The name of John Gaskin was incorrectly recorded as John Gascoyne, the spelling of the name varies in different sources but further research  has revealed that Gaskin is the correct spelling of the name. Shown is a photo of the Gaskin family grave in Deansgrange Cemetery, County Dublin.

Erected by Michael Gaskin, 34 Brookfield Place, Blackrock, Co. Dublin - In memory of his beloved son, Sean Gaskin I. V., died April 25 1920, age 23 years - Also his beloved wife Mary Anne Gaskin, died July 14 1934, aged 65 years - Also his daughter Margaret "Maggie", died March 24 1940, aged 35 years -  Also the above Michael Gaskin, died November 29 1949, aged 77 years.

Army Aviator Killed - Irish Officer Falls 2,000 Feet

 

The first accident since the formation of the aviation base at Montrose occurred on Tuesday morning. A number of officers were engaged in reconnaissance flights under satisfactory weather conditions when one of them, Lieutenant Desmond L. Arthur of the Munster Fusiliers, met with his death. He was piloting a biplane when at a height of 2,000 feet the wing of the machine, it is stated, suddenly collapsed causing the biplane to fall to earth. It is thought that Lieutenant Arthur, when he found the machine falling, managed to unbuckle himself from it and jump clear before the machine reached the ground, as his body was picked up one hundred yards from where the aeroplane lay.

 

The body of the ill-fated officer was terribly shattered and death must have been instantaneous. Lieutenant Arthur joined the Montrose Squadron only a week ago. Various theories are advanced as to the cause of the accident, which occurred at a height of two thousand feet. One suggestion is that the pilot was practising banking and another is that the mishap was caused by an explosion, but the former theory is regarded as the most likely explanation of the disaster. A military court of inquiry was held during the day but no information was divulged as to the cause of the accident.

 

Mr. Desmond Arthur’s Career 

Mr. Desmond Arthur’s career as an airman has not been a very long one. A member of an old Clare family, he was the second son of the late Mt. Thomas F. Arthur, Glenomera, and was only thirty years of age. He was an all-round sportsman and particularly interested in motoring, having won a number of prizes in speed trials. It was at Leopardstown in 1910 that Arthur first showed his liking for the adventurous sport of flying. He attended the first aviation meeting there as a spectator and having been introduced to Cecil Grace, himself an Irishman, he asked the airman to take him as a passenger upon one of his flights. Grace was unwilling to do so, but he yielded after a time to the young man’s request. This experience enhanced Arthur’s desire to become an airman and he went to Brooklands to learn the art. Before long he showed a courage and daring which promised that he would reach the first rank of airmen. These qualities were especially displayed on the occasion of the test for his pilot’s certificate from the Royal Aero Club. Instead of contenting himself with flying to the minimum height of two hundred feet, he soared up over two thousand feet, trying to make a record in altitude. Arthur came to Ireland last year with his 70 h.p. Bristol monoplane for the next flying meeting at Leopardstown. But he was un-lucky and did not appear to have as much advantage as the other airmen who attended. Valentine and the ill-fated Astley covered part of the distance to Belfast. Lieutenant Porte made a short flight and then came back. But Desmond Arthur did not leave the course at all. Starting in the far corner of the field, his monoplane ‘’misfired’’ and was slow to rise. Arthur was doubtful whether he could clear the crowed stand and chose the safer course of coming down. He descended near the Press tent and in doing so ripped a tyre off one of the wheels of his monoplane. The machine dragged back for a second start. Arthur was about to go off again when Mr C.G. Grey, editor of the Aeroplane, discovered a large hole in one of the planes. Arthur wanted to patch the hole with canvas and fly ahead but he was dissuaded from such a rash attempt. Needless to say he was exceedingly disappointed. This daring young Irishman fully realised the danger of flying. On one occasion he dismissed it lightly with the remark

 

“If one stopped to think of that it would be childish. One must take it as all in the day’s work”.

 

A man of unassuming manner and unfailing good spirit, he made many friends. Only last month he was gazetted to the Royal Flying Corps. He was also a Lieutenant in the Motor Reserve and in the 5th Battalion of the Royal Munster Fusiliers.

 

 Notes 

Extra information on some of the people and events in the above article.      

Lieutenant Desmond L. Arthur  

 

Lieutenant Desmond L. Arthur was born in 1884 and he died on the 27th May 1913. His funeral took place to Sleepyhillock Cemetery, Montrose, Angus in Scotland. As he was one of the first members of the Royal Flying Corps to lose his life in a plane crash, the funeral attracted a very large crowd. The military inquiry into the accident found that it was caused by pilot error. Shortly after the findings were published, officers reported that the ghost of Lieutenant Arthur was appearing in the officers mess and around the base. Later the official cause of the crash was changed to a fault in the wing of the BE2 plane and soon after this the ghost of Arthur was observed in the officers mess throwing papers on the fire. He never returned.

 

First Irish Aviation Meeting Leopardstown 1910 

The weather delayed the first Irish Aviation Meeting to be held at the racecourse at Leopardstown, Co. Dublin over two days in September. On the afternoon of the second day Cecil Grace brought out his Henry Farman machine, but due to the rain he had problems with the propeller, as it sucked up water from the ground. This held up his take off. After a time he made it off the ground and indulged in some fairly high flying. Grace also demonstrated the passenger capabilities of his Farman machine, carrying several passengers for long hops along the course One of these would have been Lieutenant Arthur.

 

Cecil Grace died in December 1910 while attempting to fly from Dover to Calais. His body was recovered on the 14th March 1911 in the harbour at Ostend Belgium.

 

Dublin to Belfast Aeroplane Contest 1912 

Large crows gathered at Leopardstown racecourse to witness the start of the Aero Club of Ireland contest from Dublin to Belfast. Bad weather prevailed on the day and with a strong westerly wind the start of the contest was delayed for some time. At 4.25pm the all clear was given and the first of the aviators, Astley, moved forward and took off, followed by J. Valentine, Arthur and Porte. Arthur failed to get clear of the ground and in landing buckled one of his wheels. Lieutenant Porte found the conditions much too trying and after going three miles returned to Leopardstown. Astley and Valentine persevered through the veil weather conditions, Valentine eventually coming down at Newry Co .Down, while Astley gave up a at Drogheda Co. Louth.

 

The Prize Fund 

The committee decided to divide the first prize of £300 between Astley and Valentine. While the Shell Motor prize of £50 went to Porte. A special prize of £25 was awarded to Arthur. All of the four aviators also received £40 for their expenses.

