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7th Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers
7th (Service) Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers was raised at Armagh in September 1914 as part of Kitchener's Second New Army and joined
49th Brigade, 16th (Irish) Division. They trained at Tipperary and crossed to England in September 1915, for final training at Pirbright. They proceeded to France in February 1916. They were in action on the Somme during the The Battle of Guillemont in which the Division captured the village and The Battle of Ginchy. on the 15th of October 1916 the 7th Battalion amalgamated with 8th Battalion to form the 7/8th Battalion.
1st Sep 1914 415 Active Service Lodge formed 415 Active Service Lodge, a masonic lodge is formed of about two dozen officers and men 7th Royal Irish Fusiliers. Few records of it survive.
12th Mar 1916 Instruction
4th of September 1916 Units Mixed Up 
4th September 1916 Handwritten Order 1650 hours from sender No. CP1 to FAN
4th September 1916 At 1230 hours came under orders of 15th Inf. Bde.
5th September 1916 0300 hours Falfemont Farm completely occupied by "A" & "C" coys.
6th of September 1916 Wood Cleared
7th Sep 1916 Line Consolidated
9th Sep 1916 In Action
1st Nov 1916 7th Btn Royal Irish Fusiliers at Kemmel 7th Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers is at Kemmel then in December moved to Wyschaete. Jan 1917 saw it in the Kemmel and Hazebrouck sectors, then by July 1917 it was at Steenvorde on the Franco-Belgian border.
16th Dec 1917 Post Stormed 9th (North Irish Horse) Btn., Royal Irish Fusiliers.
report from
South of Marcoing:
German post stormed by our patrol at 1700 with Gunner bayoneted and machine gun captured. His identification secured (6th Division Reserve Infantry Regiment).
Lieutenant Caulfield, 7th Somersets, buried by our Battalion.
Trench very much improved and more wire put out.
Relieved by 7th Royal Fusiliers at 2100 and marched to Metz.
Fifty rifles salved and several thousand rounds of small arms ammunition, also boxes of grenades salved, cleaned and put under cover.
1st Dec 1918 Royal Irish Fusiliers losses stand at 3572 During the war the whole Royal Irish Fusiliers, suffered 3572 deaths of which over 200 were 7th Battalion and a further 154 from the combined 7/8th Battalion.
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
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These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.
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Those known to have served with7th Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers during the Great War 1914-1918. - Agnew James. Pte. (d.9th September 1916)
- Beattie Hugh. Pte. (d.5th September 1916)
- Carey Joseph. Pte. (d.15th Sep 1916)
- Craddock Michael. Pte. (d.7th Sep 1916)
- Farrell Michael. Pte. (d.5th Sep 1916)
- Gavaghan Thomas. Pte. (d.5th Sep 1916)
- Goggins Joseph. Pte
- Keane William. 2ndLt.
- Kearns Michael L.. Pte.
- Litton M.. Major.
- Lynch Thomas. Pte. (d.6th September 1916)
- Lyons John. L/Cpl.
- McAleer Thomas. Pte. (d.24th February 1918)
- McPartland MM. William James. Sjt.
- Nairn MID William John. Pte.
- O'Brien William. Pte.
- Perry John. Pte. (d.4th April 1918)
- Sharkey J.. Pte. (d.12th November 1918)
- Smith Patrick. Pte.
- Vesey Patrick. Private (d.5th Sep 1916)
All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please Add a Name to this List
Records of 7th Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers from other sources.
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Pte. Thomas Gavaghan 7th Btn Royal Irish Fusiliers (d.5th Sep 1916) Thomas Gavaghan served with the 7th Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers
and was Killed In Action on 5th of September 1916.
Thomas and his comrades dug in at a German stronghold of Falfemont Farm taken earlier that day. They later assaulted a nearby trench known as Combles Trench. As the Battalion struggled through a waist-high corn field mixed with dense weeds and hidden barbed-wire entanglements, the battalion was attacked by heavy German machine-gun fire which cut them apart. The battalion was decimated with the casualty figures for the day at 273 men. Thomas's body was never recovered and his name is carved into the Thiepval Memorial. He had previously served with the Connaught Rangers.
