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1st Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
The 1st Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers were a regular battalion of the British Army. When the Great War broke out in August 1914 they were stationed in Trimulgherrey, India. They were recalled home, their place in the Indian Garrison being taken over by a Territorial Battalion and landed at Avonmouth on the 10th of January 1915. They joined 87th Brigade, 29th Division who were in training at Rugby. In March 1915 the Division sailed for Egypt and then to Lemons, they made a landing at Cape Helles, Gallipoli, on the 25th of April 1915. They would remain on the peninsular until January 1916 when they were evacuated to Egypt and then ordered to the Western front. On the 18th of March 1916 they landed at Marseilles and entrained for Northern France. They saw action at the Battle of the Somme, the Battle of Arras and Third Battle of Ypres in 1917. On the 5th of February 1918 the battalion transferred to 109th Brigade, 36th (Ulster) Division and were in action on The Somme, in the Battles of the Lys and the Final Advance in Flanders.
Feb 1915 Training
Mar 1915 Training
12th Mar 1915 Inspection
17th Mar 1915 On the Move
24th Mar 1915 On the Move
26th Mar 1915 On the Move
28th Mar 1915 On the Move
29th Mar 1915 Accomodation
30th Mar 1915 Into Billets
31st Mar 1915 Training
1st Apr 1915 Orders Issued
2nd Apr 1915 Orders Issued
3rd Apr 1915 Preparations
6th Apr 1915 Inspection
7th Apr 1915 On the Move
9th Apr 1915 Embarkation
10th Apr 1915 Embarkation
19th Apr 1915 Orders
20th Apr 1915 Orders
21st Apr 1915 Conference
22nd Apr 1915 Preparations
23rd Apr 1915 Delay
23rd Apr 1915 Transports Sail
24th Apr 1915 On the Move
24th Apr 1915 At Sea
25th Apr 1915 Under Shellfire
25th Apr 1915 Landing
27th Apr 1915 Holding the Line
28th Apr 1915 Ground Gained
1st May 1915 Enemy Advance
6th May 1915 In Action
7th May 1915 In Action
8th May 1915 Advance
9th May 1915 Relief
13th May 1915 Reliefs
15th May 1915 In the Trenches
16th May 1915 In the Trenches
22nd May 1915 In Action
23rd May 1915 Reliefs
24th May 1915 Reliefs
25th May 1915 Ship Sunk
27th May 1915 In the Trenches
28th May 1915 Trench Work
1st Jun 1915 Reliefs
4th Jun 1915 In Action
4th June 1915 Hard Fighting
5th Jun 1915 On the Move
5th June 1915 Clearing Casualties
6th Jun 1915 Reinforcements
10th Jun 1915 Trench Work
11th Jun 1915 In Support
12th Jun 1915 Reliefs Completed
13th Jun 1915 Dugouts
16th Jun 1915 Trench Work
17th Jun 1915 Reliefs
18th Jun 1915 In Action
19th Jun 1915 In Action
20th Jun 1915 Reliefs
21st Jun 1915 Trench Work
22nd Jun 1915 Reliefs
27th Jun 1915 Gurkha Bluff
28th Jun 1915 Attack Made
28th Jun 1915 In Action
29th Jun 1915 Counter Attack
30th Jun 1915 Trench Work
1st Jul 1915 Under Attack
2nd Jul 1915 Orders
3rd Jul 1915 Trench Work
5th Jul 1915 In the Trenches
6th Jul 1915 Trench Work
7th Jul 1915 Relief
8th Jul 1915 Improvements
9th Jul 1915 Terracing
10th Jul 1915 Terracing
