Great War>Allied Army

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site you agree to accept cookies. If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation.     Site Home     Great War Home     Search     Add Stories & Photos     Library     Help & FAQs  Features     Allied Army     Day by Day     RFC & RAF     Prisoners of War     War at Sea     Training for War     The Battles     Those Who Served     Hospitals     Civilian Service     Women at War     The War Effort     Central Powers Army     Central Powers Navy     Imperial Air Service     Library     World War Two  Submissions     Add Stories & Photos     Time Capsule  Information     Help & FAQs     Glossary     Volunteering     News     Events     Contact us     Great War Books     About Advertisements World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment

Royal Irish Fusiliers Regular Battalions: 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers 3rd (Armagh Light Infantry) Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers 4th (Cavan Light Infantry) Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers Kitchener's New Army: 1st Garrison Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers 2nd Garrison Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers 3rd Garrison Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers 5th Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers 6th Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers 7th Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers 8th Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers 9th (County Armagh) Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers 10th (Local Irish) Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers 11th Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers 7th/8th Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers Want to know more about the Royal Irish Fusiliers? There are:7318 items tagged Royal Irish Fusiliers 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 Royal Irish Fusiliers during the Great War 1914-1918. Adair William James Creagan. Sgt. Adams Robert Henry. Pte. Agnew James. Pte. 7th Batt. (d.9th September 1916) Alexander Thomas. Pte. 8th Btn. (d.10th Nov 1916) Arnold T.. Pte. 5th Btn. (d.30th Sep 1918) Atkinson Hector John. Capt. (d.26th May 1917) Bannon Patrick. Sgt. 1st Btn. (d.25th Apr 1915) Barnes Joseph. Pte. 9th Btn. (d.16th Aug 1917) Barr James Hamilton. 2/Lt. 11th Btn. (d.1st September 1918) Barrett John. Pte. 1st Btn. (d.12th Oct 1916) Bates Edward. Pte. 1st Garrison Battalion (d.31st Oct 1917) Batterbee Charles. Pte. 9th Battalion (d.9th Jun 1917) Bearney Patrick. Pte. 5th Btn. (d.4th Dec 1915) Beattie Hugh. Pte. 7th Battalion (d.5th September 1916) Beck James. Pte. 11th Btn. (d.8th Aug 1917) Behan Patrick. Pte. 2nd Btn. (d.15th Jul 1915) Behan Patrick. Pte. 9th Btn. (d.9th Apr 1918) Beirne Patrick. A/Cpl. 1st Btn. (d.11th Apr 1917) Best Hugh. Fus. 5th Battalion Birmingham William Arthur. 2nd Lt. 6th Btn. (d.9th Aug 1915) Blaikie Hugh. Pte. 8th Btn. (d.22nd May 1916) Blanch Charles. Pte. 7/8th Btn. (d.7th Jun 1917) Bloomfield Michael. Pte. 9th Btn. (d.3rd Oct 1918) Bond Wilfrid Lyon. Pte. 1st Btn. Boughton Albert. Pte. 1st Btn. (d.27th Apr 1915) Boughton Robert. Sgt. 1st Btn. (d.13th Apr 1917) Boyde MM. William. Pte. 2nd Battalion Boyde MM William. Pte 2nd Btn Bradley Fredrick. Pte. 8th Btn. (d.15th Apr 1916) Bradley T.. Pte. (d.29th January 1920) Bradshaw William. Pte. (d.3rd Dec 1917) Brady Charles. Pte. 1st Btn. (d.10th Jun 1915) Brennan Joseph. Pte. 1st Btn. (d.11th Apr 1917) Brennan Louis J.. Sgt. 1st Garrison Btn. (d.4th May 1917) Bridgeman James. Pte. 8th Btn. (d.20th Nov 1917) Brien Edward. Pte. 5/6th Btn. (d.5th Sep 1916) Brien Thomas. CSM. 8th Btn. (d.11th Jun 1916) Briscoe Henry Whitby. 2nd Lt. 3rd Garrison Btn. (d.15th Apr 1917) Brookes Bernard. Brophy George. Pte. 1st Btn. (d.17th Sep 1914) Brophy Patrick. Pte. 8th Btn. (d.16th Nov 1917) Brown Christopher. L/Cpl. 1st Garrison Btn. (d.5th Nov 1918) Buckingham Clement Forester. A/Cpl. 7/8th Btn. Burns Samuel. Pte. 1st Btn, B Coy (d.27th Aug 1914) Bush Richard. Fus. 1st Battalion Byrne J. W.. Pte. 4th Btn. (d.11th December 1918) Byrne Richard. Sgt. 3rd Btn. Carey Joseph. Pte. 7th Btn. (d.15th Sep 1916) Cather VC. Geoffrey St George Shillington. T/Lt. 9th Btn. Cather VC. Geoffrey St. George Shillington. Lt. Adjt. 9th Bn. (d.2nd July 1916) Caulfield Stephen. Pte. 1st Battalion (d.17th April 1917 ) Clarke Christopher. Pte. 2nd Btn. (d.4th Apr 1915) Clough William. 