The five veterans in today’s Roll reflect NI society of the time and the diverse areas around the globe in which they served. See Albert Kirkpatrick – and Widor, the Derry Cathedral dog, which rushed to meet the RN veteran each Sunday.
Representing their comrades who died on this day
1915
+McLAUGHLIN, John
Royal Irish Fusiliers, 2nd Btn. Private. 9740. Died 05/02/1915. Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Dungannon WM
1916
+BINGAM, Alfred
Royal Irish Rifles, 9th Btn. Rifleman. 14088. Died 05/02/1916. Aged 18. Son of Thomas and Annie Bingam, of 51, Sugarfield St., Shankill Rd., Belfast. Mailly-Maillet Communal Cemetery. Somme, France
+JONES, Joseph
Royal Irish Rifles, 9th Btn. A Coy. Rifleman.15018, Died 05/02/1916. Aged 34. Son of John and Anne Jones, of Belfast. Mailly-Maillet Communal Cemetery. Somme, France
VETERANS
ADDY, David Cyril Baines
RN. FAA. Born 22/02/1926. Died 05/02/1991. Son of JV Addy, Knock Rd., Belfast. Campbell College 2900. RBAI 1941-43.
BAIRD, Alan Duncan
RN. Commander. OBE. Paymaster Cadet 1930. Lieutenant 1935. 1939 Mediterranean, Admiralty. 1941 East Indies, Normandy. 1944 HMS Birmingham. Mentioned in Despatches. Commander (S). Born 05/02/1913. Died 09/1978. Son of Samuel Baird, Malone Rd, Belfast. Campbell College 1688.
DOWIE, Benjamin
Rifleman (7018457) Benjamin Dowie of Belfast served with the Royal Ulster Rifles during WW2. He died on 05/02/1969 in his home city aged 72. He was the son of Benjamin Dowie and Susan Dowie (née Haycott) of Belfast. In the 1901 Irish census, the family lived at Everton Street. There were eight siblings. The 1911 Irish census lists the family at Edenderry Street, Belfast. Street, Belfast, Co. Antrim. Benjamin was a plumber’s helper living at Midland Street, Belfast. Roselawn Cemetery, Belfast.
KIRKPATRICK, Albert
Born Armagh, he attended St Mark’s Parish School. His family moved to Portadown. He joined the RN on his 16th. birthday and began training on the Isle of Man. His pay was a shilling a week.
He was in HMS Spartan when it was sunk in the Anzio operations on 29/01/1944. Whilst at HMS Sea Eagle at Ebrington, Londonderry, he met Isobel, later to be his wife, at a dance. Theirs was the first marriage to be solemnised by Rev. Charles Willoughby as curate of St Columb’s Cathedral. Mr. Willoughby was later to be rector of All Saints’ Church, Clooney, which has strong RNA links, and he was also Archdeacon of Derry.
After his service with the RN, Albert worked for the GPO (now BT), until his retirement. He was a Past President of the Apprentice Boys of Derry No Surrender Parent Club, Past Master of LOL 1912 and for over fifty years a member of RBP No 237.
He loved animals and never came to the Cathedral on a Sunday without an encounter with Widor, the aptly named Deanery dog. When the Cathedral bells started ringing Widor would bolt across the cathedral grounds to take up station by the gates and wait on his weekly treat from Albert.
Father to Pat, Marilyn, and Augusta. Died 05/02/2011. Based on an appreciation in St Columb’s magazine, March 2011.
SLOAN, Wolsey Cornwall
RNVR. Surgeon-Lieut. Commander. 1940-45. Surgeon-Lieut., R.N., 1926. Born 05/09/1902. Campbell College. BA, TCD 1924. MB BCh 1926. The BMJ of 22/02/1941 reported that he was wounded. Son of Andrew G Sloan, Ballyworkan House, Portadown.
NOTES
On this day in 1945, French/British Special Operations Executive agent Violette Szabo is executed at the Ravensbrück concentration camp.
Szabo was captured during a mission behind enemy lines following D-Day, France. Szabo was the second woman to be awarded the George Cross.
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