 

H.J.D. Astley 

H.J.D. Astley was killed on the 21st September 1912 when his plane crashed at Belfast. He died while executing a sharp turn with his machine. Many of the spectators who watched the accident were of the opinion that Astley sacrificed his life in a brave attempt to avoid colliding with the crowd. Astley previously competed in the Round Britain Race in 1911 in which The Daily Mail had put up a prize of £10,000

 

James Valentine 

James Valentine joined the R.F.C. and served in the Great War 1914-18. During this conflict he was awarded the D.S.O., Legion D’Honneur and the Order of St. George, He was killed on the 7th August 1917, aged 29 years. He held the rank of Major at the time of his death in Russia. He has no known grave and his name is on the memorial at Archangle. The husband of Louisa Eileen Valentine nee Knox and son of James & Fanny Valentine of Brixton London

 

Sources

Irish Times 31st May 1913

Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre

Montrose Review

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Captain Richard J. Creighton Adjutant of the Royal Munster Fusiliers, son of Mr. Richard Creighton the popular clerk of the Gorey Union. He received his promotion to the rank of Captain since the outbreak of the present war for his remarkable ability and courage. Captain Creighton served with distinction all through the South African campaign being attached to the South Irish Horse and although he had many a close call he came safely out of several engagements without a scratch. He many friends in Gorey, Fermoy, Kilkenny and various parts of Ireland hope that he may have similar good fortune in the present great war. He is at present with his regiment “somewhere in France”  

Source

The Free Press Wexford, 18^th December 1915

Kildare Man

 

The gallantry of our soldiers participating in the tense European conflict of today should make us hold in renewed and lasting honour the brave warriors of past campaigns, campaigns which have built up, as on a sure, concrete foundation the glorious traditions of the British Army. One of these heroes, Mr.John Joseph Flood, who fought in the Crimean War and Indian Mutiny, passed away at Durban Natal South Africa, on Sunday, December 27^th,at the rare old age of 90 years. He long outlived the rigours of the Crimean winter and the no less trying experiences of campaigning under a blazing Indian sun. Mr. Flood was born in Ireland in 1824 and when 22 years of age enlisted in the 48^th Foot (now the 1^st Northamptonshire Regiment) at Newbridge, Co.Kildare. After being stationed at Dublin, Belfast, Enniskillen, Londonderry and Brecon, Flood embarked with his regiment for Corfu, Ionian Islands. There they remained from 1853 to 1855, when they were ordered to the Crimea, where they took part in the famous campaign of sixty years ago. During the Russian sortie from Sebastapol, Sergeant Flood was struck on the top of his head with a bullet, which came near to shortening his days very considerably and made him feel glad he was not a taller man.

 

In 1858 Colour-Sergeant Flood and his regiment proceeded to India and took part in the suppression of the Mutiny, during which they engaged the rebels at Lahore and other places. At Jelung the “City of Palaces” in Central India, the Colour-Sergeant was for three months in charge of a fort and his small garrison had to be continually on the alert, as the enemy, like the angles, were hovering round. The regiment after being stationed at Lucknow and Calcutta embarked for home and landed at Dover in April 1865. Colour-Sergeant Flood was appointed to the staff of the Queen’s Co. Militia as musketry instructor in the following year and he held this position on the militia permanent staff for ten years.

 

Going out to Natal South Africa in 1879, Mr Flood was for many years in the Durban Corporation and was also for a considerable time drill instructor to the youth of that seaport.

 

Mr Flood held three medals, the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, the Crimean War medal with clasps for Sebastapol, and the Turkish medal. Singularly enough, he did not get an Indian Mutiny medal, the antiquated reason for this being that a General was not in command of the forces in which he served, nor did his part in a general engagement. In a press interview a few years ago the veteran said that “the Crimean War had a great levelling influence upon the officers. Prior to that time the officer was an arrogant aristocrat, but he had to share the hardships of the common soldier, which had a salutary effect upon him.”

 

The funeral took place at Durban on Monday December 28^th and it was attended by a large and representative gathering of townspeople. There were very many beautiful wreaths. The coffin was carried from the house by four veterans, over the coffin was the Union Jack. Three medals hung attached to the deceased’s cot and a few veterans and a squad of the Durban Garrison Artillery followed. By a regrettable omission, however there were no military honours accorded by the authorities and there was a consequent absence of gun carriage firing party and band. The Rev. Father Viellard, O.M.I. conducted the service at the Catholic Cathedral and also at the graveside

 

Source

Kildare Observer 30^th January 1915

 On Sunday April 25^th upwards of 200 people attended a dawn ceremony in Dublin to mark Anzac Day which honours the men of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who fought at Gallipolli in 1915.             Ireland first hosted an Anzac Day commemoration ceremony in April 2006. This year's commemoration began at 6.30 a.m. in Dublin's 130 year old Grangegorman Military Cemetery which contains 619 graves of soldiers, many of whom died in both the First World War and Second World War.             Msgr. Eoin Thynne, chaplain to the Irish Defence Forces  led the service  at which the attendance included His Excellency Bruce Davis, Australian Ambassador to Ireland, His Excellency Julian King , British Ambassador to Ireland, Don Smith, 1^st Secretary at the Australian embassy, Lt. Aston Talbot  and 2/Lt Clare Hagward from the New Zealand defence forces, John Spink, Shannon Lowe, and representatives  from  Belfast's cross community group, the Lily and Poppy Project.

A letter written by a first class passenger on the RMS Titanic 5 days before it sank on April 15^th 1912, sold for € 62,500  at an auction of White Star Line memorabilia  in Wiltshire, England, in April and was a record price for an item of written correspondence  from this ship. The letter in question was written by Adolphe Saafeld  and addressed to his wife.

From Bray District Command Local Defence Force Unit to 62 Reserve Defence Force Infantry Bn.

On 1 October 2005 as part of the reorganisation of the Army Reserve, existing units of An Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúil (F.C.A.) and An Slua Muiri were dissolved and reconstituted as new units of the Reserve Defence Forces. One of the units dissolved was the 21 Infantry Battalion (Bn) F.C.A. with headquarters in Bray, Co. Wicklow, covering south County Dublin and all of County Wicklow east of the Wicklow Mountains and was amalgamated with the 20 Infantry Battalion in Dublin to form the 62 Reserve Infantry Battalion. Like many F.C.A. units the 21 Infantry Bn can trace its ancestry back to A Group of the Local Security Force (1940) and the Local Defence Force (1941–46).

The Local Security Force

On June 24 1940, faced with the possibility of a German invasion, the Government decided to initiate its own Local Defence Force Scheme based on the British Local Defence Volunteers, later called the Home Guard, with formal details of this new organisation being announced by Taoiseach Eamon de Valera at election meetings in Galway on May 25 and Clifden on May 26. Further information on what the Government had in mind emerged in the Dail 2 days later during the announcement by the Taoiseach of the formation of an All Party Defence Council when he stated that the reserves of the Regular Army and the First Line of Volunteers were being called up and that work on the registration of men for service in the Local Security Corps/Guards who would serve in their own areas was about to commence.

A massive recruiting campaign to increase the strength of the Defence Forces commenced with volunteers being sought in:

·         The Regular Army on a normal engagement,

·         The Regular Army for the duration of the Emergency,

·         The Volunteer Force.

·         The Local Security Guards in which volunteers would serve in their own time and in their own district.

National Service enrolment forms were made available at garda stations on which volunteers could indicate which force they wished to join. The response to the Local Defence Guards was excellent with volunteers spanning all occupations, religious denominations, social and political backgrounds volunteering their services. On June 22 1940, this organisation now renamed the Local Security Force, and under the control of the Department of Justice, was divided into the A Group and B Group with the former acting as a military section and the latter as an auxiliary police force following a Government decision to arm the A Group to provide armed protection for the B Group.

The Bray District Command A Group Local Security Force - 1940

In 1939 the Bray Garda Division consisted of stations at Bray, Enniskerry, Greystones, Newtownmountkennedy and Roundwood, in Co. Wicklow and Shankill in Co. Dubin.

Bray, Co. Wicklow, was the largest town in the Bray Garda District with a population of about 11,000 engaged principally in the local economy which consisted of light industry. Others were employed in a variety of small industrial concerns, on local estates and farms as agricultural workers, in shops and offices or commuted to Dublin. Other large centres of population in this area were Roundwood, Kilmacanogue, Greystones and Enniskerry where most people were employed locally in agriculture and rural light industries.