25th Btn. (d.1st July 1916) Craddock Michael. Pte. 7th Btn. (d.7th Sep 1916) Crawford William John. Pte. Crews F.. CSgt 10th Infantry (d.13th June 1915) Crichton MM. Daniel. Sgt. 2nd Battalion Crilly MM. John. Pte. 9th Btn., A Coy. Culley William Samuel. Pte. C Coy., 9th Btn. (d.1st Jul 1916) Cully William Samuel. Pte. 9th Btn. (d.1st Jul 1916) Dalzell Hugh. Pte. 9th Battalion (d.16th Aug 1917) Davies John David. Pte. 1st Battalion, D Company (d.14th April 1918) Davis Vivian Alfred. Lt. 9th Btn. (d.4th Sep 1918) Devlin James. Pte. 2nd Battalionm Devlin W.. 14th Btn. (d.1st Jul 1916) Dillon Thomas. Pte. 3rd Battalion Dobbin George Frederick. 2nd Lt. (d.16th Aug 1915) Domegan Christopher Patrick. Lt. (d.10th October 1918) Domegan Christopher Patrick. Lt. (d.10th Oct 1918) Donnery Francis. Pte. 9th Btn. (d.16th August 1917) Douglas Herbert. L/Cpl. 4th Btn. Doyle William Joseph Gabriel. Capt. att. 8th Btn. Royal Irish Fusiliers (d.16th Aug 1917) Edward Kiernan. Pte. 1st Btn. (d.14th Feb 1917) Egan Kevin Fergus. Lt. 6th Btn. Farr Thomas. Pte. 9th btn. (d.1st July 1916) Farrell Michael. Pte. (d.5th Sep 1916) Fennessey William. 5th Battalion Ferris Samuel. Pte. 2nd Btn. Fitzpatrick Alexander. Pte. 7th/8th Btn. (d.10th Aug 1917) Flood W. J.. 2/Lt. 11th Btn. Frazer John. CQMS 5th Btn. Gammell William James. Pte. 8th Btn. (d.10th July 1916) Gavaghan Thomas. Pte. 7th Btn (d.5th Sep 1916) Gavin Edward. Pte. 8th Btn. (d.28th December 1914) Geddes R. Pte. 5th Btn. (d.20th Mar 1918) Gilligan Thomas. Pte. 6th Btn. (d.15th Aug 1915) Goggins Joseph. Pte 7th Btn. Grace Patrick. Pte. 2nd Battalion Greer William Andrew. Pte. 9th Battalion (d.17th Aug 1917) Hague Isaac. L/Cpl. 9th Battalion (d.13 August 1917) Hanna George. Pte. 1st Btn. (d.6th Nov 1917) Hanna Samuel. Pte. 8th Battalion (d.4th May 1916) Hanna William. Pte. 1st Battalion (d.3rd Oct 1918) Harris MC Roland Hanwell. 2nd/Lt. 2nd London (d.27th December 1917) Hartley MID. William. A/Cpl. 1st Battalion Healy Denis. Pte. 8th Btn. Healy William. Pte. 3rd Garrison Btn. (d.21st October 1917) Heaney Joseph. Pte. 3rd Btn. Heaney Patrick. Pte. 8th Btn. (d.21st Jul 1916) Hennessy Michael Joseph. Sgt. Hetherington Richard. Cpl. 1st Btn. C Coy. (d.18th Sep 1914) Higgins Patrick. Pte. 5th Btn. (d.10th Aug 1915) Hilliard Charles. Pte. Hinch Fred Augustus. L/Cpl. Depot (d.28th November 1916) Holton DCM, MM. James Patrick. 7th/8th Btn. (d.26th Aug 1917) Hopps Frederick Arthur. Private 1st Battalion (d.2nd September 1918) Horan P.. Sgt. 3rd Bn. transfd. to (86917) Royal Defence Corps Hughes Stanley George. Pte. 2nd Btn., C Coy. (d.23rd July 1917) Hunt T.. Pte. 8th Btn. Inglis James Malcolm. 2nd Lt. 9th Btn. (d.26th Oct 1918) Johnstone John Alexander. Pte. 7/8th Btn. (d.5th March 1918) Jones Wallace John. Pte. (d.2nd Sep 1918) Keane William. 2ndLt. 7th Btn. Kearns Michael L.. Pte. 7th Btn. Keegan Nicholas. Pte. 7th/8th Btn. (d.3rd May 1918) Keenan Patrick. Pte. 2nd Btn. (d.1st September 1916) Kelly James Henry. Pte. 2nd Garrison Battalion Kelly Philip Edward. Lt.Col. (d.11th Oct 1918) Kelly Thomas. Pte. 2nd Btn. (d.10th May 1915) Kett William. Pte. 3rd Garrison Btn. (d.3rd May 1917) Kirkland Hugh John. Pte. 3rd Battalion Knox Michael. Pte. 5th Btn Lackey P.. Pte. (d.14th July 1920) Langley George. Pte. 5th Battalion (d.1 July 1916) Laverty MM. John. L/Cpl. 7th/8th Battalion (d.20th Nov 1917 ) Laverty MM. John. L/Cpl. 7/8th Btn. (d.20th Nov 1917) Litton M.. Major. 7th Btn. Ludik Cornelius Abraham. Pte. (d.26th Feb 1915) Lynch Thomas. Pte. 7th Btn. (d.6th September 1916) Lyons John. L/Cpl. 7th Btn. MacIntosh Edward Roderick. Mackill James. Pte. 1st Battalion Maddix John Joseph. Pte. 2nd Btn. Mahon Joseph. Pte. Martin Richard. A/Cpl. 6th Btn. Maxwell James. Pte 6th Btn. McAdam Wilson. Sgt. 9th Btn. McAleer Thomas. Pte. 7th Bn. transfd. to (372946) Labour Corps (d.24th February 1918) McArdle Thomas. L/Cpl. 1st Battalion, A Company (d.12th Oct 1916) McAuley Henry. Pte. 10th Btn. McCabe Thomas. McCreanor Patrick. Pte. 6th Btn. (d.23rd Oct 1915) McCullagh Thomas. Pte. 7th/8th Btn. (d.13th April 1918) Mcgeown James. Pte 3rd (Armagh Light Infantry) Battalion McGivern William. Pte. (d.1st Jul 1916) McGucken William. Pte. 1st Btn. (d.9th of June 1915) McKee MM Patrick. Pte. 7th/8th Battalion (d.20th Nov 1917) McKee MM. Patrick. Pte. 7/8th Btn. (d.20th Nov 1917) McNamara John. Pte 2nd Btn. (d.7th June 1917) McPartland MM. William James. Sjt. 7th Btn. Medlow David. Pte. 9th Battalion Mehew