218955 Pte. William Mckelvey British Army 16th Pioneer Battlion Royal Irish Rifles from:Killyleagh My great uncle, William McKelvey came from a townland called Ballymacarron just outside Killyleagh.
He joined the 16th Royal Irish Rifles Pioneer Battlion Co Down on the 18th of January 1915. He had worked as a farm labourer before the war. The Down pioneers were nicknamed The Terrors who, as well as working on the trenches and roads and railways while under fire, had to be ready to fight like an ordinary rifle man. William served all through the war and at the age of 31 he emigrated to Canada to work at farming and his sister my grand mother never saw him again.
|