While recruiting for the Local Security Force commenced as early as June 2 1940 in Dublin, the recruiting and enlistment of personnel did not commence in Co. Wicklow for about another week but once it did, the response was very good. In Bray, Co. Wicklow, recruiting commenced on June 10 1940 with 50 members of the Bray and Shankill Old I.R.A. marching from Church Terrace to the Bray garda barracks to present themselves for enlistment along with an array of townspeople spanning all religious social, political and employment backgrounds. Over the next 6 weeks recruiting of personnel continued at a steady pace, aided by newspaper advertisements which urged people who wanted to assist in the defence of their county to join the Local Security Force and to sign on at the nearest garda barracks.

By mid-July it was reported that the Bray Local Security Force had a strength of 400 men covering Bray, Enniskerry, Greystones, Newtownmountkennedy, Kilmacanogue and Shankill. By July those presenting themselves for enlistment in the Local Security Force were required to indicate at the time of enlistment which Group they wished to join, A Group or B Group, as by this time each Group had been assigned a clearly defined role.

‘A’ Group consisted of people eligible for military service who were willing to assist the Defence Forces in an emergency and wished to prepare themselves for such service by undergoing a course of military training.

The duties of A Group were divided into 4 main categories:

1.      Patrolling and Observation

2.      The organisation of defensive measures,

3.      Armed protection,

4.      The rendering of assistance to the Defence Forces in an emergency and the preparation therefore by undergoing military training

‘B’ Group consisted of people who wished to aid in the defence of the State but were unable, for one reason or another, to be able to undergo military training and were willing to undertake auxiliary police duties.

The duties of B Group were divided into 4 main categories:

·         Patrolling and Observation,

·         Communications,

·         Control of transport

·         Miscellaneous emergency measures

 

By mid-July Bray District A Group Members were undergoing military type training while B Group Members were being sent out on patrols through the District Area. During the second week of August, ‘A’ and ‘B’ Group members were presented with their badges which bore the initials C.A which stood for Caomhnoiri Áitiúila / Local Security Force.

A statutory instrument formally establishing the A and B Groups of the Local Security Force came into force on September 12 1940 with provision being made for the transfer of A Group members to a new body, the Local Defence Corps, to ensure that they would be accorded prisoner of war status, if captured by a belligerent and not shot as partisans / resistance members. The new body was to come into existence once the Irish Defence Forces had been mobilised to resist an imminent invasion with the automatic transfer of A Group members to the Local Defence Corps taking place in this eventuality.

In October 1940 the Garda authorities were ready to attest members of both Groups with this ceremony for the Bray District Command taking place in Aravon School, Bray, on Sunday, October 13 1940 at which 163 A Group and 130 B Group members were sworn in separate ceremonies with a second ceremony taking place on Friday October 18 for those who had been unable to attend the Sunday October 13 1940 ceremony.

The Bray District Command Local Defence Force 1941 to 1946

On December 31, 1940 Emergency Powers (No.61) Order, 1940, came into effect under which from that date the A and B Groups of the Local Security Force were abolished as was the creation of the Local Defence Corps, and were replaced with 2 new organisations which took over the role of the A and B Groups of the Local Security Force with effect from January 1 1941.

The Local Defence Force took over the role of the former A Group Local Security Force with existing members being automatically transferred into the new organisations, which now moved from under the control of the Minister for Justice to that of the Minister of Defence. The Local Security Force took over the role of the former B Group The Local Security Force, retaining the title of Local Security Force, and continued in its role as an auxiliary police force while remaining under the control of the Minister for Justice.

Almost immediately after its creation members of the Bray District Command Local Defence Force were called out on January 2 1941 to help search the Stylebawn Area of Kilmacanogue, Co. Wicklow, for 2 magnetic mines dropped overnight by a belligerent (German) aircraft on snow covered ground. Gardai and the Local Security Force also took part in the search and when located, these devices were made safe by the Ordnance Corps and then detonated in situ The incident showed volunteers in both organisations that they had a role to play and that they were not merely playing at soldiers or security guards.

Being under Army control brought a great boost to the Bray District Command Local Defence Force as the 5 Bn of the Regular Army based in Bray was able to provide instructors, training and badly needed equipment.

Initially Bray District Command Local Defence Force Headquarters was in 2 small rooms in Quinsboro Terrace, Bray, but moved later due to reasons of space to 11 Quinsboro Road, Bray, before moving in January 1942 to Rockbrae House on the Vevay Road, Bray, which was leased by the Department of Defence from its owner Mr.T.H. Hanbury, Trim.

During the period 1941 to 1945 members took part in ceremonial parades, military exercises, undertook annual rifle practices, with a major boost being the issuing of a green service uniforms, great coats, and the issue of other items of military kit in 1942. In 1943 so many members served part as extras in the film ‘Henry V’ filmed on the Powerscourt Estate outside Enniskerry, Co.Wicklow, that training had to be suspended for the 6 weeks of filming there.

On October 1 1945 the Local Security Force was disbanded in succession to the Air Raid Precautions Service, which had been stood down previously but was subsequently reconstituted in the 1950’s as the Civil Defence Organisation which functions presently.

What the future held for the Local Defence Force emerged in the course of Question Time in the Dail on February 6 1946 when it emerged that the Local Defence Force would be disbanded with effect from March 31 and that a new organisation, An Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúil, the F.C.A., would replace it with effect from April 1 that year. Members of the Local Defence Force would be required to hand in their uniforms but would be allowed to retain their boots and groundsheets. The title of the Local Defence Force was also amended to that of ‘The Local Defence Force 1941 to 1946.‘

Recruiting for the new F.C.A. units was not permitted until Local Defence Force units had wound up their affairs and throughout the remainder of the month and into March the work of winding up Local Defence Force units and setting up their F.C.A. replacement units carried on. During this period the Bray District Command in common with other Local Defence Force commands received visits from army officers who explained to personnel how the new F.C.A. organisation would operate and who would be eligible to join as there was an upper age limit of 35 years of age for the new force which excluded many members of the Local Defence Force who had given good service but this was accepted in good spirit by most.

During March 1946 individual local District units held stand down parades, except Bray where none was held, with the Local Defence Force 1941 to 1946, ceasing to exist as an organisation with effect from midnight on March 31 1946.

The North Wicklow Bn. F.C.A. 1946 to 1959

The organisation of the F.C.A. differed to that of the Local Defence Force in that the operational areas of the latter were based on Garda Districts while the F.C.A. was organised on a county basis. In the case of Co. Wicklow, the 3 Local Defence Force District Commands of Bray, Wicklow and West Wicklow were replaced by 2 F.C.A. Bns – the North Wicklow Bn. F.C.A. which took over the former Bray District Command Local Defence Force operational area, and the South Wicklow Bn. F.C.A. which took over the Wicklow District Command Local Defence Force operational area.

In 1945 Rockbrae House in Bray, Co. Wicklow had been purchased by the Department of Defence for use by the Bray District Command Local Defence Force as both local and Command Headquarters, and now continued in the role as headquarters for the North Wicklow Bn. F.C.A. One major change for F.C.A. personnel was that all ranks now held military ranks and officers commissions.

In March 1946 Patrick Kehoe was commissioned as a captain in the F.C.A. while Robert Smith and Paul Maloney were commissioned as lieutenants in a ceremony in Cathal Brugha Barracks, Dublin. All 3 had served with the Bray District Command Local Defence Force, and a fourth member of that organisation, Tim Conroy, was later commissioned as a lieutenant once he was able to furnish his birth certificate.

Captain Kehoe was appointed O/C of the North Wicklow Bn. F.C.A. and with his former Local Defence Force colleagues began the task of building up the new unit. The nucleus of the NCO’s were former Local Defence Force members with consideration for promotion given to former Local Defence Force members who enlisted until courses for new members could be organised. A feature of  the annual 21 Inf Bn summer camp, and that of other F.C.A. units, into the early 1980s were stand down parades for long serving members, some of whom had served with the Local Defence Force.