Frederick. Pte. (d.13th July 1918) Mills Henry. Pte. 10th Btn. (d.29th June 1916) Moore Francis. Pte. 1st Btn. (d.11th January 1916) Morley Alfred Richard. Pte. Morrow VC. Robert. Pte. 1st Btn. (d.26th Apr 1915) Mulvaney James. Pte. 8th Btn. (d.10th Jul 1916) Murphy James. Cpl. 1st Btn. (d.11th April 1917) Nairn MID William John. Pte. 5th Battalion O'Brien John. Pte. 5th Btn. (d.28th September 1914) O'Brien William. Pte. 7th Battalion O'Callaghan Michael. L/Cpl. 1st Btn. (d.16th April 1918) O'Reilly William. L/Sgt. 1st Btn. (d.6th January 1917) Paterson Andrew. Pte. 3rd Btn. (d.10th September 1917) Pengelley T.. Pte. 7/8th Btn. (d.7th Jun 1917) Pentland Hugh. Pte. B Coy.1st Btn. Perry John. Pte. 7th Btn. (d.4th April 1918) Pilcher Arthur James. Pte 2nd Btn. (d.8th February 1915) Rae William. Pte. (d.8th May 1915) Rae William. Pte. 2nd Btn (d.8th May 1915) Sergeant John. Sgt. Shannon John. Pte. 7/8th Btn., D Coy. (d.10th Aug 1917) Shannon John. Pte. 7/8th Btn., "D" Coy. (d.10th August 1917) Sharkey J.. Pte. 7th Btn. (d.12th November 1918) Sheridan P.. Pte. (d.9th December 1918) Sherlock John. L/Cpl. 2nd Battalion (d.12th Apr 1915) Sherrington Edward. Pte. 5th Btn. (d.23rd February 1918) Shiels Samuel. Pte. 9th Btn. (d.10th Oct 1918) Short John James. Skelton Francis Thomas. Pte. 9th Btn. (d.8th June 1916) Smith MC MiD. Lawder Benjamin Sandys. Capt. 6th Btn. Smith Patrick. Pte. 7th Btn. Smith Patrick. Pte. 7/8th Btn. Smith Patrick. Pte. 7/8th Btn. Summers Fredrick Charles. Pte. Sutherland Alexander. Cpl. 2nd Btn. (d.7th July 1915) Thynne John. Pte. 2nd Battalion (d.6th Dec 1918) Townsend Richard Stapleton Barry. Lt. 10th Btn. (d.1st July 1916) Valentine Robert. Pte. Verschoyle William Arthur. Capt. 1st Btn. (d.11th Apr 1917) Vesey Patrick. Private 7th Battalion (d.5th Sep 1916) Vipond Mark. Sgt. (d.9th Aug 1916) Ward M.. Pte. (d.15th Jan 1919) Willis Alfred Frederick. 2/18th (Irish Rifles) Btn. Willis Frederick. Pte. 7/8th London Regt Wilson Leslie. 2nd Lt. 6th Battalion Wright Benjamin. Pte 2nd Btn Wright Charles. Pte. 2nd Btn. A Company (d.17th Feb 1915) 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 More Royal Irish Fusiliers records. The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website. 1st of September 2024 marks 25 years since the launch of the Wartime Memories Project. Thanks to everyone who has supported us over this time. Want to find out more about your relative's service? Want to know what life was like during the Great War? Our Library contains many many diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text. Looking for help with Family History Research?    Please see Family History FAQ's Please note: We are unable to provide individual research. Can you help? The free to access section of The Wartime Memories Project website is run by volunteers and funded by donations from our visitors. 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. If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation. Announcements 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. Wanted: Digital copies of Group photographs, Scrapbooks, Autograph books, photo albums, newspaper clippings, letters, postcards and ephemera relating to the Great War. If you have any unwanted photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them. The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. Please get in touch for the postal address, do not sent them to our PO Box as packages are not accepted. 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. 1206609 Lt. Geoffrey St. George Shillington Cather VC. Adjt. 9th Bn. Royal Irish Fusiliers (d.2nd July 1916) Geoffrey Cather was killed in action on the 2nd July 1916, aged 25 and is commemorated on The Thiepval Memorial in France. He was the son of the late Mr. R. G. Cather and of Mrs. M. M. Cather, of Limpsfield, Surrey. An extract from The London Gazette, dated 8th Sept., 1916, records the following: "For most conspicuous bravery. From 7 p.m. till midnight he searched 'No Man's Land', and brought in three wounded men. Next morning at 8 a.m. he continued his search, brought in another wounded man, and gave water to others, arranging for their rescue later. Finally, at 10.30 a.m., he took out water to another man, and was proceeding further on when he was himself killed. All this was carried out in full view of the enemy, and under direct machine gun fire and intermittent artillery fire. He set a splendid example of courage and self sacrifice". s flynn Add to this record. 