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Pte. William Samuel Cully
British Army 9th Btn. Royal Irish Fusiliers
from:Bessbrook, County Armagh
(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.
