On 11/01/1915 Lt Colonel Blair ‘Paddy’ Mayne was born in Newtownards. Royal Navy seaplane carrier HMS Ben-My-Chree (Woman of my heart, in Manx. Photo) