Friends of the Somme - Mid Ulster Branch  
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August's Updates
Date Name Information
31/08/2016 R/man Allston Neely 00759
31/08/2016 Pte. John McCay Torrens 00759
31/08/2016 Pte. John McCay Torrens 00758
31/08/2016 Pte. John McCay Torrens 00757
31/08/2016 Pte. John McCay Torrens 00756
31/08/2016 Pte. John McCay Torrens 00755
31/08/2016 Pte. John McCay Torrens On 12th July 1918, John ‘Jack’ Torrens returned to the front.
31/08/2016 Pte. John McCay Torrens The book, ‘Garvagh and Aghadowey Heroes 1914-1918’ devote two pages to Private Torrens, pages 66 and 67.
31/08/2016 Pte. John McCay Torrens The CWGC record Private John McCay Torrens as the nephew of the late William K Torrens of Lincoln Road, Christchurch, New Zealand.
31/08/2016 Pte. John McCay Torrens Private John McCay Torrens is buried in Bancourt British Cemetery, alongside his friend Allston Neely.
31/08/2016 Pte. John McCay Torrens Private John McCay Torrens was serving with the 1st Battalion of the 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade when he was killed in action east of Bapaume in France on 1st September 1918. Rifleman Allston Neely was killed the same day.
31/08/2016 Pte. John McCay Torrens In August he met an old school friend, Rifleman Allston Neely. The two served in the same machine gun team.
31/08/2016 Pte. John McCay Torrens Private Torrens was seriously wounded in November 1917. He received a severe gunshot wound to the elbow. He was removed to hospital in England and then to the New Zealand Convalescent Hospital at Hornchurch.
31/08/2016 Pte. John McCay Torrens Private Torrens joined his battalion in France on 26th June 1917.
31/08/2016 Pte. John McCay Torrens Private Torrens left with his unit from Wellington in February 1917, arriving in England in May.
31/08/2016 Pte. John McCay Torrens John Torrens enlisted in Christchurch on 29th September 1916. He gave his next of kin as his aunt, Mrs Annie Crockett.
31/08/2016 Pte. John McCay Torrens He worked as a labourer for a William Roberts in Springston.
31/08/2016 Pte. John McCay Torrens John had another aunt in Christchurch, Mrs Annie Crockett, who was living at Old Brighton Road.
31/08/2016 Pte. John McCay Torrens Around 1913, John emigrated to New Zealand. He lived with an uncle and aunt at 26 Lincoln Road, Springston, Christchurch.
31/08/2016 Pte. John McCay Torrens The 1911 census lists John as age 15 living with his grandparents at house 2 in Culnaman, Bovagh. John had left school and was a farm labourer.
31/08/2016 Pte. John McCay Torrens The 1901 census lists John as age 6 living with his grandparents at house 18 in Culnaman, Bovagh, County Londonderry. They were a farming family.
31/08/2016 Pte. John McCay Torrens John was raised by his grandparents, James and Jane Torrens.
31/08/2016 Pte. John McCay Torrens John McCay Torrens was born on 25th August 1895 in Moneydig, near Garvagh.
30/08/2016 Pte. John McCay Torrens 00754
30/08/2016 Pte. John McCay Torrens 00753
30/08/2016 Pte. William Vance William was Mentioned in Dispatches.
29/08/2016 Mr Robert Alexander Robert has no listing in the CWGC. Nor is there a medal card pertaining to him.
29/08/2016 Mr Robert Alexander Robert Alexander is buried at Moneydig Presbyterian Church in the family plot.
29/08/2016 Mr Robert Alexander Robert Alexander died in hospital on 31st October 1918. He was 21 years old.
29/08/2016 Mr Robert Alexander A few days after arriving, he was admitted to Blandford Military Hospital in Dorset suffering from influenza, which then developed into pneumonia.
29/08/2016 Mr Robert Alexander The two men enlisted in Garvagh and were sent to Omagh. From there, they travelled on to Burton Camp in England.
