World War One Photos, Obituaries & Service Records. We'd like to use additional cookies to remember your settings and understand how you use our services. Address Stromore Road, Gilford. Pte. "Foyle." 9th (Service) Battalion (West Belfast) 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. Rflmn. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Moved to the Curragh in February 1915. 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 . The regiment was one of eight infantry regiments raised and garrisoned in Ireland during this period. The last man he dragged in on a waterproof sheet from within a few yards of the enemys wire. 14th Btn. 9th Btn. They proceeded to France with the BEF, landing at Rouen on the 14th of August. WW1 British Army, Royal Irish Rifles . 14 October 1917 : transferred to 108th Brigade in 36th (Ulster) Division. In 1937, the London Irish Rifles became a Territorial Army battalion of the Rifles, and the only TA battalion of an Irish regiment. Blair T.. (d.1st Jul 1916) Booth Hudson. (d.7th Jun 1917), Brien Phelim. 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. Both regular battalions of the Inniskillings were involved, as were 1st Bn The Royal Irish Rifles and 1st Bn The Royal Irish Fusiliers. Terms of Service apply. He has travelled to places most have never heard of. - Royal Irish Fusiliers Museum Thank you, Janis. 8th (Service) Battalion (East Belfast) (d.7th Jun 1917) Beggs Thomas Alex Thompson. Among the other honoured engagements of the Somme campaign, the Inniskillings were involved at Bazentin Ridge and also received the honour Ancre 1916. In 25th Brigade of the 8th Division, 1st Bn The Royal Irish Rifles took part in the attack on Ovillers. ROYAL IRISH RIFLES. 7 February 1918 : disbanded in France. dailyinfo[19]=' 9228 Corporal George F. PARRY 2nd Bn. .Faugh-a-Ballagh!, [Above:Troops of the Royal Irish Rifles resting in a communication trench during the opening hours of the Battle of the Somme, 1 July 1916. Loker Churchyard, 14th Btn. Stanley Maurice Downs 3616 &, 7006511 service number relates to a general renumbering of the army in 1920, and falls within the number block allocated to the Royal Irish Rifles - see, The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th medals are the Victory Medal, the British War Medal, and the 1914/15 Star - see, War Establishments (composition of units) and Orders of Battle (composition of formations). 14th Btn. This information will help us make improvements to the website. (d.16th Aug 1917), McClelland James. McCracken William John. Royal Irish Rifles: KIA: The 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Rifles came into being following the reorganisation of the British Army in 1881. [2], The battalion's first major action was the Battle of Neuve Chapelle between 10 and 13 March 1915. 14th Bde. Formed in Belfast in September 1914 from the Belfast Volunteers. Combined Irish Regiments - Royal Irish Rifles. Sergeant OCathain is a long service career soldier joining up with the 86th (Royal County Down) Regiment of Foot when he was only a young teenager: he had lied about his age. Was 19 years old that a man could enlisted? 1st Btn. 18 February 1918 : disbanded in France. Rflmn. Ourheroesinmemoriam.co.uk. of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and Donegal County Museum. Returned to UK and landed at Devonport on 18 November 1914, then came under command of 82nd Brigade, 27th Division. Pte. Four Victoria Crosses, including three posthumous awards, were earned in the course of the day, two to The Royal Irish Rifles and one each to The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and The Royal Irish Fusiliers. Their company-strength operation succeeded, resulting in the capture of enemy equipment and prisoners, and a Military Cross for the Company Commander. [6], Following the Armistice, the battalion was posted to the formerly German-occupied area of Mouscron in Belgium before returning to England in May 1919. 6th (Service) Battalion Rflmn. (d.7th Jun 1917), Bird Alfred Thomas. A German raid inflicted casualties in April 1916, but worse was to come in the Battle of the Somme in July, when the battalion was ordered to attack the German-held village of Ovillers-la-Boisselle. Formed in County Antrim in September 1914 from the Antrim Volunteers. dailyinfo[4]=' Matrose Paul KURZKE Torpedoboot "G85" German Navy who died 04/03/1919 CANNOCK CHASE GERMAN MILITARY CEMETERY United Kingdom ' The attack was unsuccessful and cost the battalion many lives, including that of its colonel, who was mortally wounded early in the offensive. 