Friends of the Somme - Mid Ulster Branch  
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September's Updates
Date Name Information
30/09/2017 Pte. William McAleece Information has been received of the death in action of Corporal William McAleece, elder son of Mrs McAleece, Ballyveeny, who had been reported missing.
30/09/2017 Pte. William McAleece 01268
30/09/2017 Pte. William McAleece From the Tyrone Courier dated 14th December 1916:
28/09/2017 Sgt. William R Bridgett William joined the Yorkshire Regiment, enlisting in Middlesbrough, at the outbreak of the First World War. He was living in Darlington at the time.
28/09/2017 Sgt. William R Bridgett The 1911 census lists William as age 32, living with the family at house 4 in Coagh Street Lane, Cookstown. William and his father were general labourers.
28/09/2017 Sgt. William R Bridgett His brother Alfred was killed at Middleburg, Transvaal, South Africa in 1901 (tbc).
28/09/2017 Sgt. William R Bridgett The 1901 census does not list William as living with the family at house 9 in Coagh Street Lane, Cookstown. His father was an ironmonger and yard man.
28/09/2017 Sgt. William R Bridgett William Bridgett had previously served with the Inniskilling Fusiliers during the Boer War in South Africa
28/09/2017 Sgt. William R Bridgett The family moved to Cookstown about 1893.
28/09/2017 Sgt. William R Bridgett Known family: James Bridgett, Matilda Bridgett, Samuel Bridgett (born 20th July 1876, Coagh), William Robert Bridgett (born 17th March 1878, Coagh), Mary Bridgett (born 24th February 1880, Coagh), Joseph Bridgett (born 12th February 1882, Coagh), Sarah Bridgett (born 16th April 1884, Coagh), Matilda Bridgett (born 22nd August 1886, Coagh), Andrew Bridgett (born 19th March 1888, Coagh), Margaret Bridgett (born 14th June 1890, Cookstown), David Bridgett (born 4th May 1892, Cookstown), Annie Bridgett 7 (born 13th March 1894, Cookstown), John Bridgett 5 (born 7th February 1896, Cookstown)
28/09/2017 Sgt. William R Bridgett The family lived in Tamlaght, Coagh.
28/09/2017 Sgt. William R Bridgett William Robert Bridgett was born on 17th March 1878 in Tamlaght, Coagh. He was the second of twelve children, ten surviving.
28/09/2017 Sgt. William R Bridgett William Robert Bridgett was the second son of James and Matilda Bridgett. James Bridgett and Matilda Geddes were married on 10th September 1875 in the district of Cookstown.
27/09/2017 Lieut John Carruth Lieut. Matthew Carruth, Connaught Rangers, killed in action on 9th September, was a brother of Mr Arthur Carruth, Belfast Bank, Dungannon.
27/09/2017 Lieut John Carruth 01267
27/09/2017 Lieut John Carruth From the Tyrone Courier dated 21st September 1916:
26/09/2017 2nd Lieut Dermot Joseph MacSherry 01266
26/09/2017 2nd Lieut Dermot Joseph MacSherry 01265
26/09/2017 2nd Lieut Dermot Joseph MacSherry IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT NO CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE HAS BEEN FOUND TO LINK DERMOT JOSEPH MACSHERRY HIMSELF TO COOKSTOWN.
26/09/2017 2nd Lieut Dermot Joseph MacSherry The CWGC record 2nd Lieutenant Dermot Joseph MacSherry as a native of Ireland. He is also recorded as the son of Thomas and Julia MacSherry, of 64 Oval Road, Erdington, Birmingham.
26/09/2017 2nd Lieut Dermot Joseph MacSherry 2nd Lieutenant Dermot Joseph MacSherry is buried in La Laiterie Military Cemetery, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.
26/09/2017 2nd Lieut Dermot Joseph MacSherry He was described in his obituary as "a boy of particularly fine character, upright, and honest, somewhat serious and reserved, but admired and respected by all for his high ideals and sense of duty".
26/09/2017 2nd Lieut Dermot Joseph MacSherry MacSherry's commanding officer wrote a letter of condolence to his mother. As a consolation he mentioned that the raid had been important in order to secure the success of the subsequent battle. An officer of his Company also wrote to MacSherry's parents at Birmingham, telling them, among other things, that he "was at Confession the night before going into the trenches". This however must have been little consolation to them as he was their only child.
26/09/2017 2nd Lieut Dermot Joseph MacSherry A few days later, the 6th battalion Connaught Rangers took part in the battle of Messines (7-14 June 1917), which included the capture of Wytschaete.
