Stoker Robert McAtamney H.M.S. "Osmanieh"

A big thank you to Donna Wilson for providing some fantastic pictures of Stoker Robert McAtamney, lost at sea 31st December 1917. 

Robert pictured on the left with crew mates from the HMS Victory

NAME; McAtamney, Robert

RANK; Stoker

SERV. NO; 871011

UNIT/SERVICE; Mercantile Marine Reserve  

REGIMENT; H.M.S. "Osmanieh"

BORN; Carrickfergus

LIVED; 34 Taylors Row, Carrickfergus

ENLISTED; Carrickfergus

FATE; Lost at Sea as a result of enemy action

CEMETERY; Body Lost at Sea

CHURCH; St Nicholas Church of Ireland

MEMORIAL; Plymouth Naval Memorial Panel 26

REMARKS; Robert was the son of William and Sarah McAtamney and husband of Margaret McAtamney.  Robert was a stoker on board the liner H.M.S “Osmanieh”. On Monday - 31st December, 1917, she was carrying troops and medical staff to Alexandria, Egypt when she struck a mine laid by UC 34 under the command of Oberleutnant zue See Horst Obermuller at the entrance to the harbour. She sank very quickly taking with her: Lieutenant Commander D.R. Mason, 2 other officers, 21 of its crew, 1 military officer. 166 other ranks and 8 nurses – Robert was one of the 21 crew lost. 

Robert's Death Penny sent to his family following news of his death

Built in 1906 as a passenger steamer, requistioned by the Admiralty in 1914. HMS Osmanieh struck a mine and sank in the entrance of Alexandria harbour, 31 December 1917

William Alexander Hunter, Royal Irish Rifles

NAME; Hunter, William Alexander 

RANK; Rifleman

SERV. NO;18/1559

UNIT/SERVICE;18th then 12th Battalion

REGIMENT; Royal Irish Rifles

BORN;Carrickfergus, 1898

LIVED; Ellis Street, Carrickfergus

ENLISTED; January to April 1916

FATE; Survived the war

CEMETERY; N/A

CHURCH; Joymount Presbyterian and St Nicholas Church Of Ireland

MEMORIAL; N/A

REMARKS; William Alexander Hunter was born in Carrickfergus in 1898 the son of a baker, William Hunter and Mary Hunter.  By 1911 William was living with his parents and brothers Robert, Hugh, Harry, Thomas and Charles in Ellis Street.  When war broke out in 1914 William was only 16 and not eligible to enlist and had to wait until early 1916 when he was attested to the 18th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles, a reserve and depot Battalion of the 11th and 12th R.I.R.  Following his training he was eventually transferred into the 12th Battalion in 1917.  At this stage we are not sure were he served but he survived the war and was awarded the British and Victory Medals.  

After the war he married Jane Simms and had two sons Williams and Samuel and two daughters Maureen and Jean.  He worked in the Ordinance Depot in the town as a tailor and became an active member member of LOL 787 and Masonic Lodge No 43.  By all accounts he was very well known around the town and keep in close contacts with the many Great War veterans around the area organising the 12th Battalion Comrades day each year.

William in his Royal Irish Rifles uniform 

William died on 22nd June 1948 aged only 50 and is buried in St Nicholas Church Yard.  A testament to his character the Carrickfergus Advertiser ran the following story of his funeral;

"The death of Mr William A Hunter, Ellis Street, Carrickfergus, which took place on Tuesday last after a short illness occasioned much sorrow in the town where he was a well known and much respected member of the community for many years, and sincere sympathy is expressed with his sorrowing wife and family.

The funeral took place on Thursday from his residence, where the service was conducted by the Rev. T. Carlisle, MA.  While the flag-draped casket was being borne from the house the Carrickfergus Flute Band played sacred music and then the long cortege which included representatives of all walks of life in the town and district moved to St Nicholas Cemetery to the solemn music of the Dead March in "Saul" played by the band.  Included in the cortege was a contingent of the 12th R.I.R Old Comrades Association (Carrickfergus Branch) in which were many many comrades he had served with in the First World War.  There were also representatives of Carrickfergus Masonic Lodge No 43 and of Woodburn Ebenezer L.O.L 787.  Chief mourners were William R and Samuel Simms Hunter, sons, James Hunter, brother, and G Hume, son in law.

