Woodburn Loyal Orange Lodge 787 - Roll of Honour

Following a few meetings and different events I have been asked by some members of LOL 787 to put together some of more information for the members of their lodge who served during the Great War.  The Carrickfergus District Memorial Scroll (pictured below), although not without mistakes, has been very beneficial in identifying the members and their background.  Below is what I have found out so far, if you have anything to add please get in touch.

Js.

 

NAME; Baird, James

RANK; Rifleman

SERV. NO; 17224

UNIT/SERVICE; Royal Irish Rifles

REGIMENT; 12^th Battalion – C COY

BORN; Larne, Co. Antrim

LIVED; Ayr / Upper Woodburn, Carrickfergus

ENLISTED; Carrickfergus September 1914

FATE; Killed in Action – 16^th October 1916 – France and Flanders

CEMETERY; La Plus Douve Farm Cemetery – IV A8

CHURCH; 1^st Carrickfergus Presbyterian

MEMORIAL;

REMARKS; Son of Mrs Baird, 27 Claines Street, Ayr – Member of LOL 787 - James Baird of Woodburn Carrickfergus was killed in action during the Battle of the Somme specifically the Battle of Le Transloy.  Many often forget that the Battle dragged on for so long with history tending to focus on the 1st July 1916, the first day of the Battle when the British suffered over 60,000 casualties. The Battle actually lasted until the middle of November 1916 by which time there had been some 419,654 British casualties and over 1 million on all sides making it one of the bloodiest military operations ever recorded.  

James Baird 17224 - 12th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles (Central Antrim Volunteers) was originally from Ayr but lived and worked in Carrickfergus were he enlisted in 1915.  He was a member of 1st Carrickfergus Presbyterian Church and is buried in La Plus Douve Farm Cemetery – IV. A8 

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NAME; Bamford, William

RANK; Private

SERV. NO;

UNIT/SERVICE;

REGIMENT; North Irish Horse

BORN; Carrickfergus Circa 1882

LIVED; Woodburn, Carrickfergus

ENLISTED;

FATE; Survived the War

CEMETERY; N/A

CHURCH; Joymount Presbyterian

MEMORIAL;

REMARKS – William was the son of Andrew and Eliza Bamford and the brother of Agnes and Janet.  Prior to the war he worked as a farm hand on his father’s farm in the Woodburn area of Carrickfergus. Member of LOL 787 – History of North Irish Horse.  

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NAME; Bell, Charles

RANK;

SERV. NO;

UNIT/SERVICE; 18^th Battalion

REGIMENT; Royal Irish Rifles

BORN; Carrickfergus

LIVED; Carrickfergus

ENLISTED;

FATE; Survived the War

CEMETERY; N/A

CHURCH;

MEMORIAL;

REMARKS; Taken prisoner of war – member of Lol 787

  

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NAME; Brennan, William

RANK; Private

SERV. NO;

UNIT/SERVICE;

REGIMENT; Royal Garrison Artillery

BORN; Carrickfergus 1899

LIVED; Irish Quarter South, Carrickfergus

ENLISTED; Carrickfergus 1915

FATE; Survived the war

CEMETERY; N/A

CHURCH; Joymount Presbyterian

MEMORIAL; N/A

REMARKS; Son of John and Isabella Brennan and brother of Mary, David, Agnes, Maggie, Wilfred, and Isabella – Member of LOL 878 OR IS IT ANOTHER WILLIAM BREENAN ?? Service with 12^th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles also.

 

  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NAME; Haggan, James

RANK;

SERV. NO;

UNIT/SERVICE; 12^th Battalion

REGIMENT; Royal Irish Rifles

BORN; Carrickfergus

LIVED;

ENLISTED;

FATE; Survived the War

CEMETERY; N/A

CHURCH;

MEMORIAL;

REMARKS; Member of LOL 787, brother of Andrew Haggan?

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NAME; Haggan, Andrew

RANK; Rifleman

SERV. NO; 17814

UNIT/SERVICE; 12^th Batt

REGIMENT; Royal Irish Rifles

BORN; Carrickfergus – c. 1896

LIVED; Davy’s Street, Carrickfergus

ENLISTED; Carrickfergus

FATE; Killed in Action, France, August 15^th 1917 aged 21

CEMETERY;

CHURCH; Church of Ireland

MEMORIAL; YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL – Panal 40

REMARKS; Rifleman Andrew Haggan - 17814 - 12th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles (Central Antrim Volunteers) - Born Davy's Street, Carrickfergus 1896. Killed in action 15th August 1917 at the Battle of Passchendaele aged 21.