11th Jul 1915 On the Move
12th Jul 1915 On the Move
16th Jul 1915 Reorganising
21st Jul 1915 On the Move
22nd Jul 1915 On the Move
26th Jul 1915 Working Party
28th Jul 1915 Reliefs Completed
29th Jul 1915 Trench Work
30th Jul 1915 Stand To
31st Jul 1915 Reinforcements
1st Aug 1915 Relief
2nd Aug 1915 Fatigues
3rd Aug 1915 Reinforcements
4th Aug 1915 Reliefs
6th Aug 1915 Preparations for Attack
7th Aug 1915 Trench Work
8th Aug 1915 Reliefs Completed
9th Aug 1915 Trench Work
10th Aug 1915 Reliefs
11th Aug 1915 Reinforcements
14th Aug 1915 Enemy Mine
15th Aug 1915 Orders
16th Aug 1915 Reliefs Completed
17th Aug 1915 On the Move
18th Aug 1915 Digging In
19th Aug 1915 Water Scarce
19th Aug 1915 On the Move
21st Aug 1915 Attack Made
22nd Aug 1915 On the Move
23rd Aug 1915 Digging
24th Aug 1915 Digging
25th Aug 1915 Digging
26th Aug 1915 Entrenching
27th Aug 1915 On the Move
28th Aug 1915 On the Move
29th Aug 1915 Fatigues
30th Aug 1915 Fatigues
31st Aug 1915 Fatigues
1st Sep 1915 Routine
2nd Sep 1915 Reinforcements
3rd Sep 1915 Fatigues
4th Sep 1915 Fatigues
5th Sep 1915 Church Parade
6th Sep 1915 Working Party
7th Sep 1915 Reinforcements
8th Sep 1915 Working Parties
9th Sep 1915 Working Parties
12th Sep 1915 Working Party
13th Sep 1915 Working Parties
17th Sep 1915 Men Wounded
20th Sep 1915 Delay
21st Sep 1915 Preparations
22nd Sep 1915 On the Move
23rd Sep 1915 Rations
24th Sep 1915 On the Move
25th Sep 1915 In Camp
27th Sep 1915 In Camp
28th Sep 1915 Training
30th Sep 1915 Reconnaissance
1st Oct 1915 On the Move
2nd Oct 1915 Working Parties
3rd Oct 1915 Working Parties
4th Oct 1915 Fatigues
7th Oct 1915 Working Parties
8th Oct 1915 Under Shellfire
9th Oct 1915 Working Parties
11th Oct 1915 Working Parties
13th Oct 1915 Working Parties
14th Oct 1915 Very Cold
15th Oct 1915 Very Cold
16th Oct 1915 Drainage
17th Oct 1915 CO's Conference
18th Oct 1915 Festival
19th Oct 1915 Drainage
20th Oct 1915 Working Parties
21st Oct 1915 Under Shellfire
23rd Oct 1915 Trench Work
24th Oct 1915 Trench Work
25th Oct 1915 Trench Work
26th Oct 1915 Trench Work
27th Oct 1915 Relief
28th Oct 1915 Fatigues
29th Oct 1915 Fatigues
30th Oct 1915 Fatigues
31st Oct 1915 Church Parade
1st Nov 1915 Reliefs
2nd Nov 1915 Working Parties
3rd Nov 1915 Working Parties
4th Nov 1915 Working Parties & Football
5th Nov 1915 Working Parties
6th Nov 1915 Working Parties
7th Nov 1915 Church Parade
9th Nov 1915 Reliefs
10th Nov 1915 Fatigues
11th Nov 1915 Shelling
12th Nov 1915 Reliefs
13th Nov 1915 Trench Work
14th Nov 1915 Sniping
15th Nov 1915 Attack
16th Nov 1915 Reliefs
17th Nov 1915 Fatigues
18th Nov 1915 Downpour
19th Nov 1915 Drainage
20th Nov 1915 Fatigues
21st Nov 1915 Very Cold
22nd Nov 1915 Fatigues
23rd Nov 1915 Inspection
24th Nov 1915 Reliefs
25th Nov 1915 Working Parties
26th Nov 1915 Mining Expert
27th Nov 1915 Trench Work
28th Nov 1915 Reliefs
29th Nov 1915 Very Cold
1st Dec 1915 Working Party
2nd Dec 1915 Working Parties
3rd Dec 1915 Reliefs
4th Dec 1915 Trench Visit
5th Dec 1915 Frost Bite.