26/09/2017 2nd Lieut Dermot Joseph MacSherry During the days prior to the battle of Messines, during the night of June 4-5th, having been in the trenches for only two days, Second Lieutenant John Dermot MacSherry took part in a raid against German trenches near Wytschaete. As his platoon returned to the British line, he was hit by shrapnel from an exploding shell and killed.
26/09/2017 2nd Lieut Dermot Joseph MacSherry 2nd Lieutenant Dermot Joseph MacSherry was serving with the 3rd Battalion of the Connaught Rangers (attached to the 6th Battalion) when he was killed in action on 4th June 1917. He was just 19 years old.
26/09/2017 2nd Lieut Dermot Joseph MacSherry A couple of days before his death, MacSherry had written a letter to her mother asking her to pray for him and not to worry if she didn't hear from him for a bit longer than usual. No doubt he was aware of the impending action and that in the course of this he could be wounded or killed.
26/09/2017 2nd Lieut Dermot Joseph MacSherry He spent a week in a base camp and then three weeks in the Divisional School before finally proceeding to join the battalion.
26/09/2017 2nd Lieut Dermot Joseph MacSherry As a newly-commissioned second lieutenant, he was sent to France shortly after his nineteenth birthday in March 1917 to be attached to the 6th Connaught Rangers (47th Brigade, 16th Irish Division).
26/09/2017 2nd Lieut Dermot Joseph MacSherry Dermot later joined "E" Company, No. 6 Officers' Cadet Battalion at Balliol College, Oxford in August 1916, being gazetted to the 3rd Connaught Rangers the following February.
26/09/2017 2nd Lieut Dermot Joseph MacSherry After leaving Stonyhurst, MacSherry initially served briefly as a Private in the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (with the regimental number 27301).
26/09/2017 2nd Lieut Dermot Joseph MacSherry Laughton and MacSherry were also together in the school's Officer Training Corps, Laughton as a humble cadet and MacSherry attaining the rank of Company-Sergeant-Major.
26/09/2017 2nd Lieut Dermot Joseph MacSherry The actor Charles Laughton and Dermot were both school friends and fellow actors. Laughton was in the school from 1912 to 1915. He and MacSherry were classmates until the last year of Upper Grammar, during which they both competed for Classics awards, as Charles was awarded the top prize in Lower Grammar, which MacSherry won the following year. Apart from Classics and theatricals, MacSherry was also noteworthy in elocution, winning a prize for it.
26/09/2017 2nd Lieut Dermot Joseph MacSherry Dermot attended Stonyhurst College from 1911 to 1916. Stonyhurst College is a Roman Catholic public school in Lancashire, England
26/09/2017 2nd Lieut Dermot Joseph MacSherry No record of the McSherry family can be found in the 1901 census.
26/09/2017 2nd Lieut Dermot Joseph MacSherry Family: Thomas MacSherry, Julia MacSherry, Dermot Joseph MacSherry (born about 1898).
26/09/2017 2nd Lieut Dermot Joseph MacSherry Dermot Joseph MacSherry was born in Ireland about 1898. He was the only child of Thomas and Julia MacSherry.
26/09/2017 2nd Lieut Dermot Joseph MacSherry Second Lieutenant Dermot J MacSherry, Connaught Rangers, killed in action on 4th June, was the only son of the late Mr Tom MacSherry, of Cookstown and Birmingham.
26/09/2017 2nd Lieut Dermot Joseph MacSherry 01264
26/09/2017 2nd Lieut Dermot Joseph MacSherry From the Belfast Newsletter dated 16th June 1917:
26/09/2017 Pte. Charles Coy The CWGC record Private Charles Coy as the son of John and Eliza Coy of Rossmore, Cookstown, County Derry.
26/09/2017 Pte. Charles Coy Private Charles Coy is listed in the Diamond War Memorial. He is both listed as being both born and living in Londonderry. This may however a reference to the county.
26/09/2017 Pte. Charles Coy Private Charles Coy is buried at Quesnoy Farm Military Cemetery in Pas de Calais, France.
26/09/2017 Pte. Charles Coy Private Charles Coy was serving with the 15th Battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers when he was killed in action on 3rd April 1918. It was his 37th birthday.
26/09/2017 Pte. Charles Coy Private Charles Coy served with the Royal Lancaster Regiment for a time. He had the service no. 202447.
26/09/2017 Pte. Charles Coy Charles Coy enlisted in Lancaster, England.
26/09/2017 Pte. Charles Coy The 1911 census does not list Charles as living with the family at house 2 in Rossmore, Lissan Upper. They were a farming family.
26/09/2017 Pte. Charles Coy The 1901 census does not list Charles as living with the family at house 7 in Rossmore, Lissan Upper, County Londonderry. They were a farming family.