1206434 Cpl. James Murphy 1st Btn. Royal Irish Fusiliers (d.11th April 1917) James Murphy was Killed in action on the 11th of April 1917, aged 28. He is buried in Brown's Copse Cemetery in France. s flynn Add to this record. 1206265 Pte. Thomas Gilligan 6th Btn. Royal Irish Fusiliers (d.15th Aug 1915) Thomas Gilligan – my Great Grandfather – was born on 21 October 1871, one of four children and the only son of Thomas and Catherine Gilligan (nee Wright), of Wicklow, County Wicklow in Ireland. No information is known about Thomas’ early education or his interests and hobbies however we do know that in Dublin; on 11 November 1893; Thomas enlisted as Private 4003 in the 1st Battalion Royal Irish Rifles, joining the battalion at Newry two days later. His surviving attestation papers state his civilian profession as painter and he is described as being 5’ 4” in height with red hair and grey eyes. Thomas spent his first year on home service however on 10 November 1894 he commenced a prolonged period of active service in India; returning home on 15 February 1899. In November of the same year Thomas was again on active service; this time in South Africa during the Boer War where he remained until 10 September 1902. For the remaining period Thomas was on home service until 10 November 1905 when he received his discharge; thus beginning 5 years in the reserves. Thomas married Rachel White, a Nursery Maid, in 1907 and together they raised four children while living in Dublin – the eldest being my grandfather George William Gilligan (b 1908); also Frederick (b 1911), Thomas (b 1909) and Annie (known in the family as Nancy) (b 1914). At the outbreak of war in August 1914 Thomas re-enlisted; this time as Private 13757 in the 6th Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers. Now aged 42; Thomas marched through the streets of Dublin to the docks en route to Liverpool with his battalion. This was the last time he would be seen by his 6 year old son George who could recall walking alongside the column. The battalion was part of the 10th (Irish) Division; part of Kitcheners New Army made up generally of raw recruits with a sprinkling of older men who had already seen military service (i.e. Boer War and India) and who had either been recalled to the colours or had volunteered on the outbreak of war. With his age and prior military service it can easily be imagined that Thomas would have been looked up to by many of the younger men for guidance and support as they went through their training at Basingstoke The 6th Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers received orders to embark for service in the Dardanelles on 9 July 1915 as part of the 31st Brigade, 10th (Irish) Division. At the time the battalion was with the rest of the 10th (Irish) Division (less Divisional Artillery which had been sent to France previously) in Basingstoke having just completed their training. The battalion left Basingstoke in successive train loads on 12 July arriving at Keyham Dockyard, Plymouth where they were to embark upon the SS Canada. Owing to non-arrival of the vessel, the battalion located to a rest camp at Pull Point, Devonport overnight. On 13 July the battalion and ammunition column commenced embarkation upon the SS Canada, setting sail the following day at 5pm. The vessel passed Gibraltar on 18 July and arrived in Malta on 21 July for coaling. The vessel then sailed for Alexandria; arriving on 24 July. On 26 July the vessel arrived at Mudros Harbour, Lemnos Island and during the period to 31 July the battalion participated in the disembarkation and sorting of stores and equipment; it having been recognised that equipment had not been loaded securely or in the correct order. On the evening of 31 July the SS Canada sailed for Mytilene Harbour, Lesbos Island arriving on the 1st August. During the next few days the battalion undertook route marches around the island. On 5 August the battalion received orders to be prepared to move by 12 noon the following day to a destination not yet stated. At 5-30 pm on 6 August the battalion sailed to Suvla Bay, Gallipoli aboard the minesweepers “Snaefell” and “Honeysuckle”. At this time the battalion comprised 778 officers and other ranks. At 4-35am on 7 August the “Snaefell” and “Honeysuckle” arrived off Suvla Bay under heavy shrapnel fire. A landing was made at 8-30am with the battalion going into action in support of the 5th Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers and East Yorkshire