224565 John Quinn British Army 3rd Btn. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers from:Omagh, Northern Ireland John Quinn, the eldest son of John and Margaret Quinn, Ballygowan, Omagh, joined the army on 22nd July 1915 at Omagh and commenced his military training with the 3rd Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers at Londonderry on 24th July 1915.
On completion of training, John was posted to join the 1st Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers based at Suez in Egypt and underwent further training there until his regiment embarked on the SS Wandilla on 10th January 1916 and sailed for Marseilles in France, arriving there on 18th March 1916. John and 1st Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers were heading for the front line and war against German troops.
Leaving Marseilles at 10.30pm on 18th of March 1916, the regiment travelled for two days by train to get to Pont Remy. They then marched to Ergnies, arriving at 05.30am where they set up camp and, for the next few days, concentrated on training for war. On 30th of March 1916 at 6.45am, the regiment was on the move again on foot to Amplier, where upon arrival at about 5pm they set up camp and spent the next few days on extensive training. Their next move was to Mailley Maillet at 2.30pm on 4th of April 1916 and by 8th of April 1916 John and his regiment were taking over the trenches at Auchonvillers and experiencing bombardment from German artillery shells.
The regiment set about repairing trenches and their defences and recommenced training (action by the enemy was minimal at this stage, limited to sniping and some bombardment) and this became the routine until 6th of May 1915 when the enemy shelled the regiment's trenches from dawn to dusk but there were no serious casualties. Work commenced to repair trench damage and continued for several days.
However, between 26th and 30th of June 1916 enemy action intensified with the regiment’s trenches being attacked with gas bombs. There were regular raiding parties active on both sides day and night and by 30th of June 1916 casualties were reported as five killed, one missing and 16 wounded - but worse was yet to come.
At 7.30am on 1st of July 1916 the order was given for the regiment to advance on the German trenches. These trenches had been under constant bombardment from allied artillery for the previous seven days. As the regiment advanced they were met with ferocious resistance from the Germans machine guns whose defensive positions were heavily fortified, unbeknown to the advancing British and allied forces, casualties number grew quickly. The advance had failed to gain any ground beyond the enemy wire and the regiment was forced to withdraw.
Casualties for the regiment on this day were: officers - four killed, four missing and eleven injured. Other ranks - 50 killed, 225 missing and 265 wounded.
One of those wounded was John Quinn, who had been shot in the thigh with such ferocity that his thigh bone was fractured. Medical evacuation policy gave priority to those with life threatening injuries and with the high number of casualties elsewhere on the front line that day, led to John lying in the trenches for eleven days before he received medical care on 12th of July 1916. Following medical assessment, John was brought back to the UK on 17th of July 1916 and admitted to Western Infirmary at Glasgow for treatment. He remained in hospital until 13th of October 1916 when he was discharged and sent on recuperation leave.
John returned to duty on 30th of October 1916 at Londonderry where he was transferred to the Labour Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment and returned to France on the 12th of February 1917. He continued to serve with the labour battalion until he was declared fit for active service and transferred back to his mother regiment on 15th of September 1917.
On 22nd of March 1918 John was reported missing in action and it was not until 3rd of October 1918 that news was received of his capture by the enemy and that he was a prisoner of war in Germany.
John remained a prisoner of war until 22nd of November 1918 when he was repatriated and medically discharged on 4th of December 1918.
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