29/08/2016 Mr Robert Alexander Bob left Kilrea on 15th October 1918 with Hugh Pedan to enlist in the Royal Air Force.
29/08/2016 Mr Robert Alexander Robert Alexander was the son of Robert and Martha Alexander.
29/08/2016 Pte. Thomas Bolton Boveedy L.O.L. 175. A vote of condolence was passed to the relatives of Lance Corporal Thomas Bolton, formerly a member of this lodge.
29/08/2016 Pte. Thomas Bolton From the Northern Constitution dated 17th September 1918:
29/08/2016 Pte. Thomas Bolton By the time Thomas had paid a visit to his home at Lismoyle in September 1917, he has been wounded on two occasions.
29/08/2016 Pte. Thomas Bolton Sergeant Thomas Bolton, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, paid a visit to his home at Lismoyle. He has been wounded on two occasions.
29/08/2016 Pte. Thomas Bolton From the Northern Constitution dated 1st September 1917:
29/08/2016 Pte. Thomas Bolton The 1911 census does not list Thomas as living with the family at house 11 in Lismoyle, The Grove.
29/08/2016 Pte. Thomas Bolton The 1901 census lists Tommie as age 10 living with the family at house 22 in Lismoyle, Grove, County Londonderry. Thomas was still at school. His widowed mother was a dressmaker. His elder brothers were farm workers.
29/08/2016 Pte. Thomas Bolton His father died when he was very young.
29/08/2016 Pte. Thomas Bolton Family: Martha Bolton, Samuel Bolton, Robert William Bolton (born 17th April 1884), John Bolton (born 24th October 1885, Samuel Stewart Bolton (born 7th July 1887), Hugh H Bolton (born 21st January 1889), Thomas Bolton (born 4th March 1891), Martha Jane Bolton (born 6th November 1892), David Bolton (born 2nd February 1895).
29/08/2016 Pte. Thomas Bolton Thomas Bolton was born on 4th March 1891 in Lismoyle, near Swatragh, County Londonderry. He was one of at least seven children, all born in the Kilrea area.
29/08/2016 Pte. Thomas Bolton Thomas Bolton was the son of Samuel and Martha Bolton. Samuel Bolton married Martha Williamson on 29th July 1883 in the district of Coleraine.
29/08/2016 Pte. Thomas Bolton Private Thomas Bolton is commemorated on the WW1 Plaque in Swatragh Presbyterian Church.
29/08/2016 R/man Allston Neely In August he met an old school friend, Private John ‘Jack’ McCay Torrens. The two served in the same machine gun team.
29/08/2016 Driver James Holmes In January 1917 he was found to have drink taken and was sentenced to twenty-eight days Field Punishment No. 1. This consisted of being tied to some object on the battlefield for two or three hours a day.
29/08/2016 Driver James Holmes James Holmes married Esther Christie Laddell. They lived at 18 Charlotte Lane. London Street, Glasgow.
29/08/2016 Driver James Holmes The family lived at Coleraine Street, Kilrea for a time.
29/08/2016 L/Corp Robert McIlrath Lance Corporal Robert McIlrath was Mentioned In Dispatches in May 1917.
29/08/2016 L/Corp Robert McIlrath Robert was a member of Boveedy L.O.L and Boveedy R.B.P. His father was Worshipful Master of the former.
29/08/2016 L/Corp Robert McIlrath 00751
13/08/2016 Pte. Cecil William Murray Mrs J B Tarleton, The Rectory, Castledawson, has been notified that her brother, Mr C W Murray, has been killed in action at the Dardanelles. Private Murray, who was a member of the secretarial staff of the Bank of Ireland, enlisted in the ‘Pals’ Company of the 7th Dublin Fusiliers. He was one of the landing party at Suvla Bay, and was killed ten days later.
13/08/2016 Pte. Cecil William Murray 00750
13/08/2016 Pte. Cecil William Murray From the Belfast Newsletter dated 11th September 1915:
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