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.

Remembering Sergeant David McQuitty 12th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles

NAME; McQuitty, David

RANK; Sergeant

SERV. NO; 1626

UNIT/SERVICE; 12^th Battalion

REGIMENT; Royal Irish Rifles

BORN; Carrickfergus

LIVED; Schomberg Street, Carrickfergus

ENLISTED; Belfast, September 1915

FATE; Died of Wounds, France, August 17^th 1917

CEMETERY; Brandhokek New Military Cemetery No.3 (Belgium) - II. J. 20

CHURCH; St Nicholas, COI, Carrickfergus

MEMORIAL; St Nicholas, COI, Carrickfergus

REMARKS; David was the husband of Sabina McQuitty and father of Madge, Emma and David.  Prior to enlisting David lived and the family lived in 5 Schomberg Street, Carrickfergus. He was a member of Woodburn LOL 787 and a member of the Central Antrim UVF.  He enlisted with the 12^th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles in September 1915 and was a veteran of the Somme and much of the fighting on the Western Front.  He was severely wounded in fighting around Ypres during the Battle of Langemarck and died of his wounds on 17^th August 1917 in the 3^rd Australian Clearance Station in France.

The following words were submitted by his wife and children on news of his death:

                                “Duty called and he was there

                                To do his bit and take his share;

                                His heart was good, his spirit brave,

                                His resting place, a soldiers grave.

                                Short was thy life, O Davie, dear,

                                But peaceful by thy rest;

                                We will miss you most of all,

                                Because we loved you best.

                                We did not know what pain he bore;

                                We did not see him die;

                                We only know he passed away

                                From wounds received that day.

                                Father, in Thy heavenly keeping,

                                We leave our solider daddy sleeping.

The following poem was submitted to the Carrickfergus Advertiser by this father and mother in-law on the news of his death;

                                How little we thought when we said good-bye,

                                That it would be the last parting between you and us,

                                We loved you in life, in death you are dear to us still,

                                But in grief we must bend to God’s holy will.

                                While alone in our sorrows, and bitter tears flow

                                There stealeth a dream of sweet long ago,

                                Unknown to the world, He stands by our sides,

                                And whispers these words, ‘Death cannot divide’.  

Rifleman Andrew Haggan

Remembering today Rifleman Andrew Haggan - 17814 - C Company 12th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles.  

Andrew was born in Carrickfergus in 1896 the son of Andrew and Sarah Haggan and brother of James, Agnes, Jane, Mary Ann, Joseph, Robert and Willie. By the outbreak of war in 1914 he was living with his family in Davy's Street and working as a labourer in the local mill.  Andrew was a proud Unionist, he signed the Ulster Covenant along with his father in Carrickfergus Court House in the presence of Mr W.H Howe on Ulster Day 1912.  He was an active member of  Orange Lodge 787 & 947 and a member of the Central Antrim UVF as well as a member of the St Nicholas Church of Ireland Congregation. 

On the 15th September 1914 Andrew along with his best friend and cousin Edward Samuel Haggan and over 100 others turned up at Barn Mills School to enlist into the British Army and were attested into the Royal Irish Rifles "Central Antrim Volunteers" 12th Battalion.  Following training Andrew was sent to the Western Front in 1915 were he served with distinction in France and Flanders throughout 1916 and 1917.  He was killed in action by a shell blast on 15th August 1917 aged 21 during the build up to the Battle of Langemarck the next day.

The `12th Battalion diary for the 15th August reports;

"15^th 3am – Btn entrained at Brandhoek and conveyed to Asylum at Ypres. From there they march by platoons to positions for ‘Y’ day previous to the attack on zero day.

Two companies in old British front line east of Wieltje and two coys in Congreve walk. Btn HQ was in Wieltje dug outs. During the day enemy artillery was active on the back area but our casualties were small.

After dusk coys with the exception of B coy moved up to their positions in support of the attacking btns on the Bde front (13^th R Ir Rif and 9^th R Ir Fus). B coy took up the position to act as mopper s up for the bde. Btn HQ moved to Uhlan Farm. Throughout YZ night the shelling on both sides was very heavy. Zero hour was fixed for 4.45am on the 16^th"

 Andrew's body was never recovered and he is forever remembered on Panel 40 of the Menin Gate, Ypres.  

To make this story even more somber, Andrew's best friend and cousin Edward, with whom he enlisted and had numbers one one part, was killed the very next day during the Battle of Langemarck.  They had grown up together, worked together, enlisted together, served together and died within hours of each other on the same battlefield.  It is sad to say there are so many stories like this and should never be forgotten.  

LEST WE FORGET