Arriving at the cemetery his old comrades of the 12th R.I.R formed a cordon of honour from the hearse to the graveside and through this his coffins was carried while the Carrickfergus Flute Band, under Mr John Murdy, played "Abide With Me."  The graveside service was conducted by Rev T Carlisle.  

Floral tributes included wreaths from the family and relatives from Carrickfergus Amateur Flute Band, 1st Batt R.I.R Old Comrades Association, Masonic Lodge 43, Woodburn Ebenezer Lodge 787 and from the Commanding Officer, warrant officers and fellow workers of the Royal Ordinance.  

The passing of Mr Wm. A. Hunter is all the more poignant as he was up to the time of his death making preparations for the visit of General Steele to Carrickfergus on First of July.  He was in charge of the arrangements and looking forward to the day with great interest.  He was also in charge of the arrangements for the local branch of the 12th Old Comrades in connection with the annuall reunion of the R.I.R Old Comrades which will take place this year.  Unfortunately death cut short his activities and when his old comrades meet these functions thoughts will turn to their much valued and well-beloved comrade who has answered the last call of all".

St Nicholas Church Yard.  

William's British and Victory Medals

Sapper Charles Spence WR 313671 - Royal Engineers

NAME; Charles Spence

RANK; Sapper

SERV. NO;172990 / WR313671

UNIT/SERVICE;Inland Water Transport Service and Dock Companies

REGIMENT; Royal Engineers

BORN;Ballymena, 19th November 1886

LIVED; Lancasterian Street, Carrickfergus

ENLISTED; Belfast, 20th May 1916 aged 30

FATE; Survived the war

CEMETERY; N/A

CHURCH; Church of Ireland, St Nicholas

MEMORIAL; N/A

REMARKS; Charles was born in Ballymena on 19th November 1886, the son of Charles and Jane Spence and brother to James and Thomas.  The family moved to Carrickfergus around 1907 and took up residence in Crampton Court.  Charles married Jane Doherty in St Ann's Cathedral Belfast on 29th Janurary 1913 and was father to Ellen, James, John and Charlotte (who died agaed only 20 months in 1917).  Prior to the war Charles was living with his family on Lancasterian Street in the town and working as a seaman on board the ships of Elder Fife and Company of Liverpool he was also a member of the National Health and Seaman's Union.  In 1915 he joined the Mercantile Marine and served for 5 months on the convoys before joining the Royal Engineers on 20th May 1916 aged 30.  He was assigned to the Inland Water Transport Service and Dock company presumably due to his experience as a mariner.  Following army training in 1916 he served as a bargeman on cross channel ammunition barges (1030, 1120 and 1060) between England and Dunkirk or Calais from November 1916 to February 1917 and again August 1918 to November 1918.  

Charles was demobilised from the army on 29th January 1919 in London and returned to his family in Carrickfergus.  He began work after the war with John Kelly Coal Limited and served until the outbreak of World War Two when he rejoined the Mercantile Marine served throughout the war notably on the Russian Convoys with his son John.  After WW2 he returned to working with Kelly Coal well into his seventies and died in Carrickfergus on 12th July 1964.  He is buried in North Road Cemetery.

Charles Spence and his family suffered greatly at the hands of both World Wars, his two brothers James and Thomas were killed during World War One and his own son James was killed during the Battle of El Alamein in 1942.  

Sapper Charles Spence, Royal Engineers

 

Rifleman James Stewart 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Rifles

Today on the 11th of November we remember all those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Today Carrickfergus specifically remembers Rifleman James A Stewart - 8264 - 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Rifles - Born Carrickfergus 1888, Killed in action in Belgium 11th November 1914. 

James was the husband of Mary Stewart, together they lived in the Commons Milebush area of Carrickfergus. James was pre-war regular with the 2nd Battalion R.I.R and was serving on the western front almost from the beginning of the war. 

He was killed in fighting around Ypres, Belgium. His body was never recovered, he is remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial. 

