Researching soldiers of the British Army in the Great War of 1914-1919. 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. Rflmn. 5th Bde. var fontstart = '' The medals in your PDF are in the reverse order. Hi Janis, He was born at Gilford, Co. Down, 15.11.1898, the son of George and Sarah Jane Harper nee Quinn. Royal Horse Artillery who died 21/02/1917 GUARDS CEMETERY, COMBLES France ' (d.6th Jun 1918), Scott Walter. 1st Btn. Re-enlisted the following day, number 7006511. 13th (Service) Battalion (1st County Down) dailyinfo[5]=' 12147 Private Harry COOK 8th Bn. 1st Battalion (d.21st March 1918), Bustard W. E.. 14th Btn. 2nd Battalion All three brigades fought in the Battle for Ginchy, although 49th Brigade was in reserve initially. 20 December 1914 : landed at Le Havre. 14th Btn. In the early 1880s Muhammad Ahmad, the self-proclaimed Mahdi (the Guided One) proclaimed a Jihad and led an uprising in the Sudan, known as the Mahdi Revolt, against the Khedivate of Egypt. L/Cpl. (d.7th Jun 1917), Brien Phelim. 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. 6 Reserve Lorry Park Royal Air Force who died 28/02/1919 BELGRADE CEMETERY Belgium ' This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google We have discovered photographs that we didn't know existed and have just recently discovered what our father looked like as a young man. Machine boy. AU $50.00 + AU $7.00 postage. Rflm. In 1827 the Regiment added the titles of Fusilier and Royal to its name when its namesake the Prince of Wales acceded to the throne as King George IV and became the 87th (or Royal Irish Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot. in Runcorn, Cheshire. 12th Btn. Bloomfield Arthur Henry. - Royal Irish Rifles during the Great War -. There is a guide at TNAhttp://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/prisoners-of-war-british-hands/. Rflmn. Survivors continued to fight with various units until the end of March when the battalion was moved to reserve and the task of rebuilding it began. (d.1st Jul 1916), Purdon Herbert. 14th (Young Citizens) Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles during the Great War 1914-1918. (d.7th Jun 1917), Mercer Samuel. Rory came from a poor Catholic working-class family in Belfast. Royal Irish Rifles - The Great War (1914-1918) Forum Moved to England in April 1918, going to Larkhill where absorbed by 3rd (Reserve) Bn. 14 October 1917 : transferred to 108th Brigade in 36th (Ulster) Division. My Grandad was shot in the thigh by a machine gun bullet but made it back to friendly lines alive. 6 November 1914 : landed at Le Havre. . 14th Btn. . Royal Irish Rifles. World War One Photos, Obituaries & Service Records. I was personally greatly privileged to have the honour of welcoming the Queen to Bushmills, informing the audience about the statue, and inviting Her Majesty to perform the unveiling. We are incredibly proud of him and how he survived the unimaginable conflict that he endured from 1914 until his discharge in 1917. 12th Btn. (d.21st Nov 1917), Bothwell R.. 14th Btn. 15th Btn. We place some essential cookies on your device to make this website work. Rfn 15th Btn (North Belfast), Hamilton John Irvine. The 1st Battalion Royal Irish Rifles was serving in Aden when the First World War broke out in August 1914. 8th Btn. 2th Btn. 6th (Service) Battalion William McFadzean, 14th Bttn - 1st July 1916 at Theipval, France. 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. Rfm. L/Cpl. 9th Battalion (d.1st July 1916), Hawthorne G. A.. 10th Btn. The Royal Irish. Moved to Dublin but was at Newtownards by February 1916. 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 village had resisted all previous attempts to capture it and resistance remained stubborn, resulting in heavy losses for 47th Brigade. [Second County Down Volunteers] Introduction: This summary of the history of the 16th Battalion from September 1914 to May 1919, is recorded mainly on a monthly basis with events listed on the 1st day of each month except in circumstances requiring further . Pte. Royal Irish Rifles (d.16th Aug 1917), Pte. August 1914 : at Newtownards. The Robert Quigg V.C. 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. Part of 7th Brigade in 3rd Division. Rfm. The Red Cross have a couple of records which can be linked to (using the 'PA' and 'R' numbers shown) from thisindex card. Royal Irish Rifles, Rflmn. 'I turned over one poor chap on a rocky, bloody crag on Tanngoucha. 9th Btn. John Armstrong 7th Btn. (d.7th Jun 1917), Brown Patrick. 14th (Young Citizens) Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles in the Great War Combined Irish Regiments - Royal Irish Rifles. Returned to UK and landed at Devonport on 18 November 1914, then came under command of 82nd Brigade, 27th Division. 