His body was never found and he is remembered on Panel 40 of the Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres.

A member of the UVF and LOL 787 & 947

Andrew was the son of Andrew and Sarah Haggan and brother of James, Agnes, Jane, Mary Ann, Joseph, Robert and Willie. Prior to the war Andrew worked in the local mill and was a member of St Nicholas Church of Ireland.

Andrew was one of the first to enlist from Carrickfergus heading off with C Coy 12th Battalion on September 18th 1914. He enlisted with his good friend and cousin Edward Samuel Haggan (17812) - they enlisted together, trained together, fought together and died one day apart on the same battlefield. Edward died 16th August 1917

 

      

       ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NAME; Harte, Robert

RANK; Rifleman

SERV. NO;

UNIT/SERVICE; 12^th Battalion

REGIMENT; Royal Irish Rifles

BORN;

LIVED; Carrickfergus

ENLISTED;

FATE; Discharged

CEMETERY;

CHURCH;

MEMORIAL;

REMARKS; Member of LOL 787 Woodburn

 

   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

NAME; Hilditch, John

RANK;

SERV. NO;

UNIT/SERVICE;

REGIMENT; West Yorks

BORN;

LIVED;

ENLISTED;

FATE; Killed in action?

CEMETERY;

CHURCH;

MEMORIAL;

REMARKS; Member of LOL 787 Woodburn 

   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

Able Seaman James Hannah

Remembering today:  Able Seaman James Hannah - Merchant Navy - of Carrickfergus, died 11th June 1940 aged 33. 

James was a merchant navy man on serving on board S.S Saint Ronaig (Glasgow)

The son of William John & Elizabeth Hannah and husband of Martha Hannah of Carrickfergus, he is buried in Victoria Cemetery location Section C Grave 127.

Seaman Andrew Haggan Rankin - H.M.S Lawford

Today we remember Ordinary Seaman Andrew Haggan Rankin - D/JX 565606 - serving on board H.M.S Lawford.

Born in Carrickfergus 1920, lost at sea 8th June 1944 aged 24.  Andrew was the son of Frank and Annabella Rankin of Carrickfergus.

Andrew's body was never recovered and he is forever remember on the Plymouth Naval Memorial Panel 88. 

Seaman Rankin was one of 37 crew killed on board H.M.S Lawford on the 8th June 1944, 2 days after the D-Day landings. HMS Lawford (K514) was a Royal Navy converted Captain class frigate, built in the US in 1944. She was converted into a Head Quarters ship for the Normandy landings. On 8 June 1944, whilst operating off Juno Beach, she was hit by enemy fire during an air attack and sunk. The Royal Navy's damage summary report states that the ship was hit by an "aerial torpedo", which has been taken to mean a torpedo dropped from an aircraft. However, a survey of the ship undertaken as part of the Channel 4 TV series "Wreck Detectives"found evidence that the vessel was broken up and sunk by an internal explosion, indicating a hit from one or more bombs or from an early guided missile. 

H.M.S Lawford

Sergeant Robert (Bobby) Dalton - 12th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles

Carrickfergus remembers today: Sergeant Robert (Bobby) Cromwell Dalton - 17557 - 12th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles. Died of Wounds sustained in battle 8th June 1917 aged 24.

Robert was born in Carrickfergus in1893, the son of Thomas and Agnes and brother to William, Joanna and David.  Prior to the war he lived with his family in Mountview, Lower Woodburn and worked as a messenger.

On the outbreak of war Bobby enlisted with the 12th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles (Central Antrim Volunteers) and following training was posted to the Western Front where he was quickly promoted to the rank of Sergeant.  On the 7th June 1917 Robert along with the rest of the 12th Battalion were involved in fighting on Messines Ridge, a battle for which the Battalion & Ulster Division paid a huge price.  Robert sustained a gunshot wound during the fighting and was taken to a casualty clearing station in the town of Bailleul, France where he later passed away on the 8th June.  He was buried just outside the clearing station in the Bailleul Communal Cemetery (III C228) along with 124 other soldiers of the Royal Irish Rifles. As news of the lose trickled back home to Robert's family in late summer, a short remembrance service was held in the family church, 1st Carrickfergus Presbyterian.

