General Eisenhower returned to Northern Ireland in 1945 where he received the Freedom of Belfast and a Doctorate of Law from Queen’s University. He paid tribute to “three of the greatest soldiers of this war” – all products of Ulster; Field Marshal Sir Alan Brooke, Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery, and Field Marshal Sir Harold Alexander. “They are all my friends and I count myself very lucky to have known them,” said General Eisenhower. On this day in 1917, James Forrest from Limavady fell in Belgium with the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. In total eleven Forrest men [all related] from the Limavady area enlisted. In 1918 Private Joseph Coulter serving with the 9th (NIH) Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers was awarded the Military Medal for his role during the battalion’s attack north of Bailleul. On this day in 1940 The Belfast Weekly Telegraph reported that John Alexander Duffy, a 22-year-old Fleet Air Arm Mechanic was home after many weeks in hospital suffering from exposure. He was one of the 25 survivors from HMS Glorious. His father lost his life serving in the RN in WW1. A sister from the Mackey Street, Belfast, family was serving in the ATS. In 1944 Charles Feeney from Banbridge fell with the Royal Ulster Rifles Airborne Battalion near Trouville. He had been awarded the Military Medal for bravery under fire on 07/06/1944 at St Honorine. Sub-Lieutenant Edward Thornberry of the Fleet Air Arm was lost during the attack on the battleship Tirpitz when he was shot down and killed over Alten Fjord. He is remembered on the war memorials in Bessbrook and Queen’s University.
Remembrance NI - Every day is a Remembrance Day 