Regiment at 9am the same morning. On its first day of action the battalion suffered casualties of 1 officer wounded, 12 other ranks killed and 76 other ranks wounded or missing. Overnight the battalion occupied trenches atop Hill 53 and during the following days provided support and reinforcement to other troops attacking Hill 70. During the period 8 to 9 August the battalion suffered further casualties of 5 officers killed, 12 officers wounded or missing, 12 other ranks killed and 220 other ranks wounded or missing. The battalion was suffering from the environment in which they were serving and existed on the “iron” rations with which they had landed since no supplies were able to get to them. Having received supplies late on the 9th August; the battalion held Hill 53 until relieved by the Essex Regiment on the 10th August. The battalion was rested in reserve lines for the next few days. The battalion moved into support trenches on 13 August and the following day received reinforcements of 5 officers and 159 other ranks from the battalion reserve at Mudros. During 15 to 16 August the battalion was engaged in heavy fighting against Turkish Infantry. It was during this action that Thomas Gilligan was killed; one amongst 10 officers and 210 other ranks killed, wounded or missing in the battalion during the engagement on the Kiretch Tepe Ridge. Thomas Gilligan’s body was never recovered however his name is recorded on the Helles Memorial and in his local church at St Stephens in Dublin. On 1 September the battalion was now recorded as comprising just 5 officers and 388 other ranks, as well as losses through enemy action the battalion was increasingly suffering from ill health. The impact of Gallipoli was not confined to just the battlefield since Thomas’ death had major repercussions for his wife and children. Soon after being notified of his death the young Gilligan children who were now living in poverty were split up since Rachel was unable to cope. Annie and Thomas; who had sadly been blinded by meningitis were sent to live with relatives. In 1918 George was admitted to the Royal Hibernian Military School (RHMS) in Dublin. In November that year Rachel, who had suffered the amputation of a leg; died of tuberculosis at the age of 33. The following year Frederick joined George at the RHMS. Following closure of the RHMS George joined Group No. 1 at the newly opened Boys Technical School in Chepstow and then continued to serve in the army with the Tank Corps. Frederick moved to the Duke of Yorks School at Shorncliffe, Dover and then served with the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. Both brothers saw service throughout the Second World War. George left the army in 1949 and then went on to work as a Civilian Technical Officer with the War Department, retiring in 1974; he died in 1999. Frederick, who had been awarded the Military Medal for bravery in Italy in 1944 was accidentally shot and killed while serving with the occupation forces in Salzburg, Austria on 1 October 1945. Thomas, although blind learnt to play and tune the piano, he died in Belfast in 1975. The last of Thomas Gilligan’s children was his daughter Annie who died in Surrey in December 2001. The family keeps Thomas Gilligan’s in their memories with his photograph (reproduced above) featuring prominently in the homes of my self and my father and on each anniversary of his death he and his family are remembered. Steve Gilligan Add to this record. 264961 Pte. Christopher Clarke 2nd Btn. Royal Irish Fusiliers (d.4th Apr 1915) Christopher Clarke served with 2nd Royal Irish Fusiliers, he was killed on 4th of April 1915. Liz Carroll Add to this record. 263711 Pte. Thomas Gavaghan 7th Btn Royal Irish Fusiliers (d.5th Sep 1916) Thomas Gavaghan served with the 7th Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers and was Killed In Action on 5th of September 1916. Thomas and his comrades dug in at a German stronghold of Falfemont Farm taken earlier that day. They later assaulted a nearby trench known as Combles Trench. As the Battalion struggled through a waist-high corn field mixed with dense weeds and hidden barbed-wire entanglements, the battalion was attacked by heavy German machine-gun fire which cut them apart. The battalion was decimated with the casualty figures for the day at 273 men. Thomas's body was never recovered and his name is carved into the Thiepval Memorial. He had previously served with the Connaught Rangers. Connor Foster Add to this record. 