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- 18th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles during the Great War -


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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment

18th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles



5th of May 1915 HQ Report  location map

16th Oct 1915 The Derby Scheme

1st Dec 1915 Derby Scheme Armlets

11th Sep 1915 Last day of Derby Scheme Recruitment

10th Jan 1916 Group System Reopens

9th February 1916 Call Ups

4th of September 1916 New Officers Arrive

16th of October 1916 One Man Wounded

If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.





Want to know more about 18th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles?


There are:5237 items tagged 18th Battalion, 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.


Those known to have served with

18th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles

during the Great War 1914-1918.

  • Allen Sidney Charles. Rflmn. (d.7th July 1917 )
  • Manchester Arthur Alonzo. Pte.
  • Napier J. McC.. 2/Lt.
  • Porter John Gillespie. Sgt. (d.27th March 1917)
  • Rilley James Henry. Pte. (d.14th Feb1918)

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, please Add a Name to this List

Records of 18th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles from other sources.


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  • 19th Nov 2024

        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. If you have already submitted a story to the site and your UID reference number is higher than 264989 your submission is still in the queue, please do not resubmit.

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      World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great battalion regiment artillery
      Did you know? We also have a section on World War Two. and a Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations.








  2/Lt. J. McC. Napier 11th Btn. Royal Irish Rifles

2/Lt Napier joined the 11th Battalion on 10th September 1916, having previously served with the 18th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles.







  Sgt. John Gillespie Porter 18th Btn. Royal Irish Rifles (d.27th March 1917)

My great uncle John Porter, first joined the Royal Army Medical Corps and then transferred to the 18th Btn Royal Irish Rifles. I'm assuming because of his wounds he was brought back from France to the Curragh Military Hospital near Dublin, where he died on 27th March 1917. He is buried in Belfast City cemetery.

Bill Porter






  Pte. James Henry "Jas" Rilley 18th Btn. Royal Irish Rifles (d.14th Feb1918)

This is my great grandfather's story, he was 39 years old and was married with eight children, one of these children was my granny (Annie Rilley)

"Mrs. J. H. Rilley, 114 Mill Street, New­townards, has received news, but so far non-official, of the death at the front of her husband, Private J. H. Rilley, of the 183rd Labour Company, who originally enlisted in May, 1916. On being transferred to the Labour Company he proceeded to the Front in March, 1917, with which com­pany he was until he made the supreme sacrifice, leaving behind his wife and eight young children.

He was for three or four years before enlisting a labourer in the employment of Mr. Robt. M’Burney, Ballyhenry, Comber. His mother resides in Killyleagh. Rev. Roland H. Streatfield, C.F., writing to Mrs. J. H. Rilley states that on the morning of 15th February he received a message that the Labour Company had been shelled on the previous night, and several men hit, among whom was her husband. He was sure she would prefer to hear from him rather than have the news sent to her on a formal War Office notification. Her husband’s death was absolutely instan­taneous, so he never suffered at all. All his officers and comrades spoke highly of him, and I realise that the company has lost one of its best soldiers. He was buried in a quiet little cemetery with military honours, the Union Jack cover­ing him, and his comrades at the grave­side sang “Abide with Me” and “Sun of my soul” as his remains were lowered to their last resting place,” which would be marked with a neat wooden cross, on which his name and date of death would be inscribed. He hoped to get the grave photographed later. He accorded his deepest sympathy with Mrs. Rilley and her children."

Captain H. E. Vivian Kynak also writes, telling Mrs. Rilley that her husband, Private J. H. Rilley (No. 109,545), of his company, was instantaneously killed by heavy shell fire. Private Rilley was very popular with all his comrades, and a brave and honest soldier. He asked Mrs. Rilley to accept his sincere sympathy, and requested her acceptance of a cheque. Lieutenant Edwin M. Kemp, of the same company, writes describing the de­tails of Private Rilley’s death as above. In Private Rilley, he adds, they had an excellent and willing worker; in fact, one of the best, and his loss was keenly felt by all ranks. After expressing deep sympathy with Mrs. Rilley and family he concludes, “I assure you that his memory will always beheld sacred by all who knew him, for he lead a life to the full.

The Chronicle 23rd March 1918 page 5

For King and Country

Rilley. Killed in action on 14th February, 1918, Private James H. Rilley, 183rd Labour Company, dearly-beloved husband of Mary E. Rilley, 114 Mill Street, Newtownards. Deeply regretted by his sorrowing Wife and little Children

The Chronicle, 20th April, 1918 page 1.

Sean Napier






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