Formed in County Antrim in September 1914 from the Antrim Volunteers. Want to find out more about your relative's service? By Richard Doherty, military historian, writer and broadcaster. dailyinfo[24]=' Captain Denzil Robert THURSTON Air Force Cross Airship Training Wing (Cranwell). The attack was unsuccessful and cost the battalion many lives, including that of its colonel, who was mortally wounded early in the offensive. Royal Irish Rifles (d.1st Jul 1916), Sgt. Cooper, Bryan, The Tenth (Irish) Division in Gallipoli (Dublin, Irish Academic Press, 1993). 9th Btn. Looks like 2nd Battalion. Pte. Albert Edward Cox 14th Btn. Royal Irish Rifles (d.21st June 1917), Sgt. (d.1st July 1916), McAuley John. You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. He was then aged 20 years 4 months. The sole Irish unit involved was 2nd Bn The Royal Irish Regiment (18th of Foot) in 22nd Brigade of the 7th Division, at Mametz. Welcome to Irelands Great War a program dedicated to exploring Irelands role in the Great War 1914 1918, its aftermath and legacy. (d.7th Jun 1917), Allen Sidney Charles. Rfm. 14th Btn. 5/9929 Rfm. The third Battalion was short-lived and was disbanded in . You signify acceptance of our use of cookies when you click the Accept button or by your continued use of the site. The service of the 1st Battalion Royal Irish Rifles in World War I saw the battalion serving on the Western Front throughout the war. 18 February 1918 : disbanded in France. Those known to have served with Royal Irish Rifles during the Great War 1914-1918. 11th (South Antrim) Btn. They should be Star, War Medal, Victory Medal and General Service Medal. cojanis15 February , 2019 in Soldiers and their units. Rflmn. As we were growing up WW1 was a dim and distant memory and, as far as my father was concerned, it wasn't something he wanted to discuss much with his children. David Watson 12th Btn. Rfm 11th (South Antrim) Btn. Moved to Clandeboye in December 1914. Rifleman 12th Battalion (d.1st July 1916), Black John. 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. var fontend = '' Pte. The battle mentioned here should be the Battle of Aubers ridge (910 May 1915) - the battalion successfully took its objectives at Rouge Bancs near Fromelles, but it again suffered very heavy casualties. 26 October 1915 : transferred to 74th Brigade in same Division. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. (d.1st Jul 1916), Henderson J.. 14th Btn. He may have added a few months to his age, or even a year. Moved at first to Newcastle and disbanded on 20 February 1918 but otherwise record same as 8th Bn. Re-enlisted the following day, number 7006511. The Long, Long Trail has always been free to use but it does cost money to operate. This was on the 30th May 1916. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google [5], The battalion left the Somme for Loos after the first phase of the battle but returned in October 1916 to fight on the ridges of Le Transloy in appallingly muddy conditions. On Sunday 3rd September the Division took part in the attack on Guillemont, committing 47th Brigade after 20th (Light) Division had been withdrawn; two VCs were earned. Although it gained ground, it had to withdraw. This includes cookies that track any click through to affiliate links and advertisers that appear on this site. 11th Battalion (d.16th Aug 1917), Tweedie Charles. Rfm. 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. 11th (Service) Battalion (South Antrim) On either flank of the Ulster Division, the German defences had prevailed. var day=mydate.getDay() They joined the 107th Brigade 36th (Ulster) Division at Ballykinler. the name of the archive where they are held, and reference information to help you find the collection. . (d.8 January 1916), Ayre Samuel. The last man he dragged in on a waterproof sheet from within a few yards of the enemys wire. The battalion war diary for March 1918 ishere at the National Archives, orhere on Ancestry. 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. 7 February 1918 : disbanded in France. Moore John Trid. Its area consisted of Antrim, Down, Belfast and Louth, with its depot located at the Belfast Infantry Barracks (later renamed Victoria Barracks). July 1915 : moved to Seaford. For the rest of the war, he toured Ireland with recruiting parties encouraging men to enlist and serve their King and country in defence of the poor people of Belgium. 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! 