
Today is the anniversary of the founding regiment of the Royal Marines. Alex Apsley from Ballymena died in the RM this day in 1917 at Dunkirk. Matthew Gibson from Belfast returned from Mexico in 1915. He enlisted, took a commission in the 12th Irish Rifles and won two Military Crosses in WW1. Be moved and inspired by the citations of his actions in today’s report. The majority of men in today’s Roll of Honour served with the Royal Ulster Rifles, 2nd Btn. (The London Irish Rifles) and died in 1943. Among them were Alfred Glass from Belfast, James Johnston from Glarryford, and James King from Moira. Their remains rest in a Canadian War Cemetery in Italy. James Colgan from Ballycastle served with the Royal Artillery, 5 Searchlight Regiment. Following the Japanese invasion of Singapore, he was posted as missing. He died “Of wounds while a Prisoner of War in Japanese hands in Thailand” this day in 1943. One of today’s veterans is James Barkley from Maghera. Educated at Coleraine Inst, Methody, and Queens he resigned after serving in the Boer War and rejoined for WW1. He was invalided June 1915. Injured in Ypres in 1917 but was back in charge of the 26th General Hospital for the final offensive. He died this day in 1935.