26/09/2017 Pte. Charles Coy Family: John Coy, Eliza Coy, Charles Coy (born 3rd April 1881), Margaret Jane Coy (born 8th March 1883), Ellen Elizabeth Coy (born 9th March 1885), Mary Coy (born 28th February 1888, died 7th March 1888), Joseph Maurice Coy (born 12th September 1890).
26/09/2017 Pte. Charles Coy Charles Coy was born on 3rd April 1881 in the Moneymore area. He was the eldest of five children, four surviving.
26/09/2017 Pte. Charles Coy Charles Coy was the eldest son of John and Eliza Coy. John Coy and Eliza Woods were married on 17th January 1880 in the district of Cookstown.
20/09/2017 R/man William Hobson Sergeant Edward Lucas, Parkanaur, and Privates Harry Hobson and Ted McNeill, Dungannon, all of the 9th Inniskilling Fusiliers, have had a very narrow shave in the trenches in France. While on duty they were subjected to shell fire from the Germans. A large piece of shrapnel shell, about two pounds in weight, skimmed over the parapet, and knocking the steel helmet off Sergeant Lucas, buried itself about a foot and a half in the bottom of the trench between Privates Hobson and McNeill.
20/09/2017 R/man William Hobson 01263
20/09/2017 R/man William Hobson From the Tyrone Courier dated 23rd March 1916: Dungannon Soldier’s Escape (Henry Harry Hobson - brother of William Hobson)
19/09/2017 R/man William Hobson ‘Just a few lines in answer to your kind and welcome letter which I got alright., and the Tyrone Courier you send me every week. You might not send me out any more cigarettes for we get plenty out here and alos tobacco, and I am very thankful to you all the same. We get a glass of rum sometimes too. I hope the 18th December passed over in peace. I suppose you burned Lundy as the Inniskillings burned him in France; the French people thought he was the Kaiser and they were all glad to see him burn. We had the Lord Primate of All Ireland speaking to us today. It is very wet out here at present, raining every day. We are all in the best of health.'
19/09/2017 R/man William Hobson Writing to his brother, Mr Ben Hobson, Dungannon, Private Harry Hobson, 9th Inniskillings, says:-
19/09/2017 R/man William Hobson 01262
19/09/2017 R/man William Hobson From the Tyrone Courier dated 10th February 1916: With the Ulster Division (Henry Harry Hobson - brother of William Hobson)
16/09/2017 Ab Sea Malachy Hannon Mr Malachy Hannon, Royal Navy, son of Mr James Hannon, Railway Cottage, Stewartstown, who volunteered in Glasgow at the outbreak of the war, has received a slight shrapnel wound at the Dardanelles, and is in hospital in Malta.
16/09/2017 Ab Sea Malachy Hannon 01261
16/09/2017 Ab Sea Malachy Hannon From the Tyrone Courier dated 9th December 1915:
16/09/2017 Ab Sea Malachy Hannon Newspaper reports from December 1915 list the family as living at Railway Cottage, Stewartstown.
15/09/2017 R/man William Hobson ‘I am sure you will wonder at me at not writing sooner, but this is the first chance I have got since I got your post card. I am keeping in good health and doing well. I am just out of the trenches, so that is how I have got a chance to write. I would like you to send me some tobacco when you write again. I haven’t seen Harry since I left England and I haven’t seen any other relatives.’
15/09/2017 R/man William Hobson Writing to his brother, Mr Joseph Hobson, caretaker of Dungannon sanatorium, Rifleman William Hobson, 16th Irish Rifles, (who is one of two brothers serving with the Ulster Division) says:-
15/09/2017 R/man William Hobson 01260
15/09/2017 R/man William Hobson From the Tyrone Courier dated 2nd December 1915:
12/09/2017 R/man William Hobson ‘I received you kind and welcome letter and was glad to hear that you are well as this leaves me the same at present. I have to thank Miss Kathleen Chambre for her present, it is very useful here. We are just out of the trenches for a rest. We had very wet weather in them and up to our knees in mud. You would have laughed if you had seen where I wrote the last letter to you. I have not seen Willie since I came out nor do I know what part he is in. We were only 200 yards off the German trenches in the place we were in. I hear no word of the war being over yet; it might be a year yet or more. I saw lots of boys from Dungannon and Coalisland that I knew. You can tell my father I was asking for him.’