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. He fought in 15 major battles while in France. (d.7th Jun 1917) Beggs Thomas Alex Thompson. Some evidence that it was at Dundalk shortly before departure. On 1 April 2022 soldiers in the company transferred to foot guards regiments and the company became No 15 (Loos) Company, Irish Guards. William McCullough 9th Btn. 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. Haig wanted a delay so that the British Expeditionary Force could amass more artillery and better train their citizen soldiers. 14th Bde. At home in Ireland men volunteered in their thousands and all three regiments soon formed new battalions. Beggs Thomas Alexander Thompson. In early 1888, now Corporal OCathain and the 2nd Battalion was stationed at Alexandria in Egypt. The 36th (Ulster) Division on 1 July 1916. 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. 15th Batt (d.21st March 1918), Wadeley Ernest Benjamin. (d.7th Sep 1916), Aggas George Robert. More recently my brothers, sister and I have started to piece together his war-time story. George Smith 2nd Btn. Royal Irish Rifles. Rflm. Royal Irish Rifles. The 83rd who were fighting in the Transvaal War (First Anglo-Boer War) at the time, became the new regiments 1st Battalion. . (Brigadier Nelson Russell, Commander 38 (Irish) Brigade, 1942-44), For individual museum opening times and information, please click on the relevant museum below: 4th Btn. It was thought he might have to lose the leg but it was saved. Attack of the Ulster Division, 1 July 1916'. Balmoral Industrial School Roll of Honour. 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). August 1914 : at Downpatrick. Rfm. dailyinfo[9]=' Boy SALEH HAJI S.S. TANGISTAN (Swansea).Indian Merchant Service who died 09/03/1915 BOMBAY 1914-1918 MEMORIAL, MUMBAI India ' London Scottish at Messines, Halloween 1914. William Lewis 10th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles (d.1st July 1916). and 34th Coy. The following month, the battalion was sent to the rear for rest and training after a full year in the trenches. (d.23rd Nov. 1917), Baker W. J.. Rfm. Moved to Ballykinlar in October 1915 and went on to Dundalk in August 1917. - Royal Irish Fusiliers Museum During this patrol Major Herbert Musgrave from Corps Intelligence was killed. 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'. Written by Chris Baker. L/Cpl. July 1915 : moved to Seaford. 7th (Service) Battalion (d.24th March 1917), Blair A. G.. 10th Btn. On 29th August 1917 the 8th (Service) Battalion, (East Belfast) amalgamated with the 9th (Service) Battalion, (West Belfast to form the 8th/9th Battalion. He has travelled to places most have never heard of. Rfm. (d.20th August 1917), Gorman Gilbert. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 8 October 1915 : transferred with Brigade to 25th Division. Discharged 5.6.1921 (Fold 3) or 1922 (RUR Register). Rfm. 2nd Btn. 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. 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. Uniquely, The Royal Irish Rifles were awarded two on the same day - 1 July 1916. A Coy. var year=mydate.getYear() Commemoration Society was formed in October 2012 with the main objective of raising sufficient funds to erect a statue of Robert Quigg V.C. Want to know what life was like during the Great War? if (year < 1000) year+=1900 Bluecher German Navy who died 29/01/1915 CANNOCK CHASE GERMAN MILITARY CEMETERY United Kingdom ' July 1915 : moved to Seaford. Later in the war, he served in Mesopotamia and Egypt and he continued his army career until 1934, finishing with the rank of Sergeant. SEVER CEMETERY EXTENSION, ROUEN France ' Rflmn 15th Battalion (d.1st July 1916), McCleery A.. 14th Btn. Rflmn. Val Whitty 1st Btn. 15th Battalion (d.1st July 1916), Kane J.. L/Cpl. CLM, thank you so much. Was 19 years old that a man could enlisted? Rflmn. Rflmn. Privacy Policy and (d.25th Sep 1915), Bowler Harold. Rfmn. L/Cpl. Thanks to everyone who has supported us over this time. 8th (Service) Battalion (East Belfast) Library contains many many diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text. Accepting he may have added a few months to his age on enlistment if he told the truth it means he enlisted aged eighteen. 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. Rfm. The other Regular battalions were in the 4th Division (1st Bn The Royal Irish Fusiliers) and the 8th Division (1st Bn The Royal Irish Rifles), which were, respectively, to the left of 29th Division and the right of 32nd Division. 