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Pte. Patrick Smith 7th Btn. Royal Irish Fusiliers Patrick Smith landed in France as part of the BEF on 17th of February 1916, serving until 18th of August 1917 when he was evacuated to Queen Mary’s Military Hospital in Whalley, Lancashire on 19th of August 1917. He was subsequently transferred to the Royal Defence Corps and promoted to Lance Corporal in 1918. He was discharged 19th of March 1919, whereupon he returned to Cavan and lived out the rest of his days there.
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Pte. William John Nairn MID 5th Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers William Nairn of Clones, Co Monaghan, Ireland joined the 5th Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers in 1914.
He landed with the Regiment at Suvla Bay on the 7th of August 1915. He took part in the Battle for Chocolate Hill where he was wounded. He was evacuated back to a hospital in England.
He next was sent to France in 1916 with the 7th Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers. He was Mentioned in Dispatches for conspicuous gallantry according to one of his brothers.
In Febuary 1918 he joined the North Irish Horse
He was captured after 6 days of continuous fighting, in retreat, by the German Army, on 27th of March 1918, in or near the French Hamlet of Margny aux Cerises, South of Erches.
He was a POW in the German Camp at Stendal. He was released at the end of 1918 and returned to Britain and Ireland.
He emigrated to New Zealand from Ulster in 1924.
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Pte. William O'Brien 7th Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers William O'Brien was born and raised in Tipperary Town and enlisted in May 1915 whilst the 49th Brigade were stationed at the town barracks. He was assigned to the 7th Btn. Royal Irish Fusiliers, a part of the 16th Irish Division.
After initial training they embarked for England and were stationed at Pirbright in Surrey for more training whilst waiting to be posted overseas. They were sent to the Ypres sector in early 1916 and were holding trenches at Hulluch where they and several other Irish battalions were gassed during Easter Week 1916.
William saw some of the worst fighting on the Somme in September that year at Combles, Guillemont and Ginchy. After heavy losses the 7th Battalion was amalgamated with the 8th to form the 7th/8th. William continued to serve with them throughout 1917 serving at Passchendaele and Cambrai until the Battalion was disbanded in early 1918 and he transferred to 1st Battalion Royal Munster Fusiliers. He saw out the war with them eventually being discharged as medically unfit in June 1919.
He was given the Silver War Badge, British War Medal and Victory Medal. He was proud of his war service but it must have been difficult in the post war years as the local area was heavily involved in the War of Independence against Crown forces. All of William's sons went on to serve in either the Irish or British army including my grandfather and his youngest son Patrick was killed in action in Germany in April 1945.
William worked as a jarvey and died in Tipperary Town in the early 1950s and is buried in St Mary's Churchyard.
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Pte. Hugh Beattie 7th Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers (d.5th September 1916) Hugh Beattie joined the war as part of Kitchener's second new army.
On the 5th of September 1916, with his colleagues, Hugh dug in at Falemont Farm, a German stronghold taken that day. They prepared to assault the nearby energy Combles Trench.
As the Battalion struggled through a waist-high cornfield and dense weeds, they encountered wire entanglements hidden within and as they struggled forwards, German machine guns cut them apart. Another attempt was made that evening only to be further decimated and with their final casualty figures for the day resting at 273 men.
Hugh's body was never recovered and his name is carved into the Thiepval Memorial.
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Pte. John Perry 7th Btn. Royal Irish Fusiliers (d.4th April 1918) Private Perry is buried About the the centre of the South part of the Tipperary (St. John's) Famine Graveyard, Co. Tipperary, Ireland.
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Pte. Thomas McAleer 7th Bn. transfd. to (372946) Labour Corps Royal Irish Fusiliers (d.24th February 1918) Private McAleer was 50 when he died and is buried In the North-East part of the Monaghan (Latlorcan) Catholic Cemetery, Latlorcan, Co. Monaghan, Ireland.
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Pte. Thomas Lynch 7th Btn. Royal Irish Fusiliers (d.6th September 1916) Private Lynch was the son of Patrick Lynch, of Derrylea, Kilnaleck, Co. Cavan.
He is buried in the west part of the Crosserlough Catholic Churchyard, Co. Cavan, Ireland.