An increase in I.R.A. activity along the Border during 1957–58 placed great demands on the resources of the Defence Forces and it became clear that a re-organisation was imperative, part of which would impact on the F.C.A., some of whose officers were benefitting from periods of full time training.

F.C.A. Rifle Bn’s such as the North Wicklow Bn F.C.A. received a great boost in the 1950’s with the introduction of new weapons such as the Bren light machine gun and the Gustav sub-machine gun, with the concept of ‘integration’ being moved at the same time which involved transferring F.C.A. units into Brigades with the Permanent Defence Forces thus increasing the number of Brigades to 6, each composed of a mixture of Permanent Defence Force and F.C.A units.

Integration of F.C.A units with the Permanent Defence Forces took place on October 1 1959 with a new unit, the 21 Inf Bn F.C.A being created to cover the Co. Wicklow and South Co. Dublin areas through the merger of the South Dublin Bn F.C.A, the North Wicklow Bn F.C.A. and South Wicklow Bn F.C.A. into one unit, with each of the former Bn’s becoming a Coy within it.

On September 30 1959, Captain Pat Kehoe signed over the North Wicklow Bn. F.C.A. to the 21 Inf Bn F.C.A., becoming ‘A’ Coy of that unit, with Rockbrae House remaining Coy Headquarters in addition to Bn Headquarters. Captain Kehoe now became Coy Commander of ‘A’ Coy but overall command of the new Bn was vested in a Regular Army Officer holding the rank of Comdt.

‘A’ Coy 21 Inf Bn. F.C.A. 1959 TO 2005

On October 1, 1959 the South Dublin Bn F.C.A., the North Wicklow Bn. F.C.A. and the South Wicklow Bn. F.C.A. were merged to become the 21 Inf. Bn. F.C.A. with each of the former Bn’s becoming a Coy in the new Bn with its headquarters in Rockbrae House, Bray, Co. Wicklow.

·         ‘A’ Coy based in Bray took over the former North Wicklow Bn F.C.A. operational area.

·         ‘B’ Coy based in Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, took over the former South Co. Dublin Bn F.C.A. operational area.

·         ‘C’ Coy based in Wicklow Town took over the former South Wicklow Bn F.C.A operational area.

1966 was year in which ‘A’ Coy had a very high profile in the Bray area due to its participation in several ceremonies commemorating the 50^th Anniversary of the 1916 rising with the result that recruiting was good. Recruiting was also focussed on the schools in the Bray area and for a number of years there was a good response from them with. Workers tended to parade on weekday nights and students on Sunday mornings.

Remarkably the first 3 Coy Commanders of ‘A’ Coy served on the staff of the Bray District Command –

·         Capt. Pat Keogh

·         Capt. Tim Conroy

·         Capt Robert Smyth

One of the highlights during the 1980’s were ceremonies held in 1984 to mark the 25^th Anniversary of the Integration of the F.C.A. with the Permanent Defence Forces, which in Bray took the form of the blessing and presentation of new 21 Inf. Bn F.C.A. Colours (Bn and Coy), at a special ceremony in Rockbrae House, Bray, on November 4 1984.

The 1990’s ushered in a period of dramatic change for the F.C.A. and for the Coy. The bolt action .303 No. 4 Rifle was replaced by the 7.62 mm semi-automatic F.N. Rifle, something which ‘ A’ Coy members and those from the other Coys had been waiting for over 15 years with new arms drill movements and their commands having to be mastered within a short space of time.

The other dramatic change was the enlistment of female members which, although authorised for F.C.A. units since the 1980’s, did not commence in Rockbrae House until January 1994, after the upgrading of facilities. The public debut of the female members of the Coy took place at the 1994 St. Patrick’s Day Greystones and Bray parades as by this time they had completed their basic training sufficiently to march with the Coy in these two parades.

Another change in the 1990’s was the issuing to members of the new working dress style uniform of combat trousers, pullover, be worn during training instead of the dress uniform. This has subsequently been replaced by combat trousers and jacket.

1996 was a special year for the F.C.A. with the 50^th Anniversary of its establishment being marked with a series of events by the Department of Defence. In Bray, the 21 Inf Bn marked the event by holding an Interdenominational Service in Christ Church Church of Ireland, Church Road, Bray, adjacent to Rockbrae House at which the Government was represented by local T.D., Minister for State, Ms Liz McManus, the Bray Urban District Council by Chairperson, Noel Keys, and other bodies by their public representatives. Lt. Col. Kennedy, Executive Officer, Eastern Command F.C.A. and several of his staff represented the Department of Defence. The attendance also included over 150 former Local Defence Force and F.C.A. members and was the first occasion that the Local Defence Force and the F.C.A. paraded together.

In more recent years the F.N. rifle and Bren light machine gun have been replaced by the Steyr AUG rifle and the General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG).

From 21 Inf Bn F.C.A. to 62 Bn Reserve Defence Force.

Following completion of re-organising the Army Reserve in 2005, the F.C.A. was stood down on 1 October 2005 and replaced by the Reserve Defence Force. With effect from this date the 21 Inf Bn ceased to exist and was amalgamated with the 20 Inf Bn based in Dublin, to form the 62 Reserve Infantry Battalion which is divided into 6 Coys based at the following locations –

·         A Coy  - Casement Aerodrome, West Dublin.

·         B Coy  - Cathal Brugha Barracks, Dublin.

·         H.Q. Coy - Rockbrae House, Bray, Co. Wicklow.

·         C Coy – County Wicklow

·         D Coy – Cathal Brugha Barracks, Dublin.

·         Support Coy – Cathal Brugha Barracks, Dublin.       

The 62 Reserve Inf Bn is part of the 2^nd (East) Reserve Brigade.

Garda Siochana Graduation Medals - April 2009

The Commissioner’s Medal  - was won by Garda Kirsten Somers, Co. Sligo, who was posed to Blanchardstown  Garda Station, Dublin.
 
The Gary Sheehan Memorial Medal, was awarded to Garda Ofelia Hough, from Romania, who was posted to Henry Street Garda Station, Limerick.

The Templemore Urban District Council Medal, was awarded to Garda Scott Kahler, from Long Island, NY, USA, who was posted to Mullingar Garda Station.

Richmond Barracks Re-Opened

On Monday 2^nd May 2016, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr. Críona Ní Dhálaigh, opened the recently restored Richmond Barracks in Inchicore, Dublin, which has been designated as one of nine ‘Permanent Reminders’ and redeveloped by Dublin City Council as part of the Ireland 1916-2016 Centenary Programme. Richmond Barracks will be open to the public from June 2016 onwards as an interactive multimedia tourist attraction which will cover the history of the site from military barracks, to housing estate, to school. As well as the interactive exhibition, there site now includes a tea room and landscaped garden area with tour of the barracks including one of the Goldenbridge Cemetery which is being opened to the public for the first time.

Built in 1810 in response to the threat of a French invasion in the Napoleonic Wars, nearly every British Regiment would spend time at the Richmond Barracks fighting in conflicts including the Crimean War, the Boer War, and World War I.

After the 1916 Easter Rising, Richmond Barracks would become a centre piece in the fight for Irish Independence, housing over 3,000 suspected rebels before their sentencing, including 77 women, and leaders, and it was in the gymnasium that some the leaders were identified with the barracks being the location for the courts- martial of the rebel leaders. When the site was turned over to the Free State Army in 1922, it remained a keystone of working class Dublin, hosting a housing estate and an Irish Christian Brothers’ School.