6 Reserve Lorry Park Royal Air Force who died 28/02/1919 BELGRADE CEMETERY Belgium ' 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. Rflmn. In October 1905, a memorial was erected at Belfast City Hall in memory of the 132 who did not return. 'Nec Aspera Terrent. privacy policy, GB/NNAF/C22543 (Former ISAAR ref: GB/NNAF/O38291 ). 8th (East Belfast) Btn. A Coy. JOHN THE BAPTIST, LAWRENCE AND ANN) CHURCHYARD United Kingdom ' By nightfall, the 12th Battalion had suffered horrific casualties and Quigg learned that Sir Harry Macnaghten was among the missing. Researching soldiers of the British Army in the Great War of 1914-1919. 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. Moved to Bundoran in December 1914, going on to Randalstown in January 1915. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Search this site. No personal details are collected. In memory of Frank, Harry, Thomas, William, Gabriel and James, and all other members of my family who experienced the terrible Great War. Blair T.. (d.1st Jul 1916) Booth Hudson. Rfm. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has 361 recorded WW1 deaths for the 8th (Service) Battalion, Royal . If you find it a valuable resource, please consider becoming a supporter. 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. 18th (Reserve) Battalion Discharged at Rugeley Camp 5.3.1919. 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion On 1 July 1916, Quigg advanced with his platoon towards the German trenches through a torrent of gunfire and artillery. Battle Honour ST QUENTIN - German Spring Offensive 1918. 15 May 1918 : disbanded at Deir-el-Nidham. dailyinfo[13]=' 37643 Sapper Thomas John ECCLESTON Tunnelling Coy. These cookies do not store any personal information. More Royal Irish Rifles records. ROYAL IRISH RIFLES. 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. 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. Copyright 2023. At Guillemont and Ginchy the already understrength 16th Division had suffered over 4,300 casualties. Rflmn. Their attack was one of the finest displays of human courage in the world. dailyinfo[3]=' 45 Gunner HAZURA SINGH 31st Mountain Battery Indian Mountain Artillery who died 03/03/1920 TEHRAN MEMORIAL Iranm ' Address Stromore Road, Gilford. Moved to England in April 1918, going to Larkhill where absorbed by 3rd (Reserve) Bn. Please note Sergeant Rory OCathain is a fictitious character. Returned to UK and landed at Liverpool on 22 October 1914. Moved in January 1915 to Ballyvonare. He enlisted as 5/9929 in 5th RIR 8.11.1916 and served with 2nd RIR in the BEF from 12.3.1918. There is help on how to research a soldierhere. 3rd Bn. Royal Irish Rifles (d.14th Jul 1917), 2nd Lt. Sydney James Livingston Downey 14th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles (d.7th Jun 1917), Rflmn. dailyinfo[29]=' Oberleutnant zur See Axel Carl Ludwig VON SCHOENERMARCK S.M.S. Search for WW1 Service Personal with Irish connections. The Boers fought using guerrilla tactics. Today it has passed from memory, but its opening day is written indelibly into the Armys history as its bloodiest ever. Terms of Service apply. Rflmn. The unit suffered badly at the Battle of Stormberg in December 1899, and on 3 April 1900 the regiment was forced to surrender to Orange Free State Commandant-General Christiaan de Wet after a siege at Reddersberg. 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. In 1937, the London Irish Rifles became a Territorial Army battalion of the Rifles, and the only TA battalion of an Irish regiment. 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. 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. Although the part played by the 36th (Ulster) Division in the Somme battles was over, there was still much to do for Inniskilling, Rifles and Faugh battalions. Rfm. 5 March 1915 : absorbed a company of the Royal Jersey Militia. HERE is the medal roll on Ancestry. (d.7th Jun 1917), Blunden Robert. dailyinfo[17]=' PLY/3566 Private Samuel ROBINSON H.M.S. Recruting map of Ireland in the First World War. The London Irish Rifles (LIR) was a reserve infantry regiment and then company of the British Army. 10th Btn. "Orbita." 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). 