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