NEVILLE FRYDAY

 A 75^th Battalion CEF Soldier Killed In Ireland during The Easter Uprising 

Neville Fryday was the first soldier of the 75th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force to be killed while serving overseas. Neville, though listed on his attestation papers as 22 years old, was only 16 when ironically; he was killed in the land of his birth. Born in September, 1899, in County Tipperary, Ireland, Neville Fryday was one of thirteen children. He had a chaotic life as a child. When his father died, in 1905, Neville was only six years old. His mother along with some of the Fryday children left Ireland and went to Canada. Neville and the remaining children were left in Ireland under the care of relatives. His mother, when she was settled in her new Canadian home, brought Neville and his remaining siblings to Canada. Then mother returned to Ireland, leaving Neville and his brothers and sisters in their new home in Canada.

Sunken WWII Bullion Cargo Located off the Irish Coast 

 

At the end of September 2011 American marine exploration company Odyssey Marine Exploration announced that it had discovered the WW2 wreck of British registered cargo steamer SS Gairsoppa, torpedoed on 17 February 1941 by a German submarine, some 300 miles off the Irish coast in 4700 metres of water. At the time of its sinking the SS Gairsoppa was carrying 7000 tonnes of mixed cargo including pig iron, tea, and a large quantity of silver bullion estimated to be in the region of 200 tonnes.

 

SS Gairsoppa, commanded by Captain G.H. Hyland, had sailed from Calcutta for Liverpool and travelled in convoy SL64 until North Atlantic high seas and a heavy swell forced it to reduce speed and was running low on coal on 14 February 14^th when the decision was taken to sail independently. 3 days later while making for the Irish coast it was spotted by a German Fw-Condor aircraft which circled it and radioed its position. SS Gairsoppa was later torpedoed by German submarine U-101 commanded by Ernest Mengersen, which then surfaced and opened fire on the vessel’s lifeboats as they were being lowered with difficulty into the water due to a heavy swell.

 

Eight British and twenty-five Asian crewmembers survived in one of the lifeboats commanded by Second Officer R.H. Ayres but most subsequently died from a combination of hypothermia and the effects of drinking sea water and by the end of the 13^th day in the lifeboat only three Britons and four Asians remained alive. The Lizard was sighted that day but they were too weak to manoeuvre the lifeboat towards Falmouth and as they attempted to drive the lifeboat into a small bay at the foot of some cliffs, it capsized and threw the survivors into the water. The lifeboat was righted in the turmoil and but although an undertow attempted to drag the lifeboat to sea, three of the Britons including Ayres managed to scramble on board and although another attempt at landing was made, again the lifeboat was capsized by the waves. The two others with Ayres were washed away but he managed to hold onto the lifeboat until rescued by the Lizard lifeboat. Sole survivor Second Officer R.H. Ayres was later awarded an M.B.E.

 

Prior to undertaking the search for the SS Gairsoppa, Odyssey Marine Exploration secured a salvage contract from the British Government under which it would retain 80% of the cargo with the balance going to H.M. Treasury if located. It expected that the recovery of the bullion will commence during a three-month salvage operation in Summer 2012 and if successful will be the largest  known precious metal cargo recovered from the sea.

Armistice Day 1918 in County Wicklow

The history of the world has often been influenced by the actions of a lone individual as happened at 11.30 a.m. on June 28th 1914 when anarchist Gavrilo Princips shot dead Archduke Franz Joseph, heir apparent to the Hapsburg empire and his wife in Sarajevo during his tour of Bosnia-Herzegovina. At that time little did he realise that due to the on-going tense international relations existing between the European powers, his action would result in the outbreak of World War 1 and the deaths of millions of military personnel and civilians between 1914 and 1918.

The German invasion of Belgium as a route to attack France resulted in Britain, as a guarantor of Belgium's neutrality, going to war in August 1914 with Germany. Instead of a short quick war which was expected to be over by Christmas that year, it became one of trench warfare and stagnation on the Western Front. Germany also went to war against Russia and despite fighting a war on two fronts, at sea and being subjected to a naval blockade which prevented it from importing foodstuffs and raw materials for industry, fought on until the Autumn of 1918 when the prospect of inevitable defeat forced the German government to open negotiations to seek an armistice with the Allies on October 3rd 1918 but this process was suspended for a short time following the sinking of the City of Dublin Steam Packet Co. Kingstown - Holyhead morning mail boat RMS Leinster by the German submarine UB-i23 off the Kish Bank on October 10th 1918 with the loss of 564 passengers and crew out of a complement of 801. One Bray victim was 14 year old Gerald Palmer from the Bray Cripples’ Home on the Dargle Road, on his way to Barnados in London to receive further training.

Negotiations resumed and eventually at 5 a.m. on Monday November 11th 1918 the German delegates signed the armistice document under which hostilities would cease at 11 a.m. that day - the delay was to allow details to be conveyed to both sides. But in the interval between 5 a.m. and 11 a.m. the war continued and while many units ceased military actions, others fought on right up until the 11 a.m. ceasefire and it is believed that the Allies sustained an additional 11,000 casualties in this 6-hour period before the armistice came into force and the guns fell silent for the first time since 1914.

Shortly after 10 a.m. news of the armistice was announced and was received with great joy and jubilation all over the world with Bray, Co. Wicklow, being one of many towns where people poured out into the streets in common with other parts of Ireland and the United Kingdom and engaged in spontaneous rejoicing on receipt of this news. All the principal business houses in the town, the two military hospitals, private residences, and some of the churches were decked out with bunting while some of the soldier patients marched through the streets singing patriotic songs, carrying flags and beating drums. That afternoon many local traders closed for a half-day to allow staff to take part in the celebrations. For the next 36-hours celebrations marking the end of the conflict continued throughout County Wicklow though for those who had lost a loved one or family member there was little to celebrate while those servicemen who had suffered life changing injuries wondered what the future had for them.

In neighbouring Greystones, Delgany, and the surrounding area, public rejoicing was plainly visible. In Greystones residences in every part of the locality were very effectively illuminated at night and by Tuesday practically every house was festooned with Union Jacks while children waved miniature flags in the streets.

Delgany that Monday night could not restrain its joy and excitement any less than other places. The instruments of the brass band had been lent to the war and played a notable part there, but the drums had been retained and were taken out and beaten with vigour and skill, accompanied by flags, hand bells, triangles and hearty voices. Leaving Delgany School the group marched up the street as far as Thorndale where they halted and sang the National Anthem, then down to Glenowen, joined by the villagers. There they sang again and returned to the school and then went down to Greystones where they repeated their performance at Cooleen, before returning to the school somewhat exhausted but smiling. Bunting became a feature of Delgany since the joyful news arrived and the place was described as 'looking colourful'. It was noted that even had the brass instruments been available, no musicians (band members) were available to play them as 14 of them had joined up, of which 4 had lost their lives. After this procession the National Fife and Drum Band turned out and went over the same route, playing national airs spurred on by the general feeling of joy that the war was over.

When the news of the armistice reached Wicklow Town there was an unmistakable display of joy and relief by townspeople and the military. The soldiers of the Royal Sussex Regiment made the most of the occasion parading in the streets of the town in animated groups singing and waving Union Jacks. Flags were displayed from the military headquarters and also from private houses during the day.

