 |
|
|
| Regiment/Service: |
6th Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers (British Army)
|
| Date Of Birth: |
04/04/1886
|
| Died: |
10/10/1918 (Died of Wounds) |
| Age: |
32 |
|
| John Carruth was son of Mr. E. Carruth, The Haven, Mallusk. He obtained his commission as an officer in September 1915 and was gazetted to the 6th Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers on 15th October 1915. He served at the Battle of the Somme and was invalided home with trench fever. After his return to health, he was attached to the 1st Royal Irish Rifles on 13th August 1916. He acted as a bombing officer at the Curragh camp until November 1917 when he was posted to Palestine to join his regiment. On the night of 7th October 1918, the Battalion was attacked by a bombardment of shell fire and he was badly wounded and taken to No.50 Casualty Clearing Station and died of his wounds there on 10th October 1918. |
|
|
| John Carruth was the fourth son of Elisha and Jane Carruth. Elisha Caruth married Jane Reid on 7th December 1876 in the district of Antrim.
|
| John Caruth was born on 4th April 1886 in the Belfast area. He was one of ten children, nine surviving.
|
| Family: Elisha Caruth, Jane Caruth, Hugh Caruth (born 24th May 1878), Mary Caruth (born about 1881), Thomas Caruth (born 27th March 1882), Elizabeth Caruth (born 16th April 1883), William Caruth (born 1st April 1884), John Caruth (born 4th April 1886), Elizabeth Caruth (born 21st March 1888), Matthew Caruth (born 28th July 1890), Arthur Caruth (born 22nd January 1893), Gregory Caruth (born about 1900).
|
| The 1901 census lists John as aged 14, living with the family at house 1 in Molusk (Grange of), Ballysillan, County Antrim. John was still at school. They were a farming family.
|
| The 1911 census does not list John as living with the family at house 60 in Molusk (Grange of), Ballysillan.
|
| John Caruth married Vera Maude Louise McVicker of Bona Vista, Stewartstown, County Tyrone, in July 1915. Vera was the daughter of John E and Mary J L McVicker of Hill Head, Stewartstown.
|
| From the Mid Ulster Mail dated Saturday 29th July 1916: Marriages
|
|
| CARRUTH – MCVICKER – 19th July, at Stewartstown Presbyterian Church, by Rev L E McVicker, B.A., Monigaff, Scotland (brother of the bride), and Rev T A Speer, B.A., Stewartstown, Second Lieutenant John Carruth, Royal Dublin Fusiliers, to Vera Maud McVicker, B.A., only daughter of Mr and Mrs McVicker, Stewartstown.
|
| John Caruth obtained his commission as an officer through Queens University Officer Training Corps in September 1915 and was gazetted to the 6th Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers on 15th October 1915.
|
|
|
| Lieutenant John Caruth served at the Battle of the Somme and was invalided home with trench fever.
|
| From the Tyrone Courier dated 21st September 1916:
|
|
| Lieut. Matthew Carruth, Connaught Rangers, killed in action on 9th September, was a brother of Mr Arthur Carruth, Belfast Bank, Dungannon.
|
| From the Mid Ulster Mail dated Saturday 23rd September 1916:
|
|
| Second Lieutenant Matthew Carruth, Royal Irish Regiment, attached Connaught Rangers, who was killed in action on 9th September, is a brother of Arthur Carruth, accountant in the Belfast Bank, Dungannon, and the fifth son of Mr and Mrs E Carruth, Hightown, Mallusk, near Belfast. A teacher by profession, he spent three years before he joined the colours in the Model School, Londonderry. He obtained his commission on 14th December 1915, and was only four weeks at the front when he was killed. He was 26 years of age. One of his brothers, Second Lieutenant John Carruth, Royal Dublin Fusiliers, is at the front.
|
| After his return to health, he was appointed Second-Lieutenant and subsequently was attached to the 1st Royal Irish Rifles on 13th August 1916.
|
| He acted as a bombing officer at the Curragh camp until November 1917 when he was posted to Palestine to join his regiment.
|
| He was home on leave in August 1918.
|
| On the night of 7th October 1918, the Battalion was attacked by a bombardment of shell fire and he was badly wounded and taken to No.50 Casualty Clearing Station and died of his wounds there on 10th October 1918.
|
| Lieutenant Carruth is buried in Tincourt New British Cemetery, France.
|
|
| Thanks to Tabatha Rose for pointing out that the grave photo was available on Billiongraves.
|
| Lieutenant John Carruth is commemorated on Hyde Park Branch Roll of Honour in Hydepark Branch of the Royal British Legion, Mallusk, Belfast.
|
|
| Lieutenant Carruth’s brother Matthew was killed in action on 9th September 1916.
|
| Vera Carruth received her pension until she remarried in 1931.
|
| It seems Lieutenant John Carruth’s only connection to the Cookstown area was that he married into a family who lived in Stewartstown for a time.
|
|
|
|
|
| No |
Link |
Reference |
Map |
Doc |
|
| 1 |
1901 Census lists Caruth family
|
1901 Census lists John, as aged 14 at house 1 in Molusk Grange of, Ballysillon, Antrim |
|
|
| 2 |
1911 Census lists Caruth family
|
1911 Census does not list John at house 60 in Molusk, Grange of Ballysillan, Antrim |
|
|
| 3 |
1911 Census lists McVicker family
|
In-laws of Lieutenant John Carruth |
|
|
| 4 |
1911 Census lists V M L McVicar
|
Lists John's future wife living at house 3 in Clarendon Street, Londonderry |
|
|
| 5 |
BillionGraves.com
|
Poor photo of Lieutenant John Carruth's grave can be purchased here |
|
|
| 6 |
Hyde Park (Mallusk) Presbyterians in the Great War
|
Photo and memorial and family details |
|
|
| 7 |
National Archives UK
|
Medal card can be purchased here |
|
|
| 8 |
Queen’s University War Memorial
|
'Curruth, John, Lieutenant, Royal Dublin Fusiliers, attached Royal Irish Rifles' |
|
|
| 9 |
Queens Univ. Book of Remembrance 1952
|
Page 13. Faculty of Medicine 1913-1916 |
|
|
| 10 |
War Graves Photographic Project
|
Photo of Lieutenant John Carruth's grave can be purchased here |
|
|
|
|
|