His grieving mother would have taken some comfort from a letter recieved from
Nurse McPherson, charge nurse in the military hospital Bobby was sent to;

“My dear Mrs Dalton – I am exceedingly grieved to have to inform you that your son, Sergeant Dalton, was admitted to hospital yesterday suffering from severe gunshot wound of chest.  He was almost collapsed on admission and although everything possible was done for him that could be done, alas of no avail; he passed peacefully away this morning at 2.40.  He did not leave any message, but kept continually speaking of his mother and saying how much he loved her and missed her.  He sent his love and she was not to worry about him.  He quite realised he was dying.  Enclosed is a lock of his hair….

In response his mother and father submitted the following poem to the Carrickfergus Advertiser in memory of their dear son.  

                “Mourn not for me, my parents dear,

                I am not dead, but sleeping here;

                It was God’s will it should be so,

                At His command we all must go.

                Short was thy life, my darling son,

                But peaceful be thy rest;

                Mother misses you most of all,

                Because she loved you best.  

The grave of Sergeant Dalton

 

Lance Corporal William Jeffrey Jones

Remembering Lance Corporal William Jeffrey Jones -5346731- 4th Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment.

William was the son of  William and Phoebe Ann Jones and husband of Mary Elizabeth Jones of Carrickfergus.

William died of wounds sustained in Battle 7th June 1945 aged 31, he is buried in Victoria Cemetery Carrickfergus location E, 385. 

I have very little information about Lance Corporal Jones, if anyone has anything additional I would really appreciate hearing from you.  I will be laying a poppy at his grave at 12 o'clock today before heading to the Sergeant Wortley parade in the town.

Sergeant Thomas George Wortley - 14th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles - Y.C.V

Remembering Sergeant Thomas George Wortley - 14/17063 - D Company, 14th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles - Y.C.V.

Killed in action 7th June 1917 at the Battle of Messines aged 33.

Thomas was the son of John and Isabella Wortley and husband of Hannah Wortley of 2 Fleet Street, Belfast.

Thomas is buried in Spanbroekmolen British Cemetery location C.10 along with another Carrickfergus man Rifleman James Sharpe also killed in action on the same day. 

Spanbroekmolen British Cemetery is located 8 Km south of Ieper town centre, on a road leading from the Rijselseweg N365, which connects Ieper to Wijtschate and onto Armentieres.  The cemetery is named after a windmill which stood nearby and contains the graves of men killed in action on the first (or, in three cases the second) day of the Battle of Messines in 1917. The cemetery was destroyed in subsequent operations but found again after the Armistice.

There are 58 casualties of the First World War buried or commemorated in the cemetery. Special memorials commemorate six servicemen who were known to have been buried in the cemetery but whose graves were later destroyed. I was lucky enough to visit it last year and will do so again this year, for me Spanbroekmolen demonstrates the remoteness of so many Commonwealth War Graves.

Sergeant Wortley is also remembered on a Memorial Stone in St Nicholas Church Yard, Carrickfergus and each year (today) the Carrickfergus Friends of the 36th have a wreath laying parade here to remember all those lost in the Battle of Messines.
 

Rifleman James Sharpe - Royal Irish Rifles

Remembering today Rifleman James Sharpe - 878 - 12th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles, born Carrickfergus 1895, Killed in action France 7th June 1917 aged 22.  

James was the son of Robert and Ellen Sharpe of Knockagh, Carrickfergus.

Rifleman Sharpe was killed in action during for famous and bloody Battle for Messines Ridge 5th to 12th June 1917.  He is buried at Spanbroekmolen Cemetery, along with another local man Sergeant Thomas Wortley.
The cemetery is named after a windmill which stood nearby and contains the graves of men killed in action on the first (or, in three cases the second) day of the Battle of Messines in 1917. The cemetery was destroyed in subsequent operations but found again after the Armistice.

There are 58 casualties of the First World War buried or commemorated in the cemetery. Special memorials commemorate six servicemen who were known to have been buried in the cemetery but whose graves were later destroyed.  James Sharpe's memorial would appear to be one of the graves that was destroyed hence the special memorial.  

Sergeant Samuel Millar Royal Air Force

Remembering today:  Sergeant Samuel James Millar -  245254 -  148 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.  Samuel was shot down and killed in action over Egypt 6th June 1941 aged 20.

Samuel was the son of James and Mary R Millar of Carrickfergus.  

Sergeant Millar's body was never recovered and he is forever remember on the Alamein Memorial on column 243. 