6th Dec 1915 Anniversary
7th Dec 1915 Fatigues
8th Dec 1915 Fatigues
9th Dec 1915 Recce
10th Dec 1915 Reliefs
11th Dec 1915 Trench Work
12th Dec 1915 Trench Work
13th Dec 1915 Parapets
14th Dec 1915 Parapets
15th Dec 1915 Trench Work
16th Dec 1915 Trench Work
17th Dec 1915 Trench Work
18th Dec 1915 Positions Improved
19th Dec 1915 Reliefs
20th Dec 1915 In Camp
22nd Dec 1915 Into Reserve
23rd Dec 1915 Trench Work
24th Dec 1915 Puddings
25th Dec 1915 Greetings Exchanged
26th Dec 1915 In Reserve
27th Dec 1915 Reliefs
28th Dec 1915 Trench Work
29th Dec 1915 In the Line
30th Dec 1915 Baggage
1st Jan 1916 At Rest
3rd Jan 1916 Relief
4th Jan 1916 Salvage
5th Jan 1916 Preparations
6th Jan 1916 Preparations
7th Jan 1916 Preparations
8th Jan 1916 On the Move
9th Jan 1916 On the Move
12th July 1916 Back to the Battlefield
24th Jan 1917 Orders
27th Jan 1917 In Action 
13th April 1917 Attack Fails
1st of February 1918 An Inspection
8th of February 1918 Battalions Transferred
10th of February 1918 Reorganisation Complete
31st of March 1918 Account of Operations
4th of April 1918 An Appreciation
1st of September 1918 Operations Begin
26th Sep 1918 On the March
27th Sep 1918 On the March
28th Sep 1918 Into Position
29th Sep 1918 Attack Made
30th Sep 1918 Advance Guard At Becelaere at 5.30am 9th (North Irish Horse) Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers, covered by an advance guard, moved forward through J.18.b, K.13 central to K.16.c. Information was received from Brigade to the effect that the 109th Brigade held Terhand and Dadizeele. 9th North Irish Horse Battalion was to pass through 1st Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers at 0700. 12th Royal Irish Rifles to advance on our left, Terhand, Vijfwegen Road the inter-Battalion boundary, the first objective to be a line roughly north and south through Vijfwegen (K.24.a); second objective to be railway running north and south (K.20 and K.26 central); third objective to be Mooreseele. The 29th Division was on our right.
At 0700 1st Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers were on a line running south-west through K.21.a and c. The 9th Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers were facing south with posts along Terhand, Vinwegen Road. The 1st Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers were held up by machine gun fire and had lost touch with the 29th Division.
A patrol from 9th North Irish Horse Battalion discovered the 1st Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers holding line running south from K.19.a.9.6 through K.19 central, i.e. 2000 yards in rear. B Company 9NIH were sent to move along line of enemy wire through K.21.b, K.22.c and K.29.c to occupy high ground in K.30.a.
C Company to move to right rear of B Company to protect flank, to get and keep in touch with 29th Division.
A Company to move through K.22 central, K.23 central to K.24.c and to keep touch with 12th Royal Irish Rifles and
D Company to move in support along Terhand, Vijfwegen Road.
B and C Companies 9th North Irish Horse came under machine gun fire almost at once after moving through the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, but A Company met with no opposition until they reached the east side of Methuen Wood, when they came under machine gun fire from houses in K.23.d about 9.30am. About this time the reserve Company came under machine gun fire from a pill box on K.24.b.0.3 and Leadenhall Copse which were cleared in spite of stiff resistance by 1230.
Twelve prisoners and two machine guns were captured in this operation, and an Officer with twenty Other Ranks of the enemy being killed.