14th Btn. 'I turned over one poor chap on a rocky, bloody crag on Tanngoucha. On 14 August it landed in Rouen with 1,100 men as part of the 7th Brigade, 3rd Division. dailyinfo[25]=' 262952 Private Archibald Stanley BURGNEAY 8th Bn. 1st Battalion. 2nd Battalion 1st Battalion (d.24th April 1917), Gibson Walter David. Although the attack in the northern sector of Fourth Armys line had been repelled almost everywhere, there was significant success to the south where divisions of XV and XIII Corps took most of their first-day objectives; many of the others were taken in subsequent days. It would appear he remained in the Army after repatriation and was posted back to the 2nd Battalion who were sent to Iraq in 1919. The leading battalions of 109th Brigade (9th Bn and 10th Bn The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers) broke into the Schwaben Redoubt with some elements even pushing on to reach the D Line, part of the German second defensive zone. Braving No-Mans Land Sergeant Robert Quigg V.C, By Leonard Quigg/the Robert Quigg V.C. 1st Garrison Battalion Royal Irish Rifles. He is buried in Forceville Communal Cemetery and Extension, France. the name of the archive where they are held, and reference information to help you find the collection. Royal Irish Rifles - Ireland's Great War 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. Upcoming changes to logging in - click here, GWF is free to use so please support the Forum, http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/prisoners-of-war-british-hands/, The George V, General Service Medal - the clasp indicates the qualification was by virtue of serving at Ramadi or north of a line east and west through Ramadi between 10 December 1919 and 13 June 1920, or as part of an establishment within Iraq between 1 July and 17 November 1920. There are:7597 items tagged Royal Irish Rifles available in our Library These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War. I don't know exactly how he died, as records say he "Died of Wounds." 3rd Bn. William John Thompson 13th Battalion, B Company Royal Irish Rifles (d.30th May 1916). 11th Btn (d.1st Jul 1916), Moorhead James. If you find it a valuable resource, please consider becoming a supporter. At home in Ireland men volunteered in their thousands and all three regiments soon formed new battalions. 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. Rflmn. May 1915 : moved to Hackwood Park (Basingstoke). Rflm. Uniquely, The Royal Irish Rifles were awarded two on the same day - 1 July 1916. Royal Ulster Rifles - Wikipedia October 1915 : landed at Boulogne. July 1915 : moved to Seaford. His medal citation reports that: ..Early next morning, hearing a rumour that his platoon officer was lying out wounded, he went out seven times to look for him under heavy shell and machine-gun fire, each time bringing back a wounded man. 3 February 1918 : transferred to 107th Brigade in 36th (Ulster) Division. Trace your military heritage through our Research Database. var mydate=new Date() 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles in the Great War - The Wartime Like this page to receive our updates, add a comment or ask a question. When he eventually died, aged 93, he left us with many happy memories of a great father and medals and papers from his time in the war. Probably because his enlistment in the R.I.R. No personal details are collected. On 1 April 2022 soldiers in the company transferred to foot guards regiments and the company became No 15 (Loos) Company, Irish Guards. The service of the 1st Battalion Royal Irish Rifles in World War I saw the battalion serving on the Western Front throughout the war. 14 August 1914 : landed at Rouen. Albert Edward Cox 14th Btn. 10 x Army buttons London Irish Rifles group horn WW1 WW2 era KC 24 mm dailyinfo[1]=' Staff Nurse Edith Mary CAMMACK Associate of the Royal Red Cross, 2nd Class 4th Southern Gen. Hos. Please note we currently have a massive backlog of submitted material, our volunteers are working through this as quickly as possible and all names, stories and photos will be added to the site. Collins William Robert. Those who earned them did so in a tradition born in the 17th century and carried on in the 21st century by the officers and all ranks of The Royal Irish Regiment. The army and the regiment have been good to him. 13th Btn. (d.1st July 1916), McAuley John. Pte. 