263024 Pte. Patrick Smith 7/8th Btn. Royal Irish Fusiliers I have a hospital receipt from Queen Mary's Hospital showing Patrick Smith arrived at the hospital on 19th of August 1917. I'm trying to determine what the cause of wounds was. He recovered after 9 months and was transferred to the Reserve units back in Ireland. John Meehan Add to this record. 262956 Pte. Thomas Kelly 2nd Btn. Royal Irish Fusiliers (d.10th May 1915) Thomas Kelly of the 2nd Royal Irish Fusiliers was found near Lock No.9 of the Ypres-Commines Canal. Iain Macdonald Add to this record. 262231 Pte. Patrick Smith 7/8th Btn. Royal Irish Fusiliers Patrick Smith served with the 7/8th Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers. I have a receipt acknowledging him as having been received on 19th of August 1917 by Queen Mary's Military Hospital. His unit fought in 3rd Ypres and suffered 224 casualties on 16th of August 1917, and I presume he was wounded in that action. The cause and extent of his injuries are unknown, but he did recover and was transferred approximately 9 months later to the 200th Company, Royal Defence Corps, where he served out the rest of the war. John Meehan Add to this record. 262143 Pte. Patrick Smith 7th Btn. Royal Irish Fusiliers Patrick Smith landed in France as part of the BEF on 17th of February 1916, serving until 18th of August 1917 when he was evacuated to Queen Mary’s Military Hospital in Whalley, Lancashire on 19th of August 1917. He was subsequently transferred to the Royal Defence Corps and promoted to Lance Corporal in 1918. He was discharged 19th of March 1919, whereupon he returned to Cavan and lived out the rest of his days there. John Meehan Add to this record. 260275 Pte. William McGucken 1st Btn. Royal Irish Fusiliers (d.9th of June 1915) Private William McGucken served with the 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers, 10th Brigade, 4th Division. He was involved in the fighting in 1914 at the Battle of Le Cateau, the Battle of the Marne, the Battle of the Aisne, and the Battle for Messines Ridge. William was killed in action on 9th of June 1915 during the Second Battle of Ypres. His name is memorialised on Panel 42 of the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, in Ypres (Ieper), Arrondissement Ieper, West Flanders (West-Vlaanderen), Belgium. Mary Spaniol Add to this record. 260002 Pte. William Samuel Culley C Coy., 9th Btn. Royal Irish Fusiliers (d.1st Jul 1916) William Culley served with C Coy., 9th Btn. Royal Irish Fusiliers He is buried in the Ancre British Cemetery in Beaumont-Hamel, France. Mark Gilmore Add to this record. 259718 Sgt. Michael Joseph Hennessy Royal Irish Fusiliers I have a marriage certificate for my grandfather, Michael Joseph Hennessy which states that he was at a hospital at the time of marriage. He was a sergeant in the Royal Irish Fusiliers, it also says that his job was a restaurant superintendent. It is not clear whether this was at the hospital or whether he himself was a war casualty. I have very little information about my grandfather apart from this. Lee Hennessy Add to this record. 257729 Sgt. John "Mad Jack" Sergeant Royal Irish Fusiliers John Sergeant was my Great Grandfather. He was part of Carson's Ulster Volunteers and went to France with the Royal Irish Fusiliers as part of the 36th Ulster Division. He was transferred at some period to the Labour Corps but we don't know why. We do believe he suffered from gas inhalation which apparently took his life in his early 50s from lung problems. John Sergeant Add to this record. 257603 Pte. Denis Healy 8th Btn. Royal Munster Fusiliers Denis Healy served with the 8th Battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers and the 1st Garrison Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers in WW1. He had served in South Africa with the the North Cork Militia 9th (Militia) Battalion Kings Royal Rifle Corpsfrom 1st of May 1893 to 2nd of May 1903. On 24th of August 1915 at age 44 Denis Healy rejoined the army this time serving with The Royal Munster Fusiliers0. He served in France from 19th of December 1915 to 7th of July 1917, which entitled him to the 1915 Star Medal. It would appear from the initial date in France that he would have been with the 8th Battalion Royal Munster Fusiliers, which was formed in Sep/Oct 1914 at Fermoy as part of the Second New Army, then moved to Mitchelstown, County Cork and joined the 47th Brigade of the 16th Division. In 1915 Moved to Templemore in February then