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Pte. J. Sharkey 7th Btn. Royal Irish Fusiliers (d.12th November 1918) Private J. Sharkey was the son of Mrs. Bridget Leavy (formerly Sharkey), of Blackstick, Currabeg, Ardee. He was 19 years old when he was killed. He is buried in the north-west part of the Ardee (St. Mary) Church of Ireland Churchyard.
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Pte. Michael Farrell Royal Irish Fusiliers (d.5th Sep 1916) My great, great uncle Michael [O'] Farrell enlisted on 18th October 1915 age 17 in the 7th Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers. He was killed on the 5th September 1916 in the Somme Offensive, at the Battle of Guillemont. His name is on the Thiepval Memorial as his body was never found. My grandfather was named after him.
I would love to see a picture of him or any relating stories or documents.
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Pte. Joseph Carey 7th Btn. Royal Irish Fusiliers (d.15th Sep 1916) Joseph Carey was executed 15/09/1916 for desertion and buried in Corbie Communal Cemetery Extension, Corbie, France.
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Major. M. Litton 7th Btn. Royal Irish Fusiliers Major M Litton served with the 7th Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers.
Major Litton and Captain T O'Donnell were both wounded on the 26th April 1916.
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2ndLt. William Keane 7th Btn. Royal Irish Fusiliers Second Lieutenant William Kearns served with the 7th Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers.
He served with Pte William Sweeney and Pte H Brown, currently being researched by Ciaran Goggins.
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Pte. Michael L. Kearns 7th Btn. Royal Irish Fusiliers 23508 Private Michael L Kearns served with the 7th Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers during WW1. He was born in 1892 and enlisted in 1915.
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Pte. Michael Craddock 7th Btn. Royal Irish Fusiliers (d.7th Sep 1916) 43139 Private Michael Craddock served with the 7th Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers and died aged 39 on the 7th September 1916. He is buried in La Neuville, Corbie, France.
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L/Cpl. John Lyons 7th Btn. Royal Irish Fusiliers  John Lyons enlisted at Dewsbury on the 10th August 1914 with the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. 20th November 1915 The Batley News reported the “quick return home†for Private John Lyons. The paper reported that he had been wounded in his left arm by shrapnel, at the foot of Hill 70, and was able to walk back to the clearing station, together with a Birstall man. On returning to England, 23 days after moving up to the front in September, he was being treated in a Warrington hospital.
No.23539 Corporal John Lyons transferred (sometime prior to 15th October 1916) to the 7th Royal Irish Fusiliers. On 20th November 1917 he received a 16th (Irish Brigade) Division certificate from Major General Hickie for gallant conduct and devotion in the field. (Tunnel Trench, Bullecourt/Fontaine Les Croissilies).
The fighting ended for Lance Corporal John Lyons (25) 24th March 1918 when he was shot through the front of the throat. The Bullet chipped the top of his spinal column before exiting the back of his neck. He was found wounded on the battlefield by the Germans and taken to a German Military Hospital in Stuttgart and when sufficiently recovered, he was exchanged with other invalid prisoners and returned to England. He was in a hospital in the south of England for quite a while convalescing. John was discharged on the 2nd April 1919 after serving 4 years 236 days, in consequence of being no longer physically fit for war service. John's discharge certificate gives his description as 5' 2 1/4'' tall, fresh complexion, grey eyes and fair hair.
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Pte Joseph Goggins 7th Btn. Royal Irish Fusiliers My paternal grandfather Pte Joseph Goggins enlisted in the 5th Btn Royal Irish Fusiliers and was posted to the 7th.
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Private Patrick Vesey 7th Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers (d.5th Sep 1916) I have recently discovered that my great-granddad, Patrick Vesey, Royal Irish Fusiliers - 7th Battalion. no. 22754 died in the Somme on 5th September 1916 near Combles in France. I have visited Thievpal in France and found his engraving on the missing memorial.
I understand from family members that he joined up with the Royal Irish Fusiliers 7th Battalion. 16th division, 49th brig. He enlisted in Armagh, when he was living in the town of Belturbet.
I would love to be able to find records of his enlistment, maybe a photo or any documentation on him or his Battalions movements.
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