The Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux is a memorial to 62,000 Australian personnel who died during the First World War and over 40,000 in the Second World War. Many NI men who had emigrated returned with Australian forces as local war memorials here testify. On this day in 1942, American soldiers arrive in Northern Ireland. They are the first US troops deployed to Europe in WW2. Three RAF personnel died on that day. Two are remembered in Singapore and Frederick Miley died at home in Bangor from an illness conracted serving in the Middle East. Robert Irvine a former member of the 80th Company, Boys’ Brigade (Donegall Pass Presbyterian Church) dies after an accident at sea.
