Fusilier William Graham

Remembering today: Fusilier William Graham, Service number: 6982554, 11th Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers, son of John and Agnes Graham of Carrickfergus.

Killed in Action 25th June 1944 aged 19. William was killed in the sporadic fighting in region between Tilly-sur-Seulles and Caen following the allied invasion at Normandy.

He is buried in St. Manvieu War Cemetery in Calvados location I B 8. (pictured)

If anyone has any additional information or a picture of William I would be very glad of it.

St Manvieu War Cemetery

Private Daniel McQuilkin, Royal Irish Fusiliers

Remembering today: Private Daniel McQuilkin - 7080 - 1st Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victoria's).  Died 24th June 1915 in England following wounded sustained in the 2nd Battle of Ypres in May 1915.  He is buried at Cambridge City Cemetery (pictured)

Daniel was born and raised in Carrickfergus and lived with his family in St Brides Street.  Son of Archibald and Rose McQuilkin and brother to Agnes, Mary and Archibald.  

The following exert is taken from the 30th June 1916 Edition of the Carrickfergus Advertiser submitted by his sister and brother in law Stephen and Agnes Lynch of Carlton, Glasgow:

McQuilkin – In memory of my dear brother, Private Daniel McQuilkin, who died on 23rd June 1915, through wounds received in action.
         “On his Soul sweet Jesus have mercy.
    His King and Country called him,
    That call was not in vain;
    On Britain’s Roll of Honour
    You will find our hero’s name.

2nd Lieutenant Robert Carnaghan

Lieutenant Robert Carnaghan - Royal Irish Rifles attached to The Yorkshire Regiment. Enlisted in Carrickfergus June 1915.

Son of Mr John & Fanny Carnaghan of Joymount, Carrickfergus and youngest brother to Jane, Isabella and Arthur Carnaghan. Robert’s father was a local sailor born in Carrickfergus, he married a Yorkshire girl and raised a family there before returning to Carrickfergus in the late 1890’s – Robert was the only child to be born in Ireland.

Prior to enlisting with the Royal Irish Rifles he served his time as a painter. During the war he was attached to the Yorkshire Regiment presumably due to the his maternal links there – he was wounded during the conflict but survived the war.

The Carnaghan extended family would have been very well known in Carrickfergus at the time – Robert’s uncle Robert A Carnaghan was a shop keeper in Market Place and one of the founding members of Scotch Quarter Invincibles Orange Lodge 1895, with its first ever meeting being held in his house in 1895. He was also one of the first elected members to the Carrickfergus Urban District Council in 1899.

The entire extended family were all members of St Nicholas Church of Ireland congregation.

Rifleman John Boyd - Killed in Action 20th June 1917

NAME; Boyd, John

RANK; Corporal

SERV. NO; 14/3886

UNIT/SERVICE; Army

REGIMENT; 14^th Royal Irish Rifles

BORN; Carrickfergus 1872

LIVED;

ENLISTED; Belfast 1915

FATE; Killed in Action, June 20^th 1917 aged 45

CEMETERY; Messines Ridge British Cemetery - VI B 32

CHURCH; UNKNOWN

MEMORIAL; N/A

REMARKS; Corporal John Boyd was born in Carrickfergus in 1872, he enlisted with the 14th Battalion in 1915 and served at the front throughout 1916 and 1917.  He was killed in fighting on 20th June 1917 near Messines Ridge around Ypres.  We know very little about John or his connection to Carrickfergus. 

Messines Ridge British Cemetery

Lieutenant Herbert Meynell Jackson, Greenisland

Lieutenant Herbert Meynell Jackson - 53rd Squadron Royal Flying Corp. Killed in Action 18th June 1917 aged 22.

Herbert was the son of Matthew and Elizabeth Jackson of Greenisland Lodge, Greenisland. He had originally enlisted as a 2nd Lieutenant with the Royal Irish Rifles with whom he was injured in 1916. Following recovery from his wounds he made the transfer to the Royal Flying Corp. As air combat was a relatively new phenomenon it carried serious risks and it is generally accepted that the average life expectancy of a young pilot was even less than that of a solider in the front lines. Given these high risks the R.F.C attracted men who were thrill seekers and dare devils but displayed untold levels of bravery.

Herbert has no known grave and is remembered on the Arras Flying Services Memorial.

Rifleman William Rooney - Davy's Street, Carrickfergus

Ligny-St Flochel British Cemetery

Rifleman William Rooney - Service Number: 31176 - B Company 12th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles & Kings Own Scottish Borderers. Died of wounds sustained in battle 18th June 1918 aged 27.

Son of Mary Ann and Andrew Rooney and brother to Andrew Jnr, the family lived in 24 Davy's Street in Carrickfergus. Prior to the war he and his brother had worked as labourers in the local bleach works. William had originally enlisted with the Royal Irish Rifles before transferring to the King’s Own Scottish Borderers.

William was injured on the 1st July 1916 at the Battle of the Somme. He was killed during fighting close to Arras in June 1918 and is buried at Ligny-St. Flochel British Cemetery (pictured) about 18 miles from Arras.