6 November 1914 : landed at Le Havre. "Foyle." Kings Royal Rifle Corps who died 02/03/1915 YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL Belgium ' Add a Name to this List The Faughs, whose involvement did not begin until late in the day, became embroiled in an effort to relieve troops besieged in the German redoubt known as The Quadrilateral. Pte. In 1937, the London Irish Rifles became a Territorial Army battalion of the Rifles, and the only TA battalion of an Irish regiment. At home in Ireland men volunteered in their thousands and all three regiments soon formed new battalions. Moved to England in April 1918, going to Larkhill. Royal Irish Rifles, Rfm. I was able to walk along the very road where he was wounded for the last time in 1918 and to visit the grave of his patrol mate Herbert Musgrave. Rfmn. Returned to Belfast in April 1916. Was your Army Service Corps soldier renumbered with a T4 prefix? 17th (Reserve) Battalion Middlesex Regiment who died 25/02/1921 LADYWELL CEMETERY United Kingdom ' 2nd Btn. Absorbed into 2nd Bn on 14 November 1917. His British War & Victory medal roll record (as linked by Jon in post #2) indicates that his WW1 overseas service was entirely with the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Irish Rifles. The painting, 'Attack of the Ulster Division, 1 July 1916' by J P Beadle' is reproduced by kind permission of the Belfast City Council. Not so well known are the stories of other Irish regiments and other battalions of our antecedent regiments in that attack. Rflm. In 1888 Wilhelm II was crowned 'German Emperor and King of Prussia' and moved from a policy of maintaining the status quo to a more aggressive position. Northumberland Fusiliers, 27th Bt . 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. 9th Btn. Their company-strength operation succeeded, resulting in the capture of enemy equipment and prisoners, and a Military Cross for the Company Commander. Moore John Trid. The remaining nine never appeared and were assumed to have died. My other grandfather, who served on the German side, was also aPoW. (d.8 January 1916), Ayre Samuel. (d.4th Jun 1916), Boulding Frank Thomas. Both regular battalions of the Inniskillings were involved, as were 1st Bn The Royal Irish Rifles and 1st Bn The Royal Irish Fusiliers. Came under orders of 109th Brigade in 36th (Ulster) Division. 18 February 1918 : disbanded in France, troops going to 22nd Entrenching Battalion. 1996-2023 The Long, Long Trail. 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. The sculpture was created by David Annand (www.davidannand.com). 1st Battalion. 15th Batt (d.21st March 1918), Wadeley Ernest Benjamin. On the 7th of July 1915 they sailed from Liverpool for . 15 May 1918 : disbanded at Deir-el-Nidham. 8th Btn. cojanis15 February , 2019 in Soldiers and their units. Michael Jordan 6th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles (d.10th Aug 1915), Ireland's Unknown Soldiers: The 16th (Irish) Division in the Great War, Belfast Boys: How Unionists and Nationalists Fought and Died Together in the First World War. dailyinfo[12]=' 457 Lance Corporal Arthur Price ROWE 2nd/7th Bn. Royal Irish Rifles | The National Archives 2nd Lt. Edmund DeWind VC 15th Btn. He was then aged 20 years 4 months. He was seven hours engaged in this most gallant work, and finally was so exhausted that he had to give it up. 'Nec Aspera Terrent. (d.7th June 1917), Brown John. David has worked on several other high-profile public sculptures of famous people, including Robert Dunlop in Ballymoney, Co. Antrim and Todger Jones V.C. Commemoration Society was formed in October 2012 with the main objective of raising sufficient funds to erect a statue of Robert Quigg V.C. My mission is to make the Long, Long Trail the best and most helpful reference site about the British Army in the Great War. Looks like 2nd Battalion. Rflmn. 13th (1st County Down) Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles in the Great War 8 February 1918 : transferred to 107th Brigade in same Division. (d.31st Jan 1917), Brady Edward. Royal Irish Rifles (d.19th May 1916), Rflmn. The 16th (Irish) Division arrived in France in April 1916 and fought in France and Flanders, in the Battles of Loos, Somme, Messines, Passchendaele, Cambrai and Kaiserschlacht when the entire division was reduced to cadre strength. Frank Harrison EDINGER Army Chaplains Department who died 26/02/1918 HOLLYBROOK MEMORIAL, SOUTHAMPTON United Kingdom ' (d.16 Aug 1917), Hoey William Robert. att 109th Light Trench Mortar Bty (d.1st Jul 1916), McNally F.. Rfm. 2nd Battalion (d.6th Aug 1917 ), McClements William James. Served in Mesopotamia 18.9.1919 to 23.5.1921. In 29th Division, on the left, 1st Bn The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, veterans of Gallipoli (as was the Division), suffered