Let us always remember the sacrifice of these brave men even just for a moment #LestWeForget

Private George Baxter - 9th Batt Gordon Highlanders

NAME; Baxter, George

RANK; Private

SERV. NO; S/2934

UNIT/SERVICE; 9^th Battalion

REGIMENT; Gordon Highlanders

BORN; 1887

LIVED; Agnes Street, Carrickfergus

ENLISTED; 1915

FATE; Killed in France 22^nd October 1916 aged 29

CEMETERY; Body never recovered

CHURCH;

MEMORIAL; Thiepval Memorial, Somme

REMARKS; Son of John Baxter, husband to Alice Maud Crawford (formerly Baxter) of 13 Agnes Street, Carrickfergus – 9^th battalion Gordon Highlanders.  

Rifleman Thomas McDowell

NAME; McDowell, Thomas

RANK; Rifleman

SERV. NO; 12/18276

UNIT/SERVICE; 12^th Battalion

REGIMENT; Royal Irish Rifles

BORN; Carrickfergus

LIVED; 7 McKeen’s Row, Carrickfergus

ENLISTED; Carrickfergus 15^th September 1914

FATE; Died of influenza, France, October 22^nd 1918 aged 24

CEMETERY; COLOGNE SOUTHERN CEMETERY (Germany) - V. A. 7

CHURCH; Congregational

MEMORIAL;

REMARKS:  Thomas was born in Carrickfergus in 1894, son of James and Ellen McDowell and brother to Robert, John, Charles and George.  The entire family lived in 7 McKeen's Row and were all members of the Congregational Church on Albert Road.  Prior to enlisting Thomas worked as a black smiths helper at the works of the International Salt Company in Carrick.  He member of the Central Antrim UVF, he enlisted with 12^th Battalion at Barn Mills School on 15th September 1914.

Following training at Clandeboye and England he was sent on active service to France in October 1915 and served across the Western Front with the 12th Battalion.  He was taken prisoner of war on 1st July 1916 on the first day of the Battle of the Somme and spent the next 2 and a half year in Minden POW Camp in Germany.  He died of Spanish Flu in captivity on 22nd October 1918 just week before the end of the war.  He is buried in Cologne Southern Cemetery in Germany, location V. A. 7.  

Rifleman Samuel Hill - 1st man of the 36th Ulster Division to be killed on active service

NAME; Hill, Samuel

RANK; Rifleman

SERV. NO; 19557

UNIT/SERVICE; Royal Irish Rifles

REGIMENT; 12^th Battalion

BORN; Ayrshire, 1892

LIVED; Lancasterian Street, Carrickfergus

ENLISTED; Belfast

FATE; Died of Wounds – France and Flanders – 22^nd October 1915 aged 23

CEMETERY; Doullens Communal Cemetery Extensions NO.1 (France) – II D. 1

CHURCH; Joymount Presbyterian, Carrickfergus

MEMORIAL; N/A

REMARKS; Samuel was born in Ayrshire in 1892, the son of Samuel and Elizabeth Hill, of Rushpark, Whitehouse, Belfast, His mother came from Ayshire and his father was a native of Carrickfergus.  He was brother to James, Alexander, Mary A, David and Elizabeth. Prior to enlisting in 1914 he worked on the floor of Barn Mills and like many of his colleagues joined up with the 12^th Battalion.  He was a fine footballer and the local papers of the time have many references to his performances with Barn Swifts Football Team.  Following training at Clandeboye and then England he was embarked for France on 5th October 1915.  After less that two weeks on the front line in France, Samuel was killed and became the first man of the 36th Ulster Division to be killed on active service during the Great War.   

Following news of Samuel’s death a memorial service was held in Joymount Presbyterian Church, the Reverend Minford preached on the verse – “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man should lay down his life for his friends.”  Samuel was buried at Doullens Cemetery in France, under a wooden Celtic cross, on which was written “First man of the Division to give his life for his King and Country and for the honour of Ulster”.  Samuel’s brother Alexander was lost at Sea in 1917 on board H.M.S  “Princess Alberta”.

Samuel was a member of Joymount Presbyterian Church and appears on their memorial plaque as well as the Barn Mills Roll of Honour located in Carrickfergus Town Hall.  