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. Pte 15th Btn (d.22nd Nov 1917), Cathcart Herbert. (d.24th March 1917), Blair A. G.. 10th Btn. (d.22nd October 1918), Watson Joseph. Worcestershire Regiment who died 23/02/1915 LOKER CHURCHYARD Belgium ' The original hangs in the City Hall, Belfast. 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. (d.16th January 1916), Mussen Richard. Rflmn. 26 October 1915 : transferred to 74th Brigade in same Division. var month=mydate.getMonth()+1 . 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. July 1915 : moved to Seaford. 9th Btn. (d.4th October 1914), Craig Thomas. dailyinfo[9]=' Boy SALEH HAJI S.S. TANGISTAN (Swansea).Indian Merchant Service who died 09/03/1915 BOMBAY 1914-1918 MEMORIAL, MUMBAI India ' A Coy. Rfmn. 12th Btn. Battle Honour ST QUENTIN - German Spring Offensive 1918. We are now on Facebook. - Royal Irish Fusiliers Museum Moved to England in April 1918, going to Larkhill. Royal Irish Rifles, Rfm. He was seven hours engaged in this most gallant work, and finally was so exhausted that he had to give it up. 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. Pte 13th (1st County Down) Battalion, Richardson I.. 10th Btn (d.1st Jul 1916), Russell Christopher. Exploring a Shared History for a Better Future. 15th(North Belfast)Btn. Accepting he may have added a few months to his age on enlistment if he told the truth it means he enlisted aged eighteen. It was recalled and landed at Liverpool on 22 October 1914, it was then dispatched to Le Havre as part of the 25th Brigade, 8th Division in November 1914 for service on the Western Front. Highland Light Infantry who died 19/03/1915 LE TOURET MEMORIAL France ' 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. All three brigades fought in the Battle for Ginchy, although 49th Brigade was in reserve initially. October 1915 : landed at Le Havre. Ken, we were under the assumption that he lied about his age when he enlisted. H.M.S. 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. 14th Btn. 9th Battalion (d.1st July 1916), Hawthorne G. A.. 10th Btn. David Watson 12th Btn. Came under orders of 109th Brigade in 36th (Ulster) Division. 11th Battalion (d.16th Aug 1917), Tweedie Charles. privacy policy, GB/NNAF/C22543 (Former ISAAR ref: GB/NNAF/O38291 ). A week later 16th (Irish) Division attacked Ginchy, a mile north-east of Guillemont. (d.7th June 1917), Brown John. - Royal Ulster Rifles Museum After a rest, it was posted to Bouchavesnes-Bergen at the end of December and advanced to take a swathe of German-held territory during the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line in March 1917. Rfm. 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. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. att 109th Light Trench Mortar Bty (d.1st Jul 1916), McNally F.. Rfm. There is help on reading map referenceshere. Unit History: Royal Irish Rifles - Forces War Records Royal Irish Rifles - The Long, Long Trail 2nd Bn. Pte. A commemorative paving stone honouring the war hero was unveiled beside the sculpture by His Royal Highness, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip. Rfm. 2nd Lt. Edmund DeWind VC 15th Btn. 15th Btn. One war correspondent wrote that Their attack was one of the finest displays of human courage in the world but, on 1st and 2nd July, their losses exceeded 5,500 dead, wounded or missing. The village had resisted all previous attempts to capture it and resistance remained stubborn, resulting in heavy losses for 47th Brigade. att 109th Light Trench Mortar Bty (d.1st Jul 1916), Moore Robert. The Boers fought using guerrilla tactics. 1st of September 2022 marks 23 years since the launch of the Wartime Memories Project. The Division was relieved on 2 July, having suffered 5104 casualties of who approximately 2069 died. 36th (Ulster) Division - The Long, Long Trail Moved in January 1915 to Ballyvonare. dailyinfo[3]=' 45 Gunner HAZURA SINGH 31st Mountain Battery Indian Mountain Artillery who died 03/03/1920 TEHRAN MEMORIAL Iranm ' Beggs Thomas Alexander Thompson. Moved at first to Newcastle and disbanded on 20 February 1918 but otherwise record same as 8th Bn. 20 December 1915 : landed at le Havre. He served with the regiment in Gibraltar in 1864, Mauritius in 1867, and the Cape of Good Hope in 1870. The Royal Irish Rifles Graveyard, was carried on by fighting units until July 1916; and these original burials are now in Plots I and II. I have a question: once a PoW is released, how long before he returns to his unit (I know it would depend on the soldier's condition.)