16th Bn (d.2nd Dec 1917), Slacke Charles Owen. to help with the costs of keeping the site running. dailyinfo[4]=' Matrose Paul KURZKE Torpedoboot "G85" German Navy who died 04/03/1919 CANNOCK CHASE GERMAN MILITARY CEMETERY United Kingdom ' Formed at Belfast in September 1914 from the Belfast Volunteers. Our databases allow us to investigate almost the entire Army records and we can conduct research into any officer or soldier of any British Army regiment. Pte. My Grandad was shot in the thigh by a machine gun bullet but made it back to friendly lines alive. For King And Country. 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. (d.7th Jun 1917), Burns John. Seaforth Highlanders who died 20/03/1919 BEIRUT WAR CEMETERY Lebanese Republic ' John Armstrong 7th Btn. 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. 13th (Service) Battalion (1st County Down) Was your Army Service Corps soldier renumbered with a T4 prefix? 10th Btn. Sir Harry Macnaghten has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France; he is among 26 men from Bushmills and district who were killed on the first day of the Somme. Rfm. Royal Irish Rifles maxim gun detachment, Tibet, 1904 First World War Still in Britain on the outbreak of war in 1914, 2nd Battalion deployed straight to the Western Front. This was a XIV Corps operation to secure suitable ground from which to launch the first operation involving tanks, which occurred a few days later at Flers-Courcelette. .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. They proceeded to France with the BEF, landing at Rouen on the 14th of August. Royal Marine Light Infantry who died 17/03/1918 BELLAVISTA OLD BRITISH CEMETERY Peru ' Moved to Ballykinlare and came under orders of 107th Brigade in 36th (Ulster) Division. Ken, George's birthdate is 15 November 1898 (he was born in Gilford). 262 names. dailyinfo[19]=' 9228 Corporal George F. PARRY 2nd Bn. Rfm. 2nd Battalion (d.6th Aug 1917 ), McClements William James. Training was twelve weeks so the earliest he could have gone to France was February/March 1917. Moved to England in April 1918, going to Larkhill. [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. If you have a general question please post it on our Facebook page. 14 October 1917 : transferred to 108th Brigade in 36th (Ulster) Division. 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. (d.1916), Cozens Charles Edward. At Armistice on 11 November the battalion were at Mouscron, north east of Tourcoing, where it remained and was demobilised by June 1919. Royal Irish Rifles during WW1 Since 1815 the balance of power in Europe had been maintained by a series of treaties. Braving No-Mans Land Sergeant Robert Quigg V.C, By Leonard Quigg/the Robert Quigg V.C. Rflmn. Rflmn. On 28 June 2016, a bronze sculpture of Sergeant Robert Quigg V.C. dailyinfo[16]=' 22659 Serjeant George SNELL Military Medal "T" Bty. Thomas Robert Corkin 16th Btn. Bennett Robert William . I will send the link to George's son. Welcome. please. (d.15th July 1916), Ireland James. He was had a tour in the Middle East and was a prisoner-of-war but I don't know where. Returned to Belfast in April 1916. ABSOLOM. 'I turned over one poor chap on a rocky, bloody crag on Tanngoucha. 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. Moved in June 1915 to Ballyholley and to England in September, going to Aldershot. 8th Btn. Rfm. if (dailyinfo[daym] != "") { document.write(fontstart+dailyinfo[daym]+fontend) } (d.7th Jun 1917), Mercer Samuel. Royal Navy who died 15/03/1917 CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL United Kingdom ' and Gen. Hos. (d.7th Jun 1917), Currie Harold. The following month, the battalion returned to the Somme, where it remained until the Hundred Days Offensive saw the Allies going on the offensive and decisively defeating the Germans, bringing about the Armistice of 11 November 1918. Rflm. The army and the regiment have been good to him. (d.21st Mar 1917), Kerr A G.. L/Cpl. 14th Btn. 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. After all is over - and the remainder of the Empire is understandably irritated with Ireland - I hope these countless Duffs, from both the North and the South, and in all three services, will be remembered. 11th Btn. Sadly, Quigg never found his platoon commander. Patrick Toman 2nd Btn. The Ulster Division withdrew to count its losses. Commemoration Society. In 1958 the Royal Ulster Rifles became part of the North Irish Brigade, and were expected to wear the Brigade badge. October 1915 : landed at Boulogne. August 1914 : at Newtownards. A greater British commitment was called for and Haigs plea for a delay until August was rejected. McComb James. 9th (West Belfast) Btn. 7th 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.