All further attempts to advance our line beyond the general line of this pill box and Leadenhall Copse were prevented by very heavy machine gun fire from fortified farms on our right flank which was still hanging back.
At about 1800 when the 2nd Royal Irish Rifles passed through the line to attack, the general line ran K.24.b.0.3, Leadenhall Copse, K.23.d.2.5, K.29.b.2.8.
9th North Irish Horse Battalion casualties during the day were six Officers and 130 Other Ranks.
War Diarie North Irish Horse
1st Oct 1918 Counter Attack
2nd Oct 1918 Hard Fighting
3rd of October 1918 A Quiet Night
4th October 1918 Reports
4th Oct 1918 Reliefs Completed
4th Oct 1918 Reliefs
18th Oct 1918 Reliefs
19th Oct 1918 Courage Marked
19th Oct 1918 Attack Made
20th Oct 1918 Attack Made
23rd Oct 1918 Reliefs
24th Oct 1918 Orders
25th Oct 1918 In Action
26th Oct 1918 Patrols
27th Oct 1918 Advance
15th of February 1919 Boxing Tournament
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 with1st Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers during the Great War 1914-1918. - Bailey John. Pte. (d.14/15 Oct 1918)
- Bartlet Albert Edward. Pte.
- Boylan Patrick. Pte. (d.3rd Jul 1917 )
- Brolly William. Pte. (d.21st Aug 1915)
- Carabine Patrick. Pte. (d.21st August 1915)
- Cassidy J.. Pte. (d.23rd Jul 1916)
- Conaghy Thomas. Pte. (d.April 1917)
- Cushnahan Thomas. Pte. (d.19th April 1917)
- Dunne Michael. Sgt. (d.1st Jul 1916)
- English Bernard. Pte. (d.28th Jan 1917)
- Felton Joseph. Pte. (d.27th Jan 1917)
- Fitzpatrick James. L/Cpl. (d.25th July 1915)
- Gardiner Charles George. Pte.
- Giles Ernest William. Pte. (d.22nd Mar 1918)
- Giles Ernest William. Pte. (d.22nd March 1918)
- Gorman Bernard. Pte.
- Gray MM. John Purves. 2nd Lt (d.1st Oct 1918)
- Harvey VC. Norman. Pte.
- Hope Robert. Pte. (d.5th July 1917)
- Hulme James. Pte. (d.28th Jan 1917)
- Jamison MM. William. Sgt.
- Johnston Joseph. Pte. (d.3rd July 1916)
- Kelly VC, DSO, MID. John Sherwood. A/Lt.Col.
- Leonard Michael Joseph. Private (d.1st May 1915)
- Maule Robert William. Pte. (d.20th October 1918)
- McCann James. L/Cpl. (d.1st July 1916)
- McCormick Mark Huston. 2nd Lt. (d.23rd April 1917)
- McCrory Francis. Sgt. (d.19th May 1917)
- Mckee William. Pte. (d.21st Aug 1915)
- McKee William. Pte. (d.21st Aug 1915)
- McKenzie James. Cpl. (d.9th August 1916)
- McManus Charles. Pte. (d.24th Jul 1916)
- Montgomery William Longmore. Pte. (d.29th Jun 1915)
- Morrison John George. Cpl. (d.22nd May 1918)
- Nevin Daniel Patrick. Pte. (d.22nd Mar 1918)
- Nolan Laurence. Pte. (d.31st December 1916)
- O'Neill WIlliam. Pte. (d.5th December 1917)
- O?Sullivan VC Gerald Robert. Capt. (d.21st Aug 1915)
- Paton Henry John. Pte. (d.8th May 1916)
- Quinn John. Pte.
- Richman William. Pte. (d.24th April 1917)
- Rowley Joseph William. Cpl. (d.24 April 1917)
- Smith MM. John Edward. Sgt. (d.23rd Apr 1917)
- Smith MM. John Edward. Sgt. (d.23rd Apr 1917)
- Somers VC. James. Sgt. (d.7th May 1918)
- Somers VC. James. Sgt. (d.7th May 1918)
- Somers VC. James. Sgt. (d.7th May 1918)
- Somerville MiD. John. Pte.
