Rouen on the 14th of August. Please note Sergeant Rory OCathain is a fictitious character. Over 60,000 was raised. 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