losses second only to those of 1st Bn The Hampshire Regiment; 29th Divisions overall losses were higher than those of 36th. 9th Btn. Rfm. Among the other honoured engagements of the Somme campaign, the Inniskillings were involved at Bazentin Ridge and also received the honour Ancre 1916. The Ulster Division withdrew to count its losses. During the First World War officers and men of The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers were awarded eight Victoria Crosses, The Royal Irish Rifles three and The Royal Irish Fusiliers two. Pte 13th (1st County Down) Battalion, Richardson I.. 10th Btn (d.1st Jul 1916), Russell Christopher. Adair J. Moved to England in April 1918, going to Larkhill where absorbed by 3rd (Reserve) Bn. In 1917 they were in action at the Battle of Messines attacking between the Wulverghem-Messines and Wulverghem-Wytschaete roads. . British Army pre WW1 period Artist Rifles hat badge | eBay All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, 7th Btn. 20th (Reserve) Battalion On 14 August it landed in Rouen with 1,100 men as part of the 7th Brigade, 3rd Division. - Royal Ulster Rifles Museum The Regiment went on to serve during the Burmese War of 1824-26 and returned to India in 1849 during the Indian Mutiny (1857-1859 . Our 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. Sgt. World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment 8th (East Belfast) Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles 8th (East Belfast) Battalion was raised in Belfast September 1914 from the Belfast Volunteers. Moved to Ballykinlare and came under orders of 107th Brigade in 36th (Ulster) Division. A greater British commitment was called for and Haigs plea for a delay until August was rejected. Cunliffe, Marcus, The Royal Irish Fusiliers, 1793-1968 (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1970). 1st Battalion (d.21st March 1918), Parker Robert John. He was facing the right way, the last round of a clip in the breech and three dead Germans in front of him. Royal Irish Rifles - The Long, Long Trail 15th (North Belfast) Battalion, Davies Henry John Herbert. The 1st Battalion Royal Irish Rifles was serving in Aden when the First World War broke out in August 1914. dailyinfo[17]=' PLY/3566 Private Samuel ROBINSON H.M.S. Bennett Robert William . Later in the war, he served in Mesopotamia and Egypt and he continued his army career until 1934, finishing with the rank of Sergeant. A training unit of the Special Reserve, it moved on mobilisation to Holywood Barracks, with detachments going on coast defences. (d.1st July 1916) Bothwell R.. (d.1st Jul 1917) Welcome. In his history of the Ulster Division, Cyril Falls, an officer of the Division, dismisses the attack by 108th Brigade on the left flank as separate from the other and of less importance, a strange comment since this attack was integral to the overall 36th Division, and Fourth Army, plan. [6] Yet again, its colonel was killed on the opening day of the battle and the rest of the battalion suffered massive casualties. William John Thompson 13th Battalion, B Company Royal Irish Rifles (d.30th May 1916). World War One Photos, Obituaries & Service Records. Rflmn. It's easy! On 8 February 1918 the battalion transferred again to 107th Brigade, 36th (Ulster) Division. The third Battalion was short-lived and was disbanded in . 10th Btn. Thomas Robert Corkin 16th Btn. August 1914 : in Aden. July 1915 : moved to Seaford. The cap badge of The Royal Irish Regiment traces a direct lineage back through The Ulster Defence Regiment to The Royal Ulster Rifles, although the harp and crown in various different shapes is emblematic of a significant number of Irish regiments. We'd like to use additional cookies to remember your settings and understand how you use our services. 12th (Service) Battalion, (Central Antrim), Royal Irish Rifles. Today it has passed from memory, but its opening day is written indelibly into the Armys history as its bloodiest ever. He died in 1955, at the age of seventy, and was buried with full military honours at Billy Parish Church, near Bushmills. (d.15th July 1916), Ireland James. . British Army WW1 period 23rd Hussars hat badge. 2nd Lt. 11th (South Antrim) Btn. Looking at your PDF, the medals are (left to right): Curiously, his Medal Index Card (linked by Jon in post#3) isn't annotated to show an award of the 14/15 Star; and I didn't find him in the relevant medal roll. 