#LestWeForget 

The Original Cross marking Rifleman Hill's resting place

Thanks to Nigel Henderson as always for these newspapers cuttings

 

Leading Seaman William McMillan

NAME; McMillan, William (reported locally as McMillen or McMullen)

RANK; Leading Seaman

SERV. NO; 2855C

UNIT/SERVICE; Royal Navy Reserve

REGIMENT; S.S “Henry R James”

BORN; Carrickfergus 30th November 1881

LIVED; Schomberg Street

ENLISTED; Unknown

FATE; Died at Sea 16^th July 1917 aged 39

CEMETERY; Body never recovered

CHURCH; Unknown

MEMORIAL; Portsmouth Naval Memorial – Panel 27

REMARKS; William was born in Carrickfergus on 30th November 1881, theson of Annie M McMillan of Schomberg Street, Carrickfergus and husband of Sarah McMillan - William was lost at sea on board S.S "Henry R James" on 16th July 1917 following a torpedo attack by German submarine UC-48 captained by Kurt Ramien.  The Henry R James was on a voyage from Bilbao via Brest to Middleborough with a large cargo of iron ore when it was sunk 10 miles east by north of Ile de Batz (Brittany) France.  The cargo of iron ore made the ship particularly heavy and when struck by the torpedo it would have sunk in a matter of a few minutes, in all 24 men were lost on board.  A report in the local paper after new of his death cited William was a “young and competent seaman, and bore a high character in his native town”.  This story is particularly tragic owing to his wife Sarah dying just 5 days previously leaving 4 young children to grow up without father or mother.  

S.S Henry R James.

Carrickfergus Men lost on board H.M.S Hawke

Early in the First World War, H.M.S Hawke, commanded by Capt. Hugh P.E.T. Williams, was engaged in various operations in the North Sea. On 15 October 1914 Hawke, sailing with her sister ship Theseus, was torpedoed by German submarine U-9. The submarine's first torpedo missed Theseus but hit Hawke, igniting a magazine and causing a tremendous explosion which ripped much of the ship apart. Hawke sank in a few minutes with the loss of her captain, 26 officers and 497 men; only 70 of her 594 crew survived.

Of the 497 men who lost their lives on board 99 years ago, Carrickfergus today remembers SS/103005 - Stoker Andrew McAllister and SS/107927 - Stoker Marriott Robert Donald and SS/188608 Able Seaman William Johnston.

Andrew McAllister was born in Carrickfergus on September 1st 1887 and prior to enlisting was living in Patterson's Row, Woodburn with his wife Susan McAllister.  Andrew and Susan were members of Joymount Presbyterian Church. 

Marriott (Martie) Donald was born in Carrickfergus on 25th October 1886 and prior to the war was living in Red Brae Cottage.  He was the eldest son of Robert and Isabella Donald, brother to Sarah, John, Nellie and Mabel and husband to Bella Donald. 


Neither Andrew or Martie were ever recovered from the wreckage and their bodies were lost at sea.  Today they are remembered on Panel 5 of the Chatham Naval Memorial. 

Rifleman Robert Kirk Royal Irish Rifles KIA October 14th 1918

NAME; Kirk, Robert
RANK; Rifleman
SERV. NO; 6103
UNIT/SERVICE; 1^st Batt
REGIMENT; Royal Irish Rifles
BORN; Carrickfergus in 1900
LIVED; Davy’s Street, Carrickfergus
ENLISTED;
FATE; Killed in Action, October 14^th 1918
CEMETERY; Dadizeele New British Cemetery (Belgium) - II. A. 2.
CHURCH; St Nicholas, COI, Carrickfergus
MEMORIAL; St Nicholas, COI
REMARKS; Robert (Bobby) was the youngest son of Thomas and Margaret Kirk of Davy's Street, Carrickfergus and brother of Francis (killed in action 1st July 1916 at the Somme), Neillie, Jane and Lucy.  He was born in Carrickfergus in 1900 and left school at 14 to take a job in the local mill.  He enlisted with the 1st Battalion Royal Irish Rifles in 1917 aged on 17.  By this stage of the war the true horrors and huge lose of life were apparent to all but men like Bobby continued to enlist to fight for King and Country.  Imagine the emotion of his parents as their second son went off to fight just a year after their other son had been killed in action.  After a short time training Bobby was sent to the Western Front were he served with distinction in France and Belgium.  He was killed in action, Belgium October 14th 1918 during the last major German offensive, less than 1 month before the end of the war.  He is buried in Dadizeele New British Cemetery in Belgium. 