12/09/2017 R/man William Hobson Mr Ben Hobson, Dungannon, has received the following letter from his brother, Private Harry Hobson, 9th Inniskillings, who is serving with the Ulster Division in France:
12/09/2017 R/man William Hobson 01259
12/09/2017 R/man William Hobson From the Tyrone Courier dated 18th November 1915: With the Ulster Division Henry Harry Hobson (brother of William Hobson)
09/09/2017 Pte. Robert Hogshaw 01257
09/09/2017 Pte. John Donaldson 01257
09/09/2017 R/man Francis Carron 01258
09/09/2017 Pte. George Bleeks (Bleakes) 01257
09/09/2017 Pte. William Thomas Bleeks 01257
09/09/2017 Pte. Joseph Newell 01257
09/09/2017 Pte. John Newell 01257
09/09/2017 Pte. John Newell 01256
09/09/2017 Pte. John Newell The CWGC record Private John Newell as the son of Rachel Newell of North Street, Stewartstown, County Tyrone, and of the late William Newell.
09/09/2017 Pte. John Newell Both Joseph and John Newell are also commemorated on Stewartstown Cenotaph and Donaghendry Church of Ireland Roll of Honour.
09/09/2017 Pte. John Newell Both Private Joseph Newell and Private John Newell have no known grave and they are commemorated sided by side on panel 5 of the Ploegsteert Memorial in Belgium.
09/09/2017 Pte. John Newell Private John Newell was killed in action on 7th November 1914 when his unit was sent out to recover trenches on the edge of Ploegsteert Wood. Two desperate assaults were made, during which John was killed.
09/09/2017 Pte. John Newell His brother was killed in action just over two weeks before he himself was killed.
09/09/2017 Pte. John Newell Private John Newell served along with his elder brother, Private Joseph Newell in A Company in the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.
09/09/2017 Pte. John Newell John Newell enlisted in Cookstown but probably had some initial experience of army life.
09/09/2017 Pte. John Newell The 1911 census lists John as 14, living with the family at house 29 in North Street, Stewartstown. He had left school and was working as a telegraph messenger. His mother was a widow.
09/09/2017 Pte. John Newell John’s father, William Newell, died on 10th May 1910 in Stewartstown, aged 50.
09/09/2017 Pte. John Newell Family: William Newell, Rachel Newell, George Newell (born 30th May 1887), William Newell (born 1st January 1889), Samuel Newell (born 11th September 1890), James Newell (born 9th September 1892), Joseph Newell (born 7th July 1894), John Newell (born 11th June 1896), Ernest Newell (born 19th April 1898, died 19th April 1898), Mary Newell (born 22nd February 1899, died 6th April 1899), Anna Victoria Georgina Newell (born 27th February 1900), Mary Newell (born 13th January 1902), Henry Newell (born 10th August 1903), Jane Newell (born 9th January 1906. died 27th April 1907).
09/09/2017 Pte. John Newell The 1901 census lists John as age 4, living with family at house 80 in North Street, Stewartstown. His father was a general labourer.
09/09/2017 Pte. John Newell John Newell was born on 11th June 1896 in Stewartstown. He was one of twelve children, eight surviving.
09/09/2017 Pte. John Newell John Newell was a son of Rachel and William Newell. William Newell and Rachel Anderson were married on 19th September 1886 in the district of Cookstown.
09/09/2017 Pte. Joseph Newell 01255
09/09/2017 Pte. Joseph Newell Mr J Newell, North Street, Stewartstown, has been promoted to the rank of Sergeant. He is attached to the 2nd Veterinary Hospital, Army Veterinary Corps, British Expeditionary Force.
09/09/2017 Pte. Joseph Newell 01254
09/09/2017 Pte. Joseph Newell From the Tyrone Courier dated 19th August 1915: (Sergeant James Newell – brother of Joseph Newell)
09/09/2017 Pte. Joseph Newell Mrs R Newell, North Street, Stewartstown had received a letter informing her that the King he had heard with much interest that she had four sons in the army, and assuring her that His Majesty appreciated the spirit and patriotism which prompted this example in one family of loyalty and devotion to Sovereign and country. Mrs Newell had two sons killed in November, Joseph aged 20 and John aged 18. Another son joined the army during the past week, making the total of sons given to the services five, all attached to the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. In addition she has two brothers and thirteen cousins serving in the British Army.
09/09/2017 Pte. Joseph Newell 01253
09/09/2017 Pte. Joseph Newell From the Belfast Newsletter dated 13th January 1915: Tyrone Family’s Military Record
09/09/2017 Pte. Joseph Newell Mrs Newell, North Street, Stewartstown, has received a letter from her son Corporal James Newell, No 2 Veterinary Hospital, Army Veterinary Corps, British Expeditionary Force, in which he acknowledges the receipt of parcels of comforts, etc., and states that at present he is quite well. Mrs Newell has also received a letter from her son Samuel, of the 1st Royal Irish Fusiliers, dated at Rouen, France, to the same effect. Mrs Newell’s fifth son, William, is at present at Randalstown in training for the front.