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! Rflm. (d.7th June 1917), McIlroy Samuel. Killed in action on the 1st July 1916 - Age 20. They moved to the Curragh in February 1915 then in May 1915 they moved to Hackwood Park, Basingstoke, England for final training. This sample comprises some 15,000 records of soldiers who served with the Royal Irish Rifles and Royal Irish Fusiliers up to 1922. (d.9th May 1915), Rankin Samuel. Please note: We are unable to provide individual research. Rifleman 12th Battalion (d.1st July 1916), Black John. dailyinfo[23]=' 9656 Private Isaac COOPER "A" Coy. The Royal Irish Rifles, especially the 1st and 2nd Battalions. (d.16th Aug 1917), Bailie David. The Society raised approximately 60,000, thanks to the help and support of the people of the Causeway area and far beyond. It was amazing to see him with both arms and looking amazingly like my son, his grandson at the same age 100 years apart. 14th Btn. 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. 14th Battalion. It participated in several of the most significant battles of the war, including the battles of Neuve-Chapelle, the Somme, Passchendaele and St Quentin. 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 . The London Irish Rifles (LIR) was a reserve infantry regiment and then company of the British Army. Rflm. The 36th (Ulster) Division arrived in France in October 1915 and fought in France and Flanders, in the Battles of Somme, Messines, Passchendaele, Cambrai, Kaiserschlacht and the final 100 days of war that led to victory. He left behind his wife Catherine (Nee McCormick) and his three sons Richard, Patrick and John. The 2nd Battalion were in action again on the Somme in the Battles of the Lys and the final advance in Flanders. Ironically, the sole Somme battle honour not awarded to an Irish regiment was Thiepval. var year=mydate.getYear() Returned to UK and landed at Liverpool on 22 October 1914. var mydate=new Date() 2nd Lt. 10th Btn. Copyright 2023. London Irish Rifles - Wikipedia Royal Irish Rifles (d.14th Jul 1917), 2nd Lt. Sydney James Livingston Downey 14th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles (d.7th Jun 1917), Rflmn. (d.7th Jun 1917), Burns John. On 15/02/2019 at 15:12, jonbem said: On 17/02/2019 at 14:33, kenf48 said: WARD, Frederick, Private (50236). Royal Irish Rifles (d.21st April 1917), 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. A Coy. WW1 British Army, Royal Irish Rifles . On 1 July 1916, Quigg advanced with his platoon towards the German trenches through a torrent of gunfire and artillery. The bloody and prolonged Somme campaign included some of the hardest-earned battle honours handed down from our antecedent regiments. Battle Honour ST QUENTIN - German Spring Offensive 1918. Rfm. dailyinfo[30]=' B/469 Worker Charles BARLOW Australian Munition Worker who died 30/01/1918 NORTH SHEEN CEMETERY United Kingdom ' dailyinfo[15]=' SS/342 Able Seaman Henry George SMITH (RFR/CH/B/5534). 15th Btn. Moved to Clandeboye in December 1914. (d.1st Jul 1916), Topping Samuel. 2nd Battalion By nightfall, the 12th Battalion had suffered horrific casualties and Quigg learned that Sir Harry Macnaghten was among the missing. Albert Edward Cox 14th Btn. Samuel McCrory 10th Btn. On 1 April 2022 soldiers in the company transferred to foot guards regiments and the company became No 15 (Loos) Company, Irish Guards. Salter J. W.. 2nd Lt. B Coy 11th (South Antrim) Btn. The Long, Long Trail has always been free to use but it does cost money to operate. (Brigadier Nelson Russell, Commander 38 (Irish) Brigade, 1942-44), For individual museum opening times and information, please click on the relevant museum below: Library contains many many diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text. Royal Irish Rifles Archives - History Hub Ulster Royal Irish Rifles (d.1st Jul 1916), Rfmn. 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. [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. 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles in the Great War - The Wartime In 25th Brigade of the 8th Division, 1st Bn The Royal Irish Rifles took part in the attack on Ovillers. Rest in peace in Mill Road Cemetery . Upon the outbreak of war in 1914 he was called up to regular service and the battalion went to Belfast to act as a training unit. dailyinfo[28]=' 19673 Leading Aircraftman Samuel Ambrose TICKNER Meritorious Service Medal No. Thanks to everyone who has supported us over this time. August 1914 : at Belfast. 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. Rflmn. He was a prisoner-of-war but I don't know where. Royal Irish Rifles (d.21st Nov 1917), Rflmn. 18 February 1918 : disbanded in France. Otherwise my contact details can be found at www.fourteeneighteen.co.uk. Rflmn. The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling), 83rd, 87th and The All Rights Reserved. . 1st Battalion Royal Irish Rifles in World War I, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1st_Battalion_Royal_Irish_Rifles_in_World_War_I&oldid=1092217151, Battalions of the British Army in World War I, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 8 June 2022, at 22:02.