In Arklow the workers of Kynoch's munitions works gave themselves over to holidaymaking. Flags were displayed in various parts of the town and a feeling of thankfulness at the end of this long drawn out struggle was manifest everywhere. The military entered joyfully into the spirit of the day and the scenes of enthusiasm were recorded as 'intense'. However for these workers it was an ill wind as following a rationalisation of the munitions industry in Britain and Ireland embracing over 40 individual companies to form one massive conglomerate coupled with reduced demand for their products due to the war ending, the plant closed down within a year as it became surplus to requirements. The giant workforce of several thousand was laid off and eventually the plant was dismantled, the equipment scrapped and the site ultimately converted into a caravan park.

On Tuesday November 12th the Church of Ireland Primate in Armagh ordered that Services of Thanksgiving for Victory were to be held in all churches on Sunday November 17^th. However in Bray that Tuesday evening Rev Canon Digby Scott officiated at a thanksgiving service for the victory of the Allies in St. Paul's Church, now the Cornerstone Church, and in the course of his address spoke of the greatness of the victory won. He paid tribute to the valour of the Army and Royal Navy, to those who had fallen, the wounded and bereaved. Hymns including the Te Deum were sung and at the close the Nunc Demittis. A collection was made for the Red Cross.

Up to Wednesday the flags remained in evidence throughout Bray and one display that attracted universal attention was that of the Belgian hostel, located on what is now Failte Park, where the refugees hung out their national colours, intertwined with the Irish flag.

One other good piece of news for people was that the influenza epidemic which had been sweeping the country was considered to have peaked even though it was still tying up medical personnel and facilities for the treatment of existing cases and those new ones which were being reported.

Under Two Flags

 Peter Delaney

David Morrison was my great uncle. He was born in 1890 in Belfast, the son of James and Mary Morrison. James had served in the army for nearly 30 years. He was one of seven siblings who grew up in Mayfair Street in what is known as “the bone” district. In 1908 David joined the army like two of his brothers, work was scarce at that time and no doubt he was encouraged by his father and brothers to do so. Upon the outbreak of the First World War, he was called up to serve again, having previously been in the Royal Irish Rifles. On this occasion he was a driver in the 41^st Royal Field Artillery service number 56430 and arrived with his battery in France on 16^th August 1914. He and his brothers were fortunate to survive the war and retuned home to Belfast. But events were to take a dramatic turn for David, and he was to lose his life on the streets of Belfast in the troubled period of 1921.

 

There are many accounts of what happened to David Morrison. There is an official version, reported in local newspapers, the account handed down by the family, and documented statements held online with the Irish Military archives. Each provides a varying narrative of what happened on the morning of 27th December 1921. What can be stated to be true is that on that fateful morning, a patrol of Special Constables on duty in the Oldpark district challenged a group of suspicious men between 6am and 7am. A brief gun battle ensued and Constable Francis Hill, no. 65425 was mortally wounded. David Morrison was also killed in disputed circumstances in the immediate moments following this exchange.

 

The published official account of the incident in local newspapers stated that Constable Hill was escorting a party of Specials in the Marrowbone when they challenged two men who made off. One of the men, Michael Kenny, stopped when called to do so, but the other, David Morrison, produced a revolver and shot Constable Hill at close range before fleeing the scene with Specials in pursuit. He was shot dead in doing so. Considerable rioting took place as a result of the shooting and several shops and liquor stores were looted as well as much indiscriminate gunfire raking many houses in the area. A second account in a newspaper further claimed the police had been informed that two men had complained their horses had been taken from them and the police were investigating this report when they challenged Morrison and Kenny to halt. Again it stated Morrison shot Constable Hill and fled, but was shot as he reached the door of 27 Mayfair Street.

 

The family gave a different version of events which was in contrast to the official line. His brother Patrick claimed on the morning of his death, David was downstairs in the family home and called his mother to come down and make breakfast. David then went to the front door and a few moments later heard shots and David fell into the hall. A Special ordered Patrick to carry David inside and searched the body but found no weapon on his person. Patrick said there was no one else on the street except Specials and the shot must have come from them.

 

An inquest into the killing of David was held and one of the main witnesses was James Morrison, the father of David, who told the court he had served forty years(sic) in the British army and fought in the Boer War and even though over aged had fought in France. He also told the court David had ten years service in the army and three sons also served. He denied David had been present during the shooting of Constable Hill and that he was an innocent party that morning. The inquest found that David Morrison had been shot by Crown Forces in the execution of their duty, but recommended they continued to be accompanied by a local policeman during patrol. This was the role of Constable Hill on the morning of the incident.

 

Using the Military archives of the Defence Forces Ireland, a third account emerges which casts some doubt on the accuracy of the previous two accounts. The file held on David Morrison yields a hidden side to his life and one which could have resulted in his killing. James Morrison made an application to the Irish authorities for a pension in respect of his son David, whom he identifies as a Section Leader in the Irish Republican Army serving in “A” company 1^st Battalion, Belfast Brigade. He father wrote that David “had done much good work” with the Belfast Brigade and claimed his son had been sought out and shot six times by rifles fired by Specials. He appealed for compensation on the grounds he was an active member of the Irish Republican Army killed by Crown Forces. Surprisingly, the Irish authorities were reluctant to make any award and initially declined to so. However, this decision was reversed and a payment of £100 was made to James as compensation for the loss of his son.

 

The admission by the family that David was an IRA member raises interesting points. He was a man who had served in the British army, as had three brothers and his father. He had joined the IRA to fight the Crown forces. He was killed minutes after a policeman was shot, but whether this took place in a pursuit by police, or in retaliation by the Crown forces, may never be known. His family initially denied his role at an inquest, but probably due to hardship openly declared it to the Irish Government to receive funds to support them.

 

Constable Hill was a married man from County Leitrim with eleven years police service and was stationed at Antrim Road police station. His wife lived in Belfast and he was buried in Carrickfergus.

 

David Morrison was unmarried and 30 years old at the time of his death. He was buried in an unmarked grave in Milltown Cemetery, Belfast.

 

After 37 years of walking the grounds of Milltown, I eventually located the grave of David Morrison, and erected a simple headstone in his memory.

 

If anyone can assist in locating the Morrison family medals, I’d be pleased to hear from them.

 

With acknowledgment to:

North Belfast: A scattered History, by Joe Baker

Londonderry Sentinel

Larne Times

Military Archives IE

The Albert Medal in Gold to Irish Recipients

Allan Stanistreet 

The history and development of the Albert Medal were set out in my original article on page 19 of the April 2021 edition of the Journal, so it is not necessary to reiterate them here, save to say that the number awarded was clearly distorted by the Great War, when nearly two hundred medals of both classes were awarded, mostly to servicemen and members of the Merchant Navy, for gallant deeds not in the presence of the enemy.  In the case of the army, the majority of awards were for what might be termed grenade incidents, where, during training, nervous recruits removed the pin and then, in a panic, dropped the grenade in the trench.

Of the dozen or so Irishmen or men with Irish connections who were awarded the Albert Medal, only four received the medal in Gold. Three were sailors and the other one was a soldier. One of these awards was posthumous. The first of these men was Stoker Edward Lynch, Royal Navy.

Edward Lynch was born on 4^th April 1873 in Kinsalebeg, County Waterford, a village on the N25 about 5 km east of Youghal, one of six children of Thomas Lynch. He joined the Royal Navy on 7^th February 1896 and his occupation was given as seaman, presumably the merchant service. The London Gazette of December 21, 1897, carried the following announcement.

HER Majesty the Queen has been graciously pleased to confer the Decoration of the Albert Medal of the First Class on – EDWARD LYNCH, Stoker of Her Majesty’s ship “Thrasher”.