Alamein Memorial

Alamein Memorial

Historical Information

The campaign in the Western Desert was fought between the Commonwealth forces (with, later, the addition of two brigades of Free French and one each of Polish and Greek troops) all based in Egypt, and the Axis forces (German and Italian) based in Libya. The battlefield, across which the fighting surged back and forth between 1940 and 1942, was the 1,000 kilometres of desert between Alexandria in Egypt and Benghazi in Libya. It was a campaign of manoeuvre and movement, the objectives being the control of the Mediterranean, the link with the east through the Suez Canal, the Middle East oil supplies and the supply route to Russia through Persia.

The ALAMEIN MEMORIAL forms the entrance to Alamein War Cemetery. The Land Forces panels commemorate more than 8,500 soldiers of the Commonwealth who died in the campaigns in Egypt and Libya, and in the operations of the Eighth Army in Tunisia up to 19 February 1943, who have no known grave. It also commemorates those who served and died in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Persia.

The Air Forces panels commemorate more than 3,000 airmen of the Commonwealth who died in the campaigns in Egypt, Libya, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Greece, Crete and the Aegean, Ethiopia, Eritrea and the Somalilands, the Sudan, East Africa, Aden and Madagascar, who have no known grave. Those who served with the Rhodesian and South African Air Training Scheme and have no known grave are also commemorated here.

The Memorial was designed by Sir Hubert Worthington and unveiled by Field Marshal The Rt. Hon. Viscout Montgomery of Alamein on 24 October 1954.

EL ALAMEIN WAR CEMETERY contains the graves of men who died at all stages of the Western Desert campaigns, brought in from a wide area, but especially those who died in the Battle of El Alamein at the end of October 1942 and in the period immediately before that.

The cemetery now contains 7,239 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, of which 814 are unidentified. There are also 102 war graves of other nationalities.

The ALAMEIN CREMATION MEMORIAL, which stands in the south-eastern part of El Alamein War Cemetery, commemorates more than 600 men whose remains were cremated in Egypt and Libya during the war, in accordance with their faith.

Rifleman Anthony Moore 12th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles

Carrickfergus remembers today Rifleman Anthony Moore - 414 - 12th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles.  Killed in action France 6th June 1918 aged 23. 

Anthony was born in Taylor’s Row, Carrickfergus in 1897 – He was the son of Robert Moore a local butcher in the town and Margaret Moore and brother of William, Agnes, Mary, Robert and Thomas.  Prior to the war he worked as a mill hand at Barn Mills flax mill and a labourer at Sullatober bleach works.  He was also a popular and active member of the Sullatober Flute Band.  Anthony enlisted with the 12^th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles in 1915, he was Injured on the 2^nd July 1916 during the Somme offensive suffering from shock he was sent to hospital for a period of time.  After a period of recovery he returned to the front were he served gallantly, he was killed in action on June 6^th 1918 aged 23.  There is some doubt Anthony’s age; on his death he is reported as 23 however according to the census he was only 20 or 21.  It would appear like many young men at the time he had lied about his age and therefore enlisted when he was only 17.  

Anthony is buried in Ham British Cemetery, Muille-Villete (France) location II. E 24 (pictured) - it is my intention to visit his grave when I visit the area at the end of June for the Somme pilgrimage.  

Ham British Cemetery, Somme, France 

 

Location Information

Ham is a small town about 20 kilometres south west of St. Quentin at the crossroad of the D930 St. Quentin-Roye and the D937 Peronne-Chauny.

The British Cemetery is in the village of Muille-Villette. From the town centre of Ham take the D932 in the direction of Noyon. The Cemetery is signposted from this road and is situated on the left hand side.

Historical Information

In January, February and March 1918, the 61st (South Midland) Casualty Clearing Station was posted at Ham, but on the 23rd March the Germans, in their advance towards Amiens, crossed the Somme at Ham, and the town remained in German hands until the French First Army re-entered it on the following 6th September.

Ham British Cemetery was begun in January-March 1918 as an extension of MUILLE-VILLETTE GERMAN CEMETERY, made by the Casualty Clearing Station. In 1919 these graves were regrouped and others were added from the German cemetery and from the following:-

CROIX-MOLIGNAUX GERMAN CEMETERY (March and April 1918) ; ESMERY HALLON CHURCHYARD; VILLERS ST. CHRISTOPHE CHURCHYARD (March 1918); EPPEVILLE COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION (March 1918); and ST. SULPICE COMMUNAL CEMETERY.

Ham British Cemetery contains 485 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 218 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 14 soldiers, believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 39 casualties known to have been buried in other cemeteries whose graves were not found.