Friends of the Somme - Mid Ulster Branch  
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Date Information
12/05/2020 01367
25/01/2019 ‘One year has passed away since that sad day,
25/01/2019 From the Mid Ulster Mail dated 8th June 1918:
25/01/2019 MCCLELLAND – In loving memory of our dear brother and uncle, Private Bob McClelland, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, who was killed in action at Messines on 7th June 1917.
25/01/2019 When one we loved was called away
25/01/2019 God took him home, it was His will
25/01/2019 But in our hearts he liveth still.
25/01/2019 With a simple cross at his head
25/01/2019 One of God’s honoured dead.
25/01/2019 Sleep on dear Bobbie as the days roll by,
25/01/2019 No flowers can we lay on the grave where you lie.
25/01/2019 For the broad wide ocean keeps us apart.
25/01/2019 But your smiling face is ever in our heart.’
25/01/2019 Inserted by his brother and sister-in-law, and his nephew and nieces, 3 Fraserbank Street, Keppochill, Glasgow
25/01/2019 He fought and died for Britain
25/01/2019
14/01/2017
06/02/2016 Robert McClelland was born in the Bellaghy area on born 30th May 1896.
06/02/2016 Known family: William McClelland, Sarah McClelland, Nancy McClelland (born 21st September 1879), Margaret McClelland (born 13th March 1883), Martin McClelland (born 19th June 1885), Samuel McClelland (born McClelland), Bessie McClelland (born 5th February 1891), Mary McClelland (born 24th May 1893, died 3rd August 1895, age 2), Robert McClelland (born 30th May 1896), George Wallace McClelland (born 22nd August 1899).
06/02/2016 The 1901 census lists Robert as age 4 living with the family at house 1 in Killyberry, Bellaghy, County Londonderry. His father was a farm labourer and his mother was a housekeeper.
06/02/2016 The 1911 census lists Robert as age 15 living with the family at house 4 in Edenreagh, Bellaghy.
06/02/2016 Robert McClelland enlisted in Partick, Scotland. He had been living in Scotstown.
06/02/2016 Private Robert McClelland was serving with the 9th Battalion of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers when he was killed in action at the much fought over Messines Ridge in Belgium on 7th June 1918. He was 21 years old.
06/02/2016 Private McClelland is buried in Messines Ridge British Cemetery, located ten kilometres south of Ypres. The CWGC record that the cemetery includes those transferred from many other cemeteries in the immediate area.
06/02/2016 The CWGC record Private Robert McClelland as the son of William and Sarah McClelland of Edenreagh, Castledawson, County Londonderry.
06/02/2016 Robert McClelland was the son of William and Sarah McClelland. William McClelland and Sarah Mawhinney were married on 29th February 1872 (leap year) in the district of Magherafelt.
06/02/2016 Private McClelland is also commemorated on the Diamond War Memorial in Londonderry, so it must be presumed he lived there for a time. He was the brother-in-law of Charles Duggan, 20 Nailor's Row, Londonderry.
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