- Tearle John Henry. L/Sgt (d.29th June 1915)
- Williams William. Pte. (d.1st July 1916)
- Williamson Allan. Pte. (d.1st July 1916)
- Wood Robert Richard. Pte. (d.9th Aug 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 1st Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers from other sources.
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Pte. Albert Edward Bartlet 1st Btn. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers Bert Bartlett was a native of Basingstoke, Hampshire who, prior to the outbreak of the Great War, decided to join the British Army. Although relatively short in stature, he was a gutsy character, which was exemplified by the fact that he walked the 14 miles from Basingstoke to Aldershot in order to join up.
Unfortunately for him, however, he was underage and was turned away. Not to be denied, he took a similar walk, a couple of weeks later, on this occasion making his way from Basingstoke to Winchester!
Winchester, at that time was home to several regiments, such as the Hampshires, Rifle Brigade and the Kings Royal Rifle Corps. However, also present were the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and Bert liked the sound of them, so he gave the right age this time and was sworn in.
I know that he became a member of the Regimental band and that when war broke out he was abroad, possibly in India.
He took part in the landing at Cape Helles, at which time he was wounded and sent to a hospital in Malta to recover.
After he returned to his unit he went over the top on the 1st of July 1916, at Beaumont Hamel, where he was again wounded, this time being shipped back to England to recover.
He returned to his regiment again and became a Lewis Gunner.
The next action he was involved in was the Great German offensive in 1918, at which time he was taken prisoner, spending the rest of the war in a German P.O.W. camp.
He survived the war and lived into his mid 80s.
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2nd Lt. Mark Huston McCormick Royal Munster Fusiliers (d.23rd April 1917) Mark McCormick served with the Royal Munster Fusiliers in WW1. He died 23rd of April 1917 and is remembered on the Arras Memorial in France. At the time of his death, Mark was attached to the 1st Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
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Pte. Charles George Gardiner 1st Btn. Royal Inniskillen Fusiliers This is my Great Grandfather. He signed up in October 1899, and joined the Royal Inniskillen Fusiliers at Omagh on 14th October 1899.
His service records show that they were mobilised at Omagh on 5th of August 1914.
He was in France from 23rd of August 1914 to 25th of August 1914 and taken
POW on the 26th of August 1914, he was held until the end of the war and was repatriated on the 15th of December 1914 and demobbed on 20th of March 1919.
He served for a total of 19 years 161 days.
From another source I have been able to establish that he received a wound to his thigh and was held at a hospital in Crefield for a time.
The entry reads;
Gardiner, Charles, Priv. Inf. Oberschenkel. Ros. Laz.2. Crefield.
(Oberschenkel is German for Thigh).
The source informed me that his Battalion had been engaged at Esnes, France, then moved back to Le Catelet on the 26th of August 1914. He appears to have been left behind when the Battalion retreated.
He never spoke about his time in the war.
I remember when we visited his daughters house in Belfast, he was always sitting in the chair beside the fire, with a pipe.
He passed away in January 1971
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Pte. Laurence Nolan 1st Btn. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (d.31st December 1916) Private Nolan is buried In the South-West part of the Sleaty Old Burial Ground, Sleaty, Co. Leix, Ireland.
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Cpl. John George Morrison 1st Btn. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (d.22nd May 1918) My grandfather John Morrison joined the 1st Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers during 1914 and died on 22nd of May 1918 whilst fighting with the Fifth Army. He has no known grave but is remembered on The Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France.
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Sgt. James Somers VC. 1st Btn. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (d.7th May 1918) James Somers was the son of R.W. Somers of Cloughjordan.
