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 

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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.  

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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

  

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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.

 

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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?

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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

 

      

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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

 

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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 

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