? (d.24th Dec 1917), Magee Robert. They should be Star, War Medal, Victory Medal and General Service Medal. + AU $7.00 postage. Rfm. When The Royal Irish Rangers was formed by the amalgamation of the three antecedent regiments of the North Irish Brigade on 1st July 1968, the date chosen marked not only the birth of the new regiment, but a major battle honour shared by its antecedents: The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, The Royal Ulster Rifles and The Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victorias). 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. Pte. 4th Btn. Those known to have served with Royal Irish Rifles during the Great War 1914-1918. dailyinfo[13]=' 37643 Sapper Thomas John ECCLESTON Tunnelling Coy. Battle Honour ST QUENTIN - German Spring Offensive 1918. John had been born in September of 1914 and his other sons were two and four years old. After an initial artillery bombardment, the battalion advanced to the previously captured German front lines and helped to secure the village of Neuve-Chapelle. Battle of The Somme, 1916. | Royal Irish - Virtual Military Gallery Trace your military heritage through our Research Database. The sole Irish unit involved was 2nd Bn The Royal Irish Regiment (18th of Foot) in 22nd Brigade of the 7th Division, at Mametz. var daym=mydate.getDate() (d.1st July 1915), Blackadder Thomas. Bluecher German Navy who died 29/01/1915 CANNOCK CHASE GERMAN MILITARY CEMETERY United Kingdom ' October 1915 : landed at Boulogne. 8th Btn. They embarked for Britain on the 27th of September 1914 and arrived at Liverpool on the 22nd of October they joined 25th Brigade, 8th Division at Hursley Park, Winchester. Salter J. W.. 2nd Lt. B Coy 11th (South Antrim) Btn. Update News. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. August 1914 : at Belfast. (The exception was after April 1918, but not relevant here as he was captured during the German Spring Offensive). The Royal Irish Rifles, especially the 1st and 2nd Battalions. dailyinfo[5]=' 12147 Private Harry COOK 8th Bn. Royal Navy who died 15/03/1917 CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL United Kingdom ' Richard Whitworth 2nd Btn Royal Irish Rifles (d.8th Aug 1917), Sgt. Rflmn. Lance Sjt. London Scottish at Messines, Halloween 1914. If the information here has been helpful or you have enjoyed reaching the stories please conside making a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting or this site will vanish from the web. 29 August 1917 : amalgamated with 9th Bn to form 8/9th Bn. It then had to weather heavy German counter-attacks which failed to dislodge the members of the battalion but caused very heavy casualties, amounting to 18 officers and 440 other ranks, including its Colonel. and 34th Coy. Free delivery for many products. Royal Irish Rifles Battalions of the Regular Army 1st Battalion August 1914 : in Aden. (d.31st Jan 1917), Brady Edward. (Salonika) Territorial Force Nursing Service who died 01/03/1918 KNOWLE (SS. Rfm. (d.23rd Nov. 1917), Baker W. J.. Rfm. A date of birth may help to indicate when he was posted to the BEF. Commemoration Society was formed in October 2012 with the main objective of raising sufficient funds to erect a statue of Robert Quigg V.C. 9th Btn. The events of the day were made even more spectacular by the presence of some 150 members of the Irish Guards the regimental band, the pipes and drums, the regimental mascot, wolfhound Domhnall, and a guard of honour. (d.1st July 1916) Bothwell R.. (d.1st Jul 1917) Cooper, Bryan, The Tenth (Irish) Division in Gallipoli (Dublin, Irish Academic Press, 1993). I was able to visit the battle fields in Belgium, where he fought for so long, in 2007. R.A.M.C WW1. (d.7th June 1917), McIlroy Samuel. Our Rflmn. [6] Yet again, its colonel was killed on the opening day of the battle and the rest of the battalion suffered massive casualties. He died in 1952 (15 years before I was born) but I grew up on legends and tales about him all my life and we all love him several generations on. 6th Battalion, The Royal Irish Rifles were raised at Dublin in August 1914 as part of Kitchener's First New Army and joined 29th Brigade, 10th (Irish) Division. Rflmn. (d.1st Jul 1916), Gallagher Thomas. You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. (d.1st Jul 1916), Topping Samuel. (d.2nd May 1915), Bowes Michael. Allsopp Matthew. 