The following is the account of the services in respect of which the Decoration has been conferred:-

At 3 A.M. on the 29th September 1897, the torpedo destroyer “Thrasher”, with the “Lynx” and “Sunfish” in convoy, left St. Ives on passage to Falmouth. In the thick and foggy weather which was subsequently met, the “Thrasher”, followed by the “Lynx”, grounded at Dodman’s Point, causing serious injury to the boilers, and the bursting of the main feed pipe.  A falling tide caused the “Thrasher” to heel quickly over to about 60˚. The ship’s company was therefore landed on the rocks, a few men being kept on board, with boats ready to land them. There were six Petty Officers and men in the stokehold.  Of these, the Chief Stoker happened to be coming on deck by the starboard hatchway at the moment of striking and escaped.  This hatchway became distorted by the doubling up of the deck, preventing further egress. Stokers EDWARD LYNCH and James H. Paul were compelled to escape by the port hatchway close to a break in the steam pipe. The hatchway through which they passed was partially closed up and Paul was unable to follow LYNCH, who then kneeling or lying on the deck, reached down into the escaping steam and drew James Paul, who was on the ladder, up onto the upper deck.     LYNCH was shortly after observed to be badly scalded about the head, arms, and upper portion of his body in this rescue, the skin hanging off his hands and arms. Oil and wood were applied to alleviate the pain, but LYNCH called attention to Paul, whom he wished to attend to first, saying that he himself was not much hurt, but Paul was very bad. Neither man had said anything or called any attention to his injuries until this time, although quite five minutes had elapsed since the accident. The surgeon who attended  LYNCH and Paul reports that the former, though very badly scalded and in great pain, would not allow his assistant or himself, for a considerable time, to do anything for him, saying, “I am all right, look after my chum.”

The manly conduct of LYNCH induced the surgeon to make inquiries concerning the rescue of Paul from the stokehold, and he found that LYNCH with difficulty released himself from the hatchway (much narrowed by the accident), lay down and leaning into the scalding steam, caught Paul and dragged him up through the hatch, and in this way received his own wounds, which are such as to show that, in rescuing his comrade, he must have plunged the forepart of his own body into what was practically a boiling cauldron. It transpired also that LYNCH in a most heroic manner had previously sacrificed his own opportunity of quitting the stokehold, in order to aid his comrade Paul in escaping. Paul subsequently succumbed to his injuries and LYNCH, for a long time, was not expected to recover.

Edward Lynch spent a considerable period in the Royal Naval Hospital at Stonehouse, Plymouth and was finally allowed to go home to Ireland at the end of 1898. However, he did not long survive to enjoy his newly awarded decoration, for he died of consumption (now known as tuberculosis), thought to have been brought on by his injuries, on 1^st February 1899 and was buried with full naval honours in Kinsalebeg churchyard. His grave is unmarked and the whereabouts of his Albert Medal is not known.

 

The next recipient of the Albert Medal in Gold was Nicholas Rath, a Seaman in the Royal Naval Reserve, who hailed from Balbriggan, County Dublin. He was born on 18^th March 1881 in Balbriggan, the son of John and Mary Rath. Nicholas was a fisherman by trade but subsequently became an agricultural labourer and he signed up for the RNR on the outbreak of war. 1917 saw him stationed at the Royal Naval Air Station on Horsea Island, which was on the north shore of Portsmouth Harbour and is now subsumed into the mainland. Let the London Gazette of December 14, 1917, take up the story.

The KING has been pleased to award the Albert Medal in Gold to Nicholas Rath, Seaman, R.N.R., and the Albert Medal to Richard Knoulton (sic), Ordinary Seaman, R.N., and George Faucett (sic) Pitts Abbott, Deckhand, R.N.R. (Trawler Section), in recognition of their gallantry in saving life in the following circumstances.

“On the 14th of September, 1917, a seaplane collided with a Poulsen mast and remained wedged in it, the pilot (Acting Flight Commander E.A. de Ville) being rendered unconscious and thrown out of his seat onto one of the wings. The three men above mentioned at once climbed up the mast for 100 feet, when Rath, making use of the boatswain’s chair, which moves on the inside of the mast, was hoisted up by men at the foot of the mast to the place, over 300 feet from the ground, where the seaplane was fixed.  He then climbed out on the plane and held the pilot until the arrival of Knoulton (sic) and Abbott, who passed the masthead gantline out to him. Having secured the pilot with the gantline Rath, with the assistance of Knoulton(sic) and Abbott, lifted him from the plane to the inside of the mast and lowered him to the ground. The three men were very well aware of the damaged and insecure condition of the mast, which was bent to an angle where the seaplane became wedged.  One of the three supports of the mast was fractured and, so far as the men knew, the mast or seaplane might at any time have collapsed.”

This was indeed hair-raising stuff, as can be seen from the remarkable photograph taken at the time.  Knowlton (his name is spelt incorrectly in the citation) and Abbott both survived to be considered as holders of the George Cross in 1971, though both declined to exchange their original awards.  All three were presented with their awards by the King at Buckingham Palace on 16^th February 1918.  Their exploit was featured in the “Hornet” comic, number 474 of 7^th October 1972.

Nicholas Rath returned to Balbriggan after the end of the war, where he spent the remainder of his life, dying there on 8^th January 1960 and being buried in the churchyard of St Peter and St Paul’s church.  The whereabouts of his Albert Medal is unknown, though it is probably still with the family.  Unfortunately, we do not have an image of Nicholas and any assistance in this direction would be warmly welcomed.

 

The penultimate recipient of the Albert Medal in Gold to a member of the British forces in The Great War was 8674 Corporal James McCarthy of 1^st Battalion, the Royal Irish Regiment.  He was born in Clonmel, County Tipperary, on 15^th January 1885, the son of John and Johanna McCarthy of Stephen Street, Clonmel.  His father had been a soldier.  James went to France on 9^th December 1914 but was subsequently to serve in Palestine, where he was in 1918.  It was there that he made the supreme sacrifice that resulted in the posthumous award of the Albert Medal in Gold.

The KING has been pleased to award the Albert Medal in Gold in recognition of the gallantry of Corporal James McCarthy, 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment, in saving life in January last at the cost of his own life.  The circumstances are as follows:-

“On the 24th January 1918, in Palestine, Corporal McCarthy was cleaning grenades in his quarters, when the fuse of one became ignited.  He carried it out to throw it into a safe place, but finding a number of men standing around, he realised that he could not throw it anywhere without injuring his comrades. He clasped the grenade in both hands and held it close to his side.  The grenade exploded, killing Corporal McCarthy, who by his devoted courage saved his comrades from serious injury.”   (London Gazette, May 14, 1918)

Corporal McCarthy lies buried in Jerusalem War Cemetery, Plot F, Grave 37. The Albert Medal was presented to his mother at Clonmel on 23^rd May 1918, by Major-General B.J.C. Doran, CB, Commanding South District, Mrs McCarthy being too poor to attend Buckingham Palace for presentation by the King. He was also awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal for his service and all his medals are held by the National Army Museum in London. His 1914-15 Star is named to him as a Sergeant and it is noted that he had been reduced in rank for misconduct. It is also of note that his trio is mounted for wear but none of the WWI medals was issued until after the war and he would therefore never have worn them himself. It is possible that his mother may have worn them on special occasions.

In recent years, at least one of his relatives was still living in Clonmel but regretfully, she knew little of her illustrious ancestor.  Again, we have no image of James McCarthy and any assistance in this direction would be welcomed.

 

The last recipient of the Albert Medal in Gold was to a Petty Officer in the Royal Navy in 1931 for another truly extraordinary act of heroism.  His was one of only two Gold Albert Medals to be awarded between the wars (the other was for land service) and one of only five such awards to be made from the end of The Great War until the medal was discontinued in 1949.

