Friends of the Somme - Mid Ulster Branch  
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Updates for Lieutenant Robert McCahon
Date Information
12/05/2020 01364
29/03/2017 Robert McCahon’s sister, Sarah A McCahon, served as a nurse in France.
29/03/2017 Robert McCahon was a brother of Mrs A C McIlrath, Wynecroft, Knock, Belfast and of Rev George McCahon, a Presbyterian missionary in China.
29/03/2017 Lieutenant Robert McCahon, Royal Engineers, youngest son of Mr John McCahon, Regent Street, Kilrea, County Derry, died on 30th March of wounds received in action. This officer volunteered at the outbreak of war, and was twice wounded, the first occasion being at the Hohenzollern Redoubt on 10th March 1916. Lieutenant McCahon took the B.A.I. degree at Trinity College Dublin in 1914, and before joining the colours he was on the engineering staff of the City Hall, Belfast. He was a brother of Mrs A C McIlrath, Wynecroft, Knock, Belfast; of Miss S A McCahon, who is nursing in France, and of Rev George McCahon, a Presbyterian missionary in China.
29/03/2017
29/03/2017 From the Belfast Newsletter dated 5th April 1918:
29/03/2017 2nd Lieutenant McCahon was wounded at the Hohenzollern Redoubt on 10th March 1916. He wrote home:-
05/12/2016 Lieutenant Robert McCahon, Royal Engineers, son of Mr John McCahon, Kilrea, who was recently wounded, has arrived home on sick furlough. Lieutenant McCahon was prominently identified with the Ulster Volunteer Force before joining the Army.
05/12/2016
05/12/2016 From the Belfast Newsletter dated 20th May 1916: Lieutenant R McCahon Home
27/11/2016 ‘I have been wounded by a shell, but was able to walk to the dressing station. They sent me on to hospital. I am just slightly wounded, but will not be able to walk to the trenches for a few days. I was doing some work, consolidating some mine craters in what was the German line before we blew it up. As we were about to leave a few shells came in, and made things a bit unpleasant for about fifteen minutes.’
27/11/2016 Lieutenant Robert McCahon, Royal Engineers, who has been wounded, is a son of Mr Robert McCahon, Kilrea, County Derry, and prior to receiving his commission was on the engineering staff at the City Hall, Belfast. He was educated at Trinity College, where he graduated in arts and engineering. In the course of a letter to his father he says:-
27/11/2016
27/11/2016 From the Belfast Newsletter dated 18th March 1916:
22/11/2016
22/11/2016 Lieutenant R McCahon, Royal Engineers, son of Mr John McCahon, Kilrea, has been on a brief visit home from France, where he has been with the regiment for some time.
22/11/2016 From the Belfast Newsletter dated 15th January 1916:
30/06/2016
30/06/2016 From the Belfast Newsletter dated 14th August 1915: Promotions and Appointments
30/06/2016 Mr Robert McCahon, son of Mr John McCahon, draper, Kilrea, has received a commission in the Royal Engineers, and has taken up duty.
03/05/2016 The 1901 census lists Robert as age 12 living with the family at house 30 in Maghera Street, Kilrea. His father had a drapery shop.
03/05/2016 Robert was a member of the Kilrea Company, South Londonderry U.V.F. Because of his shooting prowess, he became the Company Musketry Officer.
03/05/2016 Robert joined the Unionist Party.
03/05/2016 From Trinity, Robert joined the engineering department of the Belfast City Corporation. He travelled home at the weekends and was a member of the local football team.
03/05/2016 The 1911 census lists Robert as age 12 living with the family at house 30 in Maghera Street, Kilrea, County Londonderry.
03/05/2016 Robert attended Coleraine Academical Institution was both a talented scholar and sportsman, particularly shooting and football.
03/05/2016 By the time of the 1901 census, his mother had died and the family had moved to Kilrea, County Londonderry. His father was born in County Londonderry.
03/05/2016
03/05/2016 Known family: John McCahon, Lizzie J McCahon (born about 1879), George McCahon (born about 1881), Sarah A McCahon (born about 1884), Ella M McCahon (born about 1886), Robert McCahon (born about 1889).
03/05/2016 Robert McCahon enlisted early in 1915. He was commissioned as a Special Reserve 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers that August.
03/05/2016 Robert went on to Trinity College Dublin, where achieved a B.A.I. Degree in 1911.
03/05/2016 He left for France in December 1915, attached to the 69th Field Company.
03/05/2016 ‘I have been wounded by a piece of shrapnel in the hip and have been in hospital. I was doing work in consolidating new mines in what was the German line before we blew it up. I had 150 men working in three craters for three days by the names of theatres and had an upper circle, a promenade and dugouts in the bottom we called boxes. Last night as we were about to leave a few German shells came in and made things a bit unpleasant for about a quarter of an hour.’
03/05/2016 2nd Lieutenant McCahon returned to the front in September 1916. During this period he was promoted to Lieutenant.
03/05/2016 Lieutenant Robert McCahon was serving with the 69th Field Company of the Royal Engineers when he was wounded by shellfire, receiving wounds to his stomach and pelvis during the German Spring Offensive.
03/05/2016 He was removed to hospital in Doullens, but he died of his wounds on 30th March 1918.
03/05/2016 Lieutenant Robert McCahon is buried in Doullens Military Cemetery Extension No 1 in France. Doullens lies approximately 30 kilometres north of Amiens.
03/05/2016 Lieutenant Robert McCahon is commemorated on the Belfast Corporation Roll of Honour Plaque in Belfast City Hall. He is also commemorated on the memorial in 1st Kilrea Presbyterian Church.
03/05/2016 Robert McCahon was the son of John McCahon. Robert was born on 7th July 1888 in Texas, U.S.A.
03/05/2016 The CWGC record Lieutenant Robert McCahon as the son of John McCahon of Regent Street, Kilrea, County Derry. Regent Street was renamed Maghera Street.
03/05/2016
03/05/2016 Lieutenant Robert McCahon is also commemorated on the WW1 Roll of Honour in the 1937 Reading Room at Trinity College in Dublin.
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