An extract from the supplement to The London Gazette, dated 31st Aug., 1915, records the following:- "For most conspicuous bravery on the night of 1st-2nd July, 1915, in the Southern Zone of the Gallipoli Peninsula, when, owing to hostile bombing, some of our troops had retired from a sap, Serjeant Somers remained alone on the spot until a party brought up bombs. He then climbed over into the Turkish trench, and bombed the Turks with great effect. Later on he advanced into the open under very heavy fire and held back the enemy by throwing bombs into their flank until a barricade had been established. During this period he frequently ran to and from our trenches to obtain fresh supplies of bombs. By his great gallantry and coolness Serjeant Somers was largely instrumental in effecting the recapture of a portion of our trench which had been lost."
He was 24 when he died in Ireland from the effects of gas and is buried West of the Modreeny Church of Ireland Churchyard, Modreeny, Co. Tipperary, Ireland.
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Pte. James Hulme 1st Btn. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (d.28th Jan 1917) James Hulme was my great grandfather, who was killed in action aged 38, leaving behind his wife and 6 children including my grandmother. He is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial.
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Pte. William Longmore Montgomery 1st Btn. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (d.29th Jun 1915) My great uncle William Montgomery was a member of a regular battalion, the 1st Battalion Royal Iniskilling Fusiliers and was dispatched to Egypt but diverted to the Dardanelle Straits.
He landed at X Beach, Gallipoli, on 25th April 1915. He was subsequently wounded twice in the head by a Turkish sniper or snipers. I am unclear about the exact circumstances of his death, but believe that the second shot to his head was sustained as he lay on the ground. The reason for this conclusion was evidenced by the presence of two distinct entry and exit holes in the pith helmet he had been wearing at the time.
He survived his evacuation from Gallipoli and the sea trip home. He was treated for his wounds in the 1st Southern General Hospital, Birmingham, where he died, aged 18, from his wounds on 29th June 1915. He is buried in First Ahoghill Presbyterian Churchyard.
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Pte. Bernard "Bertie" Gorman 1st Btn. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers Bertie Gorman joined up on the day war was declared. The story is that he ran down the garden, jumped over a hedge onto the road and headed for the local barracks. He told them he was 17 but he may still have been 16. His first theatre of war was the Balkans in July 1915.
He survived the war but suffered from paralysis of the right hand, which was a considerable handicap for someone who was a tailor by trade. Northern Ireland did not prove to be hospitable place for veterans after the war. He moved to Co. Longford for a time and then sought work in Canada. Eventually he and most of his family moved to London where his service record helped him get work in the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich. He died in 1962 a short time before he was due to retire.
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L/Sgt John Henry Tearle 1st Btn Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (d.29th June 1915) John Tearle was a native of Hertford, Hertfordshire and came from a very poor family. As late as 1895 he was an inmate of the Hertford Union Workhouse. It would appear the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers were recruiting in Hertford and he joined them; I'm not sure when, but he was a Lance Sergeant by 1915, so it must have been a few years before WW1.
He was seriously wounded in the Battle of Gully Ravine (24-28 June 1915) and died of his wounds on 29th of June 1915 during the Gallipoli Campaign. His body was left behind and no grave was ever found for him. He is remembered on the Helles Memorial at the foot of the Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey.
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Pte. William McKee 1st Btn. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (d.21st Aug 1915) My great uncle William McKee was killed at Gallipoli, age 22. He was first declared missing then assumed dead. His body was never found and is commemorated at the Helles Memorial in Turkey, Panel 97-101.
His brother Alexander Livingston McKee (my grandfather) also served in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.
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Pte. Joseph Johnston 1st Btn. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (d.3rd July 1916) Joseph Johnston is buried in Gezaincourt Communal Cemetery Extension, France.
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Pte. Joseph Felton 1st Btn. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (d.27th Jan 1917) My Great Grandfather was John Edmund Sterry, an Englishman from Lowestoft and a member of the RNR based in Kingstown, Dublin. He married an Irish woman named Mary Margaret Felton, younger sister of Joseph Felton. Joseph Felton enlisted to the British Army in Kingstown, Dublin and served with the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 1st Batallion. He died in action aged 20 in 1917.
