223355 Pte. John Doherty British Army 6th Battalion Royal Irish Regiment from:Derry, Northern Ireland (d.21st Jan 1916) John Doherty was born in Derry, Co. Derry in Ireland in 1884. His parents were called Manasses and Sarah Doherty. Manasses was the brother of my great grandfather, Constantine, who was a successful shirt maker until his death in 1911. Manasses did not get involved in the shirt making business but was a typographer for the Derry Journal. John was also learning this trade before he enlisted.
According to family history, Manasses was not keen on the idea of John enlisting because Manasses was a staunch Nationalist and saw John's enlistment as essentially taking the side of the British in what would eventually prove to be a brutal conflict between the Irish and the British during - and a long time after - the First World War. However, John went anyway.
To my knowledge, John fought at the Battle of the Somme and the Battle of Loos, which is where he died. Family legend has it that a piece of shrapnel hit him in the head and this is what killed him.
What saddens me the most about John's story is not that he died in the war (although that is very sad) but his father's reaction upon hearing the news. Apparently, when he received the telegram informing him of his son's death, he tore it up, placed it in the fire and ordered the rest of the family never to speak of him again. Shortly after that, he passed away as well so it was left to John's mother, Sarah, to pick up John's belongings and sign all the paper work.
It is easy to say - but no less true because of this - that men like John showed extraordinary courage in signing up for, and fighting in, what has to be the bloodiest war in history. But I think John was a little more than the average because, despite his father's wishes, he still did what he believed to be right and that takes a form of courage all of its own.
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