Jake McAtamney at his great Uncle's Grave (Robert Kirk)

Dadizeele New British Cemetery is located 10 km east of Ypres - The village of Dadizeele was in German hands for much of the War until reached by the 36th (Ulster) Division, and taken by the 9th (Scottish) Division, on 29 September 1918. Severe fighting followed on 1 October, at Hill 41, a little south of the village.  Dadizeele New British Cemetery is in fact an extension of the communal cemetery. It was made after the Armistice when graves were brought in from other burial grounds and from the battlefields of 1918.  Bobby has originally been buried in Railway Crossing Cemetery, Dadizeele, on the Dadizeelehoek Klephoek road, 100 metres west of "Teofani" railway crossing Kirton Farm but was brought along with other men from the 36^th Division who fell on the 14^th October 1918. 

Rifleman James Manson Royal Irish Rifles

NAME; Manson, James

RANK; Rifleman

SERV. NO; 12/18430

UNIT/SERVICE; “A” Coy 12^th Battalion

REGIMENT; Royal Irish Rifles

BORN; Carrickfergus Circa 1899

LIVED; Unity Street, Carrickfergus

ENLISTED; Larne September 1914

FATE; Killed in Action, France, June 29^th 1916 aged 19

CEMETERY; HAMEL MILITARY CEMETERY, BEAUMONT-HAMEL (France) - I. C. 8

CHURCH; Carrickfergus Congregational 

Thank you to Nigel Anderson for this picture

REMARKS; James Manson was born in Carrickfergus in 1898 the son the William Hugh and Mary Manson (nee Jones) and brother to John, Hugh (also served), Jane, Isabella, Samuel and Thomas. – By 1901 the family were living in 24 Unity Street Carrickfergus, James was just an infant and his father was working as a labourer at the military ordinance store.  

When war broke out in 1914 he was living in Larne with his older brother Hugh,  he enlisted into the 12^th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles in September 1914 along with many other men from Carrickfergus.  Following training at Clandeboye and in the South of England he was mobilised to France on 6^th October 1915.  He saw action across the front and was killed in action only 8 months later on 29^th June 1916, 2 days before the Battle of the Somme.  According to his death records he is listed as killed in action aged 19 however the 1901 census as of 31^st March 1901 lists James as 2 years old meaning in 1916 he would have been only 17 years old when he died. 

James is buried in Hamel Military Cemetery, Beaumont Hamel location I C 8 along with 32 other men from the Royal Irish Rifles.  He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British and Victory Medals.  

 

 

 

Thanks to Billy Rodgers & Carrickfergus Friends of 36th for this picture

 Info on Hamel Military Cemetery:

Beaumont village was captured by British troops in November, 1916, but Hamel was in British occupation from the summer of 1915, until the 27th March, 1918.

Hamel Military Cemetery was begun by fighting units and Field Ambulances in August 1915, and carried on until June 1917. A few further burials were made in Plot II, Row F, after the capture of the village in 1918. It was known at times by the names of "Brook Street Trench" and "White City". It was enlarged after the Armistice by the concentration of 48 graves from the immediate neighbourhood.

There are now nearly 500, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, nearly 80 are unidentified and special memorials are erected to four soldiers from the United Kingdom known or believed to be buried among them. A number of French and German military graves have been removed to other burial grounds.

The cemetery covers an area of 2,235 square metres, without including the public right of way on the North side and is enclosed by a rubble wall.

Hamel Military Cemetery

Rifleman William James Clawson 12th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles

NAME; Clawson, William James

RANK; Rifleman

SERV. NO; 18911

UNIT/SERVICE; 12^th Battalion

REGIMENT; Royal Irish Rifles

BORN; Carrickfergus abt. 1893

LIVED; Wilson's Place, Carrickfergus

ENLISTED; Belfast Town Hall, September 26^th 1914 aged 21

FATE; Survived the war

CEMETERY; N/A

CHURCH; Church of Ireland

MEMORIAL; N/A

REMARKS; William James Clawson was born in Carrickfergus 1893 the son of John and Henrietta Clawson and brother of Lizzie, Maggie and John.  In 1901 he is listed as a school boy living with his family in Irish Quarter West.  The entire family were members of St Nicholas Church of Ireland and William was an active member of Joymount Invincibles Orange Lodge 947.  Prior to the outbreak of war he was working as a labourer in the salt works and living with the family in Wilson’s Place, Carrickfergus.  When war broke out he enlisted into the 12^th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles in September 1914.   