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Sgt. William Jamison MM. 1st Battallion Royal Inniskilling Fusilliers My grandfather was born in 1885 in Belfast. In 1903, at the age of 19 he enlisted in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. He served in Crete, Malta, China and India (where my mother was born) prior to the outbreak of the Great War.
The 1st Royal Inniskilling Fusilliers landed on X Beach, Hellas Point, Gallipoli on 25th of April 1915. They were engaged in immediate and almost continuous battle (Krithia (3), Gully Ravine, Krithia Vineyard and Scimitar Hill) and suffered heavy casualties over the eight months of the campaign. The survivors were evacuated to Egypt on 9 January, 1916.
On 18th of March, 1916 the Battalion was deployed to France. They landed in Marseilles and marched north to the Western Front. On 1st July, 1916, they engaged in the First Battle of the Somme near Albert. They went over the top at 0730 near Y Ravine with the objective of taking the rail station at the nearby village of Beaumont Hamel. On that day, the 1st Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers were one of only a few units to reach their objective. They were forced to retreat however, when the second wave of troops, who were to support them, were decimated on the field.
I do not know if my grandfather was wounded on the first day of the Somme or subsequently. He was evacuated to England on 7th of August, 1916 and was awarded the Military Medal for bravery in the field as announced in the London Gazette on 10th of November, 1916. Sergeant William Jamison was ultimately discharged on 9 September 1918 as "no longer fit for war service." His war wounds were a contributing factor in his death, at the age of 48.
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Pte. John Quinn 1st Btn. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers  John Quinn was 19 years old when he Joined the Army at Omagh on the 22nd of July 1915 and commenced his military training at Londonderry on 24th of July 1915
John completed his training and was posted to the 1st Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers on 2nd of January 1916 and landed in France on the 22nd of March 1916. John's regiment took part in the Battle of the Somme which began on the 1st of July 1916 when 19,240 men were killed and 38,230 wounded on that first day. one of those wounded was John Quinn who was shot in the right thigh with such ferocity that his thigh bone was fractured
Because of the horrendous number of casualties. 11 days had passed before John reached a military field hospital. On 17 July 1916 he was evacuated to a hospital in Glasgow He remained in hospital under medical supervision until 13 October 1916 when he was discharged from hospital and sent on recuperation leave.
John returned to duty on 30 October 1916 at Londonderry He was transferred to the Labour Battalion. Royal Irish Regiment on 9 February 1917 and he went back to France on 12 February 1917 John was then transferred to his former regiment, the lst Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, on 15 September 1917 on the frontline
Johns record shows that he was given a period of leave to the UK from 22 January 1918 until 11 February 1918 when he returned to his regiment on the front line.
On 22 March 1918. Private John Quinn was reported missing in action. On the 3rd of October 1918 it was confirmed that he had been captured by the enemy and was a Prisoner of War, he was taken to a POW camp in Germany. John was working in a coal mine as a POW when he had an accident which fractured his already damaged thigh bone. Poor medical care by his captives resulted in the fracture repair shortening his leg.
On 22nd of November 1918 the war was at an end and John was repatriated to the POW Reception Camp and Discharge Centre at Ripon in Yorkshire. A medical Board declared that John was no longer medically fit for military service because of his war wounds and he was discharged on 4 December 1918
John Quinn served for 3 years and 136 days and was awarded the British War Medal, the Victory Medal and the Sliver War Badge. A clean regimental conduct sheet is evidence of his exemplary character and the manner in which he conducted himself throughout a very difficult period of military service
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Pte. Robert Richard Wood 1st Btn. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (d.9th Aug 1916) Robert Wood joined the army in Shiney Row, County Durham on the of 5th Septempber 1914. Serving with the 1st Btn of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, as part of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, he was involved in the landing and fighting in Gallipoli. In January 1916 the Inniskillings were evacuated and later redeployed in France. Robert was killed on the 9th August 1916 and is buried at the Bedford House Cemetery, Belgium.