back to Fermoy in May then in September to Blackdown, Aldershot. On the 18th of December 1915 they mobilised for war and landed at Havre. They were engaged in various actions on the Western Front including, The Battle of Guillemont and The Battle of Ginchy. On the 23rd of November 1916 the Battalion was disbanded in France and the remaining personnel moved to the 1st Battalion which transferred to the 47th Brigade of the 16th Division and continued to engage in action on the Western Front. During 1917 he saw action in The Battle of Messines, The first Battle of Cambrai, Third Battles of Ypres. We then have a gap in Denis's service from 7th of July 1917 to 22nd of December 1917. Could he have been recovering from multiple neuritis at that time? He may have been admitted to the Royal Hospital Chelsea as an award of a War Disablement Pension was subsequently made in respect of the condition multiple neuritis, regrettably no payment details remain at The War Pensions Agency. Presumably, on 22nd of December 1917 he joined the Royal Irish Fusiliers and according to the RIF Attestation Book he served in India until 25th of September 1920. He was discharged in Dublin on 23rd of November 1920 with his address given as 25 Gould Street, Cork. It appears that the only RIF battalion in India was the 1st Garrison Btn RIF which in February 1916 had deployed to India and in May 1917 deployed to Burma. Kieran Healy Add to this record. 256203 Pte. Thomas Dillon 3rd Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers My Grandfather, Thomas Dillon, joined the Army aged 16 (age apparently 17 and 6 months) in 1900 and served in South Africa with the Liverpool Regiment during the 2nd Boer War. While still in South Africa he transferred the 2nd Dublin Fusiliers in order to serve alongside his brother. Transferred to the reserve in 1906, he was re-enlisted in the 3rd Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers on 5th August 1914. He was posted to the 1st Battalion with the BEF on 12th of September 1914. He was wounded in early 1915 being returned to Blighty on 2nd May 1915 and posted to the 3rd Battalion (reserve) on 3rd August 1915. In September 1916 he was released from active duty as a result of his wounds and assigned to war work with the Singer Sewing Machine Company, while still remaining an enlisted man. On 12th of February 1917 he was discharged from the Army as no longer physically fit for war service, Add to this record. 256030 Pte. William Samuel Cully 9th Btn. Royal Irish Fusiliers (d.1st Jul 1916) My great grandfather William Cullywas the son of James and Ann Jane Cully (nee Clayton) and husband of Mary Cully (nee Mines), of Tullyallen, Mountnorris, County Armagh. He was born Bessbrook, County Armagh on the 24th of May 1874 which would make him 42 years of age when he was killed. Private Cully is buried in Ancre British Cemetery, France. William signed up to join the 1st World War, volunteered as there was no conscription in Ireland, in fact he lied about his age, said he was 36 and not 41. The conclusion we have come to is that things were hard in Ireland at the time, a couple of poor harvests and as a farm labourer he would have been desperate for money with 7 children (Billy, Hannah Jane, Robert (my Grandfather), Sarah, Sam, Hughie and Geordie). He headed off and as part of the 9th Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers, 108th Brigade, 36th (Ulster) Division, and was killed in action on the first day of the Somme at Ancre. The Ulster men breached four defensive lines of German trenches that morning but had to retreat due to being let down by their flanks. The troops were told that this would be an easy fight as the Germans had little to no ammunition. This was not the case and William fell along with 60,000 others on that day. The battle at Ancre was over by 8am so he was only on the field for a short time. Private Cully was entitled to the 1914-15 Star, British War and Victory medal. His last name was recorded incorrectly as Culley on all of his Military records. William Garry Cully Add to this record. 255235 Pte. Patrick Higgins 5th Btn. Royal Irish Fusiliers (d.10th Aug 1915) I had always heard from my Mother that an uncle of hers died in the first world war. We only recently found out about him. Patrick Higgins joined the Royal Irish Fusiliers against the wishes of his family. He was 25 and only married a few months. My mother told the story that he only lasted a few weeks, which is true. He was in the 5th Battalion and his unit landed in Gallipoli on the 7th of August after sailing for a month. He died on the 10th of August. His wife's name was Marie Higgins of 3 Laurel Hurst, College Road, Cork. He was the son of the late Peter Higgins of Maudlin St, Kells, Co. Meath. Karin Ledford Add to this record. 