William's military service records notes that he had Brown hair, brown eyes, was 5 ft 6 inches tall with a tattoo of rose and flags on left forearm and in good physical shape.  He was posted to France October 1915 after training at Clandeboye and had 3 tours to the Western Front until 1918 (3/10/15 – 8/7/16. 18/12/16 – 13/6/17 and 23/3/18 – 21/4/18).  His service record has a number of infractions throughout his time service including being AWOL, resisting arrest following creating a disturbance while drunk (boys will be boys).  

He suffered a gun shot wound to the shoulder in France 7^th June 1917 during fighting at Messines Ridge  and was sent to hospital in Belfast and Whitehead between 27^th July 1917 and 13^th August 1917.  On his return to duty he was transferred to the 18^th Battalion.  Spent 3 months in Portobello Military Hospital Dublin between December 1917 and March 1918 with gonorrhoea.  Following this he was charged with desertion in June 1918, the war etc having clearly taken its toil on him.  In March 1933 while living in Davy’s Street he receives a letter from the war pensions department informing him that war gratuity is forfeited as a result of his desertion and this would not change.  His trail for desertion was dispensed of and eventually he was recognised as being fully discharged from the army.  The judgment against him seems very harsh especially given the difficult challenges these men had to confront, equally harsh would have been the lose of war pension that William should have been entitled to following 3 years on the front lines.  

At this stage I know nothing more about William's life except that he is another of the many forgotten men who fought for King and Country but were lucky enough to return home.  He, like all those who served, is a hero and should always be remembered.

#LestWeForget

Private William Killips - 25892 - Leicestershire Regiment

Remembering also today: Private William Killips - 25892 - 9th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment. Born in Carrickfergus, killed in action 25th September 1916 in the Somme campaign.

William left Carrickfergus when he was a young teenager and moved to Stamford in Lincolnshire with his family. On the outbreak of war enlisted with the Leicestershire Regiment.

His body was never recovered, he is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial on pier and face 2C and 3A.

#WeWillRememberThem

Thiepval Memorial

Private William Woods - 10th Battalion Highland Light Infantry

Remembering today: Private William Woods - 17089 - 10th Battalion Highland Light Infantry - Born in Carrickfergus, Killed in Action France 25th September 1915.

William was killed on the 1st day of the Battle of Loos in fighting East of Cambrin. The companies were to get out of the trenches simultaneously 40 minutes after zero and all lines move forward.
The first objective being Les Briques Trench, The 2nd
objective was the German 2nd line trenches, West of Haisnes.

At 5.50 AM 25th September 1915 all companies were in position and the gas cylinders were opened up. There was no breeze and the poisonous gasses hung mostly
over our own trenches causing a good deal of alarm to our troops
and many men suffered from its effects before going over the parapet.

06.30am
At this hour the attack was launched, all lines
rose out of their trenches simultaneously and advanced under a very heavy machine gun rifle and shell fire. The first line were practically wiped out before they had gone 20yards, the 2nd and 3rd lines lost heavily before they reached our own 1st line. By the time all the 3 first companies were over, the Battalion had lost 70% of the men who went over the top and about 85% of the officers.
06.45am ‘C’ company advanced about 1/4hour afterwards and also lost heavily.

The survivors of the10th Battalion got back to their trenches at about11.30am and were withdrawn from the Front line trenches. Loses had been horrendous. Among them was Private William Woods. His body was never recovered and he is Remembered on the Loos Memorial (Pictured) #LestWeForget

Loos Memorial

Private John McKeen Simms, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers

Remembering today: The first Carrickfergus man to lose his life in the Great War,  Fusilier John McKeen Simms - 10437 - 2nd Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. Born in Carrickfergus in 1896, killed in Action 26th August 1914 aged 19. 