His family were all members of St Nicholas Church of Ireland in the Town . William is remembered on the Church war memorial.

 William was one of the co-authors of the following poem sent to the Carrickfergus Advertiser in 1915 by a number of local members of Number 6 Platoon"B Coy" 12th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles:

Sergeant Robert Dalton 12th Battalion R.I.R - Died 8th June 1917

NAME; Dalton, Robert Cromwell

RANK; Sergeant

SERV. NO; 17557

UNIT/SERVICE; 12^th Batt

REGIMENT; Royal Irish Rifles

BORN; Carrickfergus

LIVED; Lower Woodburn, Carrickfergus

ENLISTED; Carrickfergus

FATE; Died of Wounds, France, June 8^th 1917 – Aged 24

CEMETERY; BAILLEUL COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION, NORD (France) - III. C. 228.

CHURCH; 1^st Carrickfergus Presbyterian 

MEMORIAL;

REMARKS; Robert was the son of Thomas and Agnes Dalton and brother to William, Joanna and David.  Robert died in a clearing station in the town of Bailleul, France following injuries sustained during the Ulster Divisions attack on Messines Ridge.  He was buried just beside the clearing station in the Bailleul Communal Cememtery along with 124 other solider from the Royal Irish Rifles.  According to the 1911 census he worked as a messenger boy in Carrickfergus, news of his death was published in the Belfast Telegraph in late summer 1917.

Bailleul Communal British Cemetery

Rifleman James Sharpe 12th Batt Royal Irish Rifles

NAME; Sharpe, James

RANK;Rifleman

SERV. NO;878

UNIT/SERVICE;12th Battalion

REGIMENT; Royal Irish Rifles

BORN; Knockagh, Carrickfergus

LIVED; Knockagh, Carrickfergus

ENLISTED;

FATE; Killed in Action - 7th June 1917 aged 22

CEMETERY;Spanbroekmolen British Cemetery - Belgium, Special Memorial E2

CHURCH;

MEMORIAL;

REMARK:

Son of Robert and Ellen Sharpe. 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,
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. 

 

Spanbroekmolan British Cemetery

 

Rifleman Anthony Moore 12th Batt Royal Irish Rifles - Killed in Action 6th June 1918

NAME; Moore, Anthony

RANK; Rifleman

SERV. NO; 414

UNIT/SERVICE; 12^th Battalion

REGIMENT; Royal Irish Rifles

BORN; Carrickfergus 1885

LIVED; Taylors Row, Carrickfergus

ENLISTED; Belfast

FATE; Killed in Action, France, June 6^th 1918 aged 23

CEMETERY; Ham British Cemetery, Muille-Villette (France) - II E. 24

CHURCH; Methodist

MEMORIAL; N/A

REMARKS; Anthony Moore 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. 

Ham British Cemetery

Daniel Cambridge - Victoria Cross 4th June 1882

Daniel Cambridge VC (27 March 1820 – 4 June 1882) born in Carrickfergus, County Antrim, Ireland, was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Cambridge was 35 years old and a Bombardier in the Royal Regiment of Artillery, British Army when he carried out the actions during the Crimean War for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross.

On 8 September 1855 at Sebastopol, Crimea, Cambridge volunteered for the spiking party on the assault on the Redan. He remained with the party after being severely wounded twice, but had refused to leave until the general retirement was ordered, and even then he repeatedly went back into the open to carry wounded men to safety. In the latter part of the day, he sprang forward to bring in another wounded man. While carrying the helpless infantryman to the safety of the trench Daniel was seen to stagger. Subsequently Daniel was found to have been shot a third time, in his right jaw, and, incapacitated, he took no further part in the action.

 

Later in 1857 Daniel was promoted to Master Gunner with the 8th Coastal Battery, Athlone, Co. Roscommon, Ireland. On 21 February 1862 Daniel was posted to Fort Tarbert, Co. Kerry, Ireland.
In 1861 Cambridge received the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal for 22 years of military service.
On 12 July 1865 Daniel wrote to JA Brown, author of "England's Artillerymen", from Fort Tarbert, Co. Kerry:

... I was three times wounded on 8th September. However, it is very little difference now although I suffer from my wounds and still will from what doctors say until my last. I was twice wounded when asked to retire to the rear but that I did by all means declined to do although hard pressed to do so by several officers. But finding I had the strength to stand another chance I advanced a third time with the 3rd Buffs when I received a gunshot wound in my right jaw and by the assistance of several doctors I have at present got 185 bits of bone out of my jaw. And I can assure you that I suffer very much from my head. I may say all over.

Cambridge was pensioned as a Master Gunner after completing thirty-two years' service on 27 June 1871. In that same year Cambridge was appointed to the sovereign’s bodyguard the Yeomen of the Guard.

Cambridge died from the wounds received in the Crimean War on 4 June 1882 at 57 Frederick Place, Plumstead, aged 62 years, and was survived by his wife, Ann, formerly Bigham, and their children William (born in Woolwich in 1854), Mary (Athlone 1857), Agnes (Athlone 1859), Daniel (Athlone 1861), Catherine (Tarbert 1865) and Elizabeth (Tarbert 1865).