252778 Capt. Lawder Benjamin Sandys Smith MC MiD. 6th Btn. Royal Irish Regiment Lawder Smith served with the Army Service Corps as a Lieutenant and arrived in France on the 12th of August 1914. He transferred to 1st Royal Irish Fusiliers in June 1916 and fought on Somme, where he won the MC at Lesboeufs on the 12th of October 1916, where he was wounded. He then transferred to 6th Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment in February 1917 then 119th Regiment, Indian Army in Feb 1918 and served until 1923 in Mesopotamia and Waziristan. Subsequently he was a civil engineer in India, Rhodesia and Iraq. Ben Smith Add to this record. 252133 Pte. William John Nairn MID 5th Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers William Nairn of Clones, Co Monaghan, Ireland joined the 5th Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers in 1914. He landed with the Regiment at Suvla Bay on the 7th of August 1915. He took part in the Battle for Chocolate Hill where he was wounded. He was evacuated back to a hospital in England. He next was sent to France in 1916 with the 7th Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers. He was Mentioned in Dispatches for conspicuous gallantry according to one of his brothers. In Febuary 1918 he joined the North Irish Horse He was captured after 6 days of continuous fighting, in retreat, by the German Army, on 27th of March 1918, in or near the French Hamlet of Margny aux Cerises, South of Erches. He was a POW in the German Camp at Stendal. He was released at the end of 1918 and returned to Britain and Ireland. He emigrated to New Zealand from Ulster in 1924. Kerry Nairn Add to this record. 249317 Pte. William O'Brien 7th Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers William O'Brien was born and raised in Tipperary Town and enlisted in May 1915 whilst the 49th Brigade were stationed at the town barracks. He was assigned to the 7th Btn. Royal Irish Fusiliers, a part of the 16th Irish Division. After initial training they embarked for England and were stationed at Pirbright in Surrey for more training whilst waiting to be posted overseas. They were sent to the Ypres sector in early 1916 and were holding trenches at Hulluch where they and several other Irish battalions were gassed during Easter Week 1916. William saw some of the worst fighting on the Somme in September that year at Combles, Guillemont and Ginchy. After heavy losses the 7th Battalion was amalgamated with the 8th to form the 7th/8th. William continued to serve with them throughout 1917 serving at Passchendaele and Cambrai until the Battalion was disbanded in early 1918 and he transferred to 1st Battalion Royal Munster Fusiliers. He saw out the war with them eventually being discharged as medically unfit in June 1919. He was given the Silver War Badge, British War Medal and Victory Medal. He was proud of his war service but it must have been difficult in the post war years as the local area was heavily involved in the War of Independence against Crown forces. All of William's sons went on to serve in either the Irish or British army including my grandfather and his youngest son Patrick was killed in action in Germany in April 1945. William worked as a jarvey and died in Tipperary Town in the early 1950s and is buried in St Mary's Churchyard. James Massey Add to this record.

Recomended Reading. Available at discounted prices.

Links Suggest a link

The free section of The Wartime Memories Project is run by volunteers. This website is paid for out of our own pockets, library subscriptions and from donations made by visitors. The popularity of the site means that it is far exceeding available resources and we currently have a huge backlog of submissions. If you are enjoying the site, please consider making a donation, however small to help with the costs of keeping the site running. Hosted by: The Wartime Memories Project Website is archived for preservation by the British Library Copyright MCMXCIX - MMXXIV - All Rights Reserved - We do not permit the use of any content from this website for the training of LLMs or for use in Generative AI, it also may not be scraped for the purpose of creating other websites.