Patrick Henry Willis was born in Kinsale, County Cork, on 17th March 1897. Nothing is known of his early life and education but no doubt he was educated initially in his local school. He enlisted into the Royal Navy on 17th March 1915, when he would have been 18 years of age. At that time Cobh was a major naval dockyard, so he probably enlisted there. He would have been expected to retire on 17th March 1937. We know little about his service in the Royal Navy but he was rated as a Torpedo Gunner’s Mate on 17th June 1926 and rated Acting Petty Officer on 27th July 1926. He qualified for the RN Long Service and Good Conduct medal on 17th March 1930. He served throughout The Great War, being awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.

In 1926, Patrick Willis volunteered for the submarine service, being drafted to HMS Dolphin on 31st August of that year.  He spent the next three years as an additional or spare crew until 1st October 1929, when he was drafted to submarine H31: HM S/M Poseidon. The Poseidon, one of the large and powerful P Class of submarines, was built in 1929 by Armstrong-Vickers.  She was 260 feet long, had a surface speed of 17.5 knots and was fitted with eight 21-inch torpedo tubes.  Her displacement was 1475 tons. 

With her three sister ships, Perseus, Pandora and Proteus, she was commissioned at Barrow-in-Furness on 20th March 1930.   She was manned equally from Portsmouth, Devonport and Chatham, and all four vessels left Portsmouth on 12th December 1930 for a 15,000-mile voyage to the Far East, where they were to replace vessels of the L Class.  The flotilla eventually reached Wei-hai-wei on the northeast coast of the Chinese province of Shantung, where there was a coaling station.

 

On 9th June 1931, manoeuvres were being carried out and around mid-day, Poseidon was about 21 miles out from port when she was rammed by the steamer Yuta, a British-built ship of 2000 tons.  Poseidon was struck on the starboard side with the bow of the Yuta penetrating the submarine’s hull.  As the Yuta reversed, water poured into the submarine causing her to sink in 100 feet of water.  At the time of the collision, the submarine had been running on the surface, so 29 of the crew, including five officers, were able to get clear of the vessel and were picked up by the Yuta’s boats. With the exception of six men in the for’ard torpedo flat, the remainder of the crew were drowned.

 

Let the London Gazette of 24th July 1931 tell the story.

The KING has been graciously pleased to approve of the award of the Albert Medal in Gold to Petty Officer (now Chief Petty Officer) Patrick Henry Willis, R.N., Official No. D/J.19570.

The following is the account of the services in respect of which the decoration has been conferred:-

“On the 9th June 1931, H.M. Submarine “Poseidon” collided with a merchant ship and eventually sank as a result of the severe damage sustained.  After the collision occurred and the order “Close watertight doors” had been given, Petty Officer Willis took charge of the hands in the fore part, calling upon them to close the door of the torpedo compartment with those inside as this step might mean the saving of the submarine.  The operation was difficult, as the bulkhead had buckled, but by their united efforts the door was eventually closed, leaving only a slight leak.  Whilst this work was in progress the ship lurched to starboard and sank with inclination by the bows.  The electric light leads were all cut at the moment of the collision and from that time until the final evacuation the imprisoned men were working with the occasional illumination of an electric torch.  Willis first said prayers for himself and his companions and then ordered them to put on their escape apparatus, making sure that they all knew how to use it.  He then explained he was going to flood the compartment in order to equalise the pressure with that outside the submarine, and how it was to be done, telling off each man to his station.  He also rigged a wire hawser across the hatchway to form a support for men to stand on whilst the compartment was flooding.  During the long period of waiting which ensued, Willis kept his companions in good heart, while one Able Seaman passed the time in instructing a Chinese Boy in the use of his apparatus.  The other men worked cheerfully at the various valves and rigging the platform.  After two hours and ten minutes when the water was about up to the men’s knees, Willis considered the pressure might be sufficient to open the hatch.  With considerable difficulty, the hatch was opened sufficiently to release two men, but the pressure then reclosed the hatch, and it was necessary to make the pressure more equal by further flooding before a second attempt could be made.  After another hour, by which time the men in the compartment were nearly up to their necks in water and the airlock was becoming very small, a second effort was made.  This was successful and the hatch opened, and four other men came to the surface, including Petty Officer Willis.

It is abundantly clear that all the men imprisoned in the slowly flooding compartment in almost total darkness, faced a situation more than desperate, with courage and fortitude in accordance with the very high traditions of the Service.  The coolness, confidence, ability and power of command shown by Petty Officer Willis, which no doubt were principally responsible for the saving of so many valuable lives, are deserving of the very highest praise.”

The other five men involved in this rescue were Able Seamen Lovock, Holt and Nagle, Leading Seaman Clarke and a Chinese steward called Ah Hai.  Holt and Nagle were awarded the British Empire Medal (Military) for their part in the incident but unfortunately, Lovock had reached the surface unconscious and died shortly afterwards.  Patrick Willis was advanced to Chief Petty Officer with effect from the date of the incident to recognise his outstanding conduct.

He recovered fairly quickly after a stay in hospital and arrived back in England in September.  However, he began to suffer from flashbacks and developed neurasthenia (now known as post-traumatic stress disorder) and was sent to Netley Hospital, which was located on the Solent near Southampton (now demolished).  In the meantime, a London newspaper started a shilling subscription in recognition of Willis’ gallantry and money came from the four corners of the earth.  Enough was subscribed to purchase a house at Merton, now a suburb of Greater London near Wimbledon, and it was fully equipped and furnished so he could move in immediately with his young wife and baby daughter.  They later had a son.

He left the navy sometime between 1931 and 1934, probably being invalided out of the navy.  He went to work at the Merton Park studios of British International Pictures (BIP) in Surrey, eventually becoming their Chief Electrician.  In 1932, a film based on the Poseidon incident was made by BIP.  An extract from “British Sound Films” by David Quinlan (Batsford, 1984), described it as follows:

“A little picture with a big punch.  It’s based on the true story of the Poseidon, a submarine that sank after being in collision with a battleship (sic).  The Chief Petty Officer leads the crew’s agonising efforts to escape.  One critic said: ‘Thrilling.  A masterpiece of pictorial realism”. 

Films in this book are graded by figures, according to adjudged quality.  Figures run from 1 (Poor) to 6 (Outstanding).  This picture, which ran for 46 minutes with a Certificate A, earned the figure 5 (Very Good).

Patrick Henry Willis died on 27 November 1953, aged 56 and was buried in Morden Cemetery, Surrey.  His medals are still proudly held by his family and he was the last surviving recipient of the Albert Medal in Gold for Gallantry in Saving Life at Sea.

It may be of interest to readers that the case of Patrick Willis is one of four used by the writer to illustrate an individual act of gallantry when he gives talks on the Albert Medal and its history.

Sources:

Heroic Endeavour  by D.V. Henderson GM (Hayward, 1988)(Research notes)

Heroes of the Albert Medal by Allan Stanistreet (Token, 2002).

British Gallantry Awards by P.E. Abbott and J.M.A. Tamplin (Dix, 1981)

The London Gazette

Recent Heroes of Modern Adventure by T.C. Bridges and H. Hessell Tiltman (Harrap, 1934)

vconline.org

 

by John Wilson

I am currently researching the history of this medal with a view to the production of a definitive history of the Tayleur Fund. There follows a resume of the information I have gathered to date, which includes information from George Callaghan’s article in the November 1992 JOURNAL*. If other members of the Society have any of these medals, or any special information on them, I should be very glad to hear from them.

by Liam Dodd

Due to a printing error part of this article was omitted from the last issue. It has been reprinted in full below.

by James Scannell

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