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. August 1914 : in Aden. During this patrol Major Herbert Musgrave from Corps Intelligence was killed. Rflmn. Moffett Alexander. James Shields 14th Btn. [6] Very few of its original members from 1914 survived the war.[7]. 12th Btn. Rest in peace in Mill Road Cemetery . Please note Sergeant Rory OCathain is a fictitious character. Royal Irish Rifles Battalions of the Regular Army 1st Battalion August 1914 : in Aden. At Armistice on 11 November the battalion were at Mouscron, north east of Tourcoing, where it remained and was demobilised by June 1919. Pages. A Coy. Killed in action on the 1st July 1916 - Age 20. 15 May 1918 : disbanded at Deir-el-Nidham. On 1 July 1916, Quigg advanced with his platoon towards the German trenches through a torrent of gunfire and artillery. 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. 5 March 1915 : absorbed a company of the Royal Jersey Militia. 2th Btn. Training was twelve weeks so the earliest he could have gone to France was February/March 1917. - Inniskillings Museum Rflmn. Researching soldiers of the British Army in the Great War of 1914-1919. Returned to Belfast in April 1916. . Its also engraved in the history of most regiments and in the nations psyche. 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:- . Pte. 13 November 1917 : transferred to 108th Brigade in 36th (Ulster) Division, absorbing 7th Battalion. Royal Irish Rifles. Royal Irish Rifles (d.1st Jul 1916), Sgt. Rflm. He fought in 15 major battles while in France. dailyinfo[24]=' Captain Denzil Robert THURSTON Air Force Cross Airship Training Wing (Cranwell). 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. July 1915 : moved to Seaford. (d.7th Jun 1917), Brown Patrick. 1st Battalion (d.21st March 1918), Bustard W. E.. 14th Btn. You should be aware of a few constraints and limitations. 2nd Btn. 1st Battalion (d.21st March 1918), Parker Robert John. The badge of the regiment as depicted on a CWGC grave headstone. 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. was introduced to the new Queen and her husband at their brief stop at Coleraine railway station. Cap badge of The Royal Irish Regiment Written by Chris Baker. dailyinfo[20]=' 10259 Private Charles BUCHANAN 1st Bn. Royal Irish Rifles (d.21st June 1917), Sgt. Rfm. . If you are enjoying the site, please consider making a donation, however small 14th Btn. Absorbed the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th (Reserve) Battalions in May. Image courtesy of the excellent Ben Sutherland collection at flickr.com, with thanks. 2nd Lt. 14th Btn. July 1915 : moved to Seaford. 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. 15th Battalion (d.1st July 1916), Kane J.. L/Cpl. William joined the Royal Irish Rifles, 36th Ulster Division and was sent to war in France on 4th of October 1915. Looking at the surviving records there is evidence that men enlisted significantly under age around this time and were weeded out. The painting, 'Attack of the Ulster Division, 1 July 1916' by J P Beadle' is reproduced by kind permission of the Belfast City Council. There is a guide at TNAhttp://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/prisoners-of-war-british-hands/. WW1 14th Battalion (Young Citizens Volunteers) Royal Irish Rifles Cap 108th Brigade / 36th (Ulster) Division . The Royal Irish. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has 715 recorded WW1 deaths for the 12th (Service) Battalion, (Central Antrim), Royal Irish Rifles. (d.22nd Mar 1917), Mailey John Henry. The Victoria Cross was awarded to three men from the Royal Irish Rifles: Edward De Wind, 15th Bttn - 21st March 1918 at Grugies, France. 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! // Stop Define Variables for days of the month Welcome to Irelands Great War a program dedicated to exploring Irelands role in the Great War 1914 1918, its aftermath and legacy. (d.22nd Nov 1917 ), Shorter Alfred. Harris Lee Moore. We respect the effort he made to give us the peace and freedom we enjoy today. 8th Btn. The Royal Irish. 20 December 1914 : landed at Le Havre. George Smith 2nd Btn. The last casualty that Quigg saved was Robert Matthews, from the village of Mosside, less than six miles from Bushmills.