Friends of the Somme - Mid Ulster Branch  
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Updates for Private John McBride
Date Information
01/05/2020 02182
25/10/2018 MCBRIDE – killed in action at the Dardanelles on 13th June, Private John McBride, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, younger son of the late Hugh McBride, William Street, Cookstown. Deeply regretted by his sorrowing brother and sister.
25/10/2018
25/10/2018 From the Mid Ulster Mail dated 26th June 1915:
25/10/2018 John McBride’s friend, Private James Devlin, described his death to a local newspaper.
25/10/2018 From the Mid Ulster Mail dated 26th June 1915: Private John McBride
16/03/2018 Writing on the same day to his sister, he stated:- ‘All the Cookstown boys here are still kicking. If the war lasts much longer, there will be no turkeys for Christmas. We are now back in our little homes, and this leaves me well.’
16/03/2018 ‘Just a few lines to let you know I am getting along fine up to the present. I am up in the trenches now for the second time. We were fifteen days in them the first time. The weather is fine out here now with very strong sun during the day. The enemy never trouble us during the day except for a few snipers. But night is the time we want to watch them. I am writing this in my dug-out and they are still sniping away over my head. They start shelling about 5 o’clock every day. Cigarettes and notepaper are very short here, so don’t forget to send me some. Remember me to all my old friends.’
16/03/2018 Mr Hugh McBride, William Street, Cookstown, has received official confirmation from the Infantry Record Office, Dublin, that his brother Private John McBride, 1st Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, had been killed in action at the Dardanelles on 13th June. Private McBride was the youngest son of the late Mr Hugh McBride, Cookstown, was only 23 years of age. He had completed his term of seven years in October last and had been in India for the past four years. He arrived in England in January and got home for four days leave. He has taken part in several engagements at the Dardanelles. In writing to his brother on the 19th May, he said:-
16/03/2018
28/02/2018
28/02/2018 Known family: Hugh McBride, Annie McBride (born about 1880), Hugh McBride (born about 1881), John McBride (born 24th May 1887).
04/06/2016
04/06/2016 Mr Hugh McBride, William Street, Cookstown, has been officially informed that his brother, Private john McBride, 1st Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, has been killed in action at the Dardanelles. The deceased, who was only 23 years of age, completed his seven years’ service in October last. He arrived home from India in January, when he got four days leave. He was the youngest son of the late Mr Hugh McBride, Cookstown.
04/06/2016 From the Belfast Newsletter dated 22nd June 1915:
30/12/2015
30/12/2015 By October of 1914, Private John McBride had served seven years in the Army and the last four years had been in India.
30/12/2015 He wrote his last letter home just three days before he was killed:
30/12/2015 Private John McBride was serving with the 1st Battalion of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers when he was killed in action three days later at Ghurkha Bluff at Gallipoli on Saturday 22nd May 1915, just two days before his 28th birthday.
30/12/2015 John McBride was buried close to where he fell. When the war was over and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission tried to discover the location of graves, John’s could not be found.
30/12/2015 Today he is commemorated on Special Memorial C 184 in Twelve Tree Copse Cemetery, Turkey. He is also commemorated on Cookstown Cenotaph.
30/12/2015 Forty-nine men from his unit were killed on the 22nd May 1915.
30/12/2015 From the Mid Ulster Mail dated Saturday 8th April 1916: How Private McBride Fell
30/12/2015 Private John Devlin, of the Inniskillings, has been on a visit to his mother, Mrs Devlin, Gortalowry in the last week. He was formerly employed in Messrs Adair’s’ mill and joined the army in 1908. Since then he has been it India for 3 ½ years, and was with the Forces which landed in the Gallipoli Peninsula. On the evacuation of that place he was at the Suez Canal and latterly in France, from which he got his first leave home. He called at our office to say that Private John McBride was killed in Gallipoli on 13th June was a chum of his and they agreed that if one of them fell the other was to see and report the circumstances to the Mail. He says that they landed at Gallipoli on 25th April 1915. It was a Sunday morning and they saw each other for a time. About six weeks after the first landing Devlin went off to Ghurkha Bluff. McBride was there sniping at a German officer, who was returning the fire. The duel went on between them till four or five shots were exchanged, each firing as the other rose over the parapet. The German however caught McBride first, but he paid the price as Captain Wise shot him immediately afterwards. Devlin assisted to remove McBride’s body, which was interred in the military cemetery, a French priest officiating at the grave. McBride was the youngest son of the late Hugh McBride, Cookstown. A portrait and notice appeared in the Mail on 26th June last.
30/12/2015 The 1901 census lists John as age 14 living with the family at house 41 in Orritor Street, Cookstown, Tyrone. He had left school and was working as a Yarn Carrier in Factory.
30/12/2015 Private McBride arrived back in England in January 1915 and got four days leave to Cookstown.
30/12/2015 Private John McBride was then sent to the Dardanelles and survived several actions.
30/12/2015 John McBride was the youngest son of Hugh McBride. John was born in Cookstown on 24th May 1887.
30/12/2015 Private McBride was killed in an exchange of gunfire with a German officer. The German was, almost immediately after, shot dead.
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