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Pte. John Somerville MiD. 1st Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers My Grandfather John Somerville fought at Gallipoli from April 1915 to 1916 then shipped to fight in the European war until 1918. He stayed in the Army until 1921/22.
He was a bagpiper in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers pipe band until his demob.
He joined up again to fight in the Second World War being wounded and was only saved because a small boat with Scottish soldiers in it saw the bagpipes my grandfather had tied to his back, they pulled him on board saving his life, the wound finished his time in the army.
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Capt. Gerald Robert O?Sullivan VC 1st Btn. Inniskilling Fusiliers (d.21st Aug 1915)  Gerald O’Sullivan was aged 26 and is commemorated on the Helles Memorial in Gallipoli, Turkey.
He was the son of the late Lt. Col. G. O’Sullivan (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) and of Mrs. O’Sullivan.
An extract from The London Gazette, No. 29281, dated 1st Sept., 1915, records the following:- "For most conspicuous bravery during operations South-West of Krithia, on the Gallipoli Peninsula. On the night of the 1st/2nd July, 1915, when it was essential that a portion of a trench which had been lost should be regained, Captain O'Sullivan, although not belonging to the troops at this point, volunteered to lead a party of bomb throwers to effect the recapture. He advanced in the open under a very heavy fire, and, in order to throw his bombs with greater effect, got up on the parapet where he was completely exposed to the fire of the enemy occupying the trench. He was finally wounded, but not before his inspiring example had led on his party to make further efforts, which resulted in the recapture of the trench. On the night of 18th/19th June, 1915. Captain O'Sullivan saved a critical situation in the same locality by his great personal gallantry and good leading."
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Sgt. James Somers VC. Army Service Corps (d.7th May 1918)  James Somers was the son of R. W. Somers, of Cloughjordan in Ireland. He had previously served with the 1st Bn. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers before transferring to the ASC. He died on the 7th May 1918, aged 24, and is buried on the West side of the Church in the Modreeny Church of Ireland Churchyard between Cloughjordan and Borrisokane in Ireland.
An extract from the supplement to The London Gazette, dated 31st Aug., 1915, records the following:- "For most conspicuous bravery on the night of 1st-2nd July, 1915, in the Southern Zone of the Gallipoli Peninsula, when, owing to hostile bombing, some of our troops had retired from a sap, Serjeant Somers remained alone on the spot until a party brought up bombs. He then climbed over into the Turkish trench, and bombed the Turks with great effect. Later on he advanced into the open under very heavy fire and held back the enemy by throwing bombs into their flank until a barricade had been established. During this period he frequently ran to and from our trenches to obtain fresh supplies of bombs. By his great gallantry and coolness Serjeant Somers was largely instrumental in effecting the recapture of a portion of our trench which had been lost."
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Pte. Norman Harvey VC. 1st Btn. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers  Norman Harvey was the son of Charles William and Mary Harvey; husband of Nora Osmond Harvey, of Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire.
The following details are given in the London Gazette of 6th January 1919:- "For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty near Ingoyghem on the 25th October, 1918, when his battalion (the 1st Bn. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers) was held up and suffered heavy casualties from enemy machine guns. On his own initiative he rushed forward and engaged the enemy single-handed, disposing of twenty enemy and capturing two guns. Later, when his company was checked by another enemy strong point, he again rushed forward alone and put the enemy to flight. Subsequently, after dark, he voluntarily carried out, single-handed, an important reconnaissance and gained valuable information. Pte. Harvey throughout the day displayed the greatest valour, and his several actions enabled the line to advance, saved many casualties, and inspired all."
He want on to serve in WW2 and died on the 16th February 1942, aged 42 and is buried in the Khayat Beach War Cemetery in Israel.
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