09/09/2017 Pte. Joseph Newell 01252
09/09/2017 Pte. Joseph Newell From the Tyrone Courier dated 8th July 1915: Stewartstown Soldiers’ Letter (James and Samuel Newell – brothers of Joseph Newell)
09/09/2017 Pte. Joseph Newell Private James Newell, who left Kildare on 6th August last, and has been some seven or eight months at the front, writes to his sister, Miss Annie Newell, North Street, Stewartstown, from No 2 Veterinary Hospital, Army Veterinary Corps, British Expeditionary Force, to the effect that he is doing all right, but longing to be back again at the front, which he hopes will soon be. His letter for the most part consists of domestic affairs, offering advice and encouragement to his mother and other relatives, and looking forward to a brighter future at the end of the war, which he hopes will not be too long. It will be recollected that two of his brothers have been killed in action, while another has been wounded.
09/09/2017 Pte. Joseph Newell 01251
09/09/2017 Pte. Joseph Newell From the Tyrone Courier dated 6th May 1915: Stewartstown Man’s Letter – Wants Back to the Front (Private James Newell – brother of Joseph Newell)
09/09/2017 Pte. Joseph Newell Last Will and Testament of Private Joseph Newell:
09/09/2017 Pte. Joseph Newell In his will, Joseph Newell left all to his mother, who was living at North Street, Stewartstown.
09/09/2017 Pte. Joseph Newell The CWGC record Private Joseph Newell as the son of Rachel Newell of North Street, Stewartstown, County Tyrone, and of the late William Newell.
09/09/2017 Pte. Joseph Newell Both Joseph and John Newell are also commemorated on Stewartstown Cenotaph and Donaghendry Church of Ireland Roll of Honour.
09/09/2017 Pte. Joseph Newell Both Private Joseph Newell and Private John Newell have no known grave and they are commemorated sided by side on panel 5 of the Ploegsteert Memorial in Belgium.
09/09/2017 Pte. Joseph Newell When he was killed in action he had three other brothers serving. James was in the Army Veterinary Corps, Samuel in India, and John, who served beside him in the same company. Sadly, John was to survive his brother by just a little over two weeks.
09/09/2017 Pte. Joseph Newell On the 21st October 1914, the Inniskillings came under a ferocious attack and were driven back a few hundred yards. It was during this attack that Joseph lost his life. From about 5.15pm they held the enemy and re-took their former trench after midnight.
09/09/2017 Pte. Joseph Newell Private Joseph Newell was serving with ‘A’ Company in the the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers when he was killed in action on Wednesday 21st October 1914.
09/09/2017 Pte. Joseph Newell Private Joseph Newell elected to go to the front.
09/09/2017 Pte. Joseph Newell From 1912 he was an officer’s servant. His master, with whom he was very popular, was medically unfit for active service and it could have been arranged that young Newell could have remained with him at home.
09/09/2017 Pte. Joseph Newell Joseph joined the army at young age.
09/09/2017 Pte. Joseph Newell The 1911 census does not list Joseph as living with the family at house 29 in North Street, Stewartstown. His mother was a widow.
09/09/2017 Pte. Joseph Newell Joseph’s father, William Newell, died on 10th May 1910 in Stewartstown, aged 50.
09/09/2017 Pte. Joseph Newell Family: William Newell, Rachel Newell, George Newell (born 30th May 1887), William Newell (born 1st January 1889), Samuel Newell (born 11th September 1890), James Newell (born 9th September 1892), Joseph Newell (born 7th July 1894), John Newell (born 11th June 1896), Ernest Newell (born 19th April 1898, died 19th April 1898), Mary Newell (born 22nd February 1899, died 6th April 1899), Anna Victoria Georgina Newell (born 27th February 1900), Mary Newell (born 13th January 1902), Henry Newell (born 10th August 1903), Jane Newell (born 9th January 1906. died 27th April 1907).
09/09/2017 Pte. Joseph Newell The 1901 census lists Joseph as age 6, living with family at house 80 in North Street, Stewartstown. His father was a general labourer.
09/09/2017 Pte. Joseph Newell Joseph Newell was born on 7th July 1894 in Stewartstown. He was one of twelve children, eight surviving.
09/09/2017 Pte. Joseph Newell Joseph Newell was a son of Rachel and William Newell. William Newell and Rachel Anderson were married on 19th September 1886 in the district of Cookstown.
04/09/2017 Pte. Samuel Mills 01250
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