John was born in rural Carrickfergus in 1896 son of Robert James and Agnes Simms and brother to Maria, Jane, Agnes, William, Thomas, Samuel, James, Robert and Hans.  By 1901 he was a school boy living with his family in the western division of rural Carrickfergus.  His father was a farmer and many of the children worked as helpers to their father.  By 1911 the family had moved to Portallo Street in Belfast just off the Woodstock Road.  John was now working as a message boy and his father as a cattle dealer in the city.  

When war broke out in August 1914 John was living in Victoria Street in East Belfast and had already been attested to the 2nd Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and his war record shows his transfer date to France with the Expeditionary Force as 23rd August 1914.  He was killed in action just three days later on the 26th August 1914, on this date the 2nd Battalion was heavily involved in the first day of the Battle of Le Cateau. For long hours during the morning of the 26th August, the British, notably the field artillery, held overwhelming numbers of the enemy at bay and inflicted severe loss. John lost his life alongside 35 of his comrades among huge acts of bravery and heroism.   

Private John Simms was reported as missing in the weeks following the battle and his family would have had an horrible wait, praying that perhaps he had been taken prisoner but knowing the likelihood that he had been killed.  His body was eventually recovered and he was buried in Esnes Communal Cemetery, Nord, France. Grave reference: I (pictured), his name also appears on the Strandtown War Memorial on Belmont Road. 

 

 Info on Esnes Communal Cemetery: 

Esnes witnessed fighting in the Battle of Le Cateau (26 August 1914), and it was captured by the New Zealand Division on the 8 October 1918.

In the corner of the Communal Cemetery, are five graves; one (marked also by a French memorial) contains the bodies of soldiers of the 4th Division who fell in August, 1914, and in the others are buried soldiers who died later in the War.

There are now over 100, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, over half are unidentified and a special memorial records the name of a soldier who fell in the Battle of Le Cateau and is buried in the cemetery, but whose grave cannot now be traced.

 

Sapper Hugh McDowell

Lance Corporal Hugh McDowell - 2188325 - attached to the Railway Troops Engineers, Canadian Army was born in North Street Carrickfergus on 3rd July 1887.  He was the eldest son of Robert and Elizabeth McDowell and brother to Maggie, Mary, Robert and William James.  The 1901 census lists the family living in 29 North Street, his father was a draper and tailor, Hugh was still a young school boy.   Hugh lived in North Street until 1911, he was an active member of the Carrickfergus Y.M.C.A and an earnest member of the 1st Carrickfergus Presbyterian Church.  

Prior to the outbreak of the war in 1914 Hugh left Carrickfergus and traveled to Canada seeking work and to pursue a life in the ministry there.  We know very little of his time in Canada however on 30^th January 1917 in Regina, Saskatchewan we know he enlisted with the 7th Battalion Canadian Railway Troops.  

Following training in Canada, Hugh along with the 7th Battalion traveled to France for active service arriving in Le Havre on 28th March 1917 with 35 officers and 1003 other ranks. The Canadian railway units played a major role in the construction and maintenance of railways of all gauges, including light railways, for the five British Army areas in France and Belgium.  Due to the essential logistical nature of their work they were regular targets for German artillery and the battalion war diary contains numerous reference to men killed and wounded by artillery attack.   

While on active service in France in July 1917 Hugh was seriously injured by German shell fire.  He was quickly evacuated to a casualty clearing station and due to the scale of his wounds subsequently moved to King's Heath Hospital in Birmingham were he eventually died of his wounds on August 14^th 1917.

On the 15th August his remain were sent by ship back to Ireland arriving back in Carrickfergus for his funeral on Friday 17th August.     Leaving from the Carrickfergus Railway station at 3 pm a large number of the public assembled to pay a last tribute of respect to this gallant young man.  An escort and firing party of the Royal Irish Rifles accompanied the remains which were placed on a gun carriage, the coffin being covered with the Union Jack.  The Rev Alexander Cuthbert minister of the 1^st Presbyterian Church officiated at the graveside and paid tribute to the memory of Hugh.  At the conclusion of the tributes the firing party gave the last salute of three volleys and the “Last Post” was sounded. 

Sapper Hugh McDowell was laid to rest in St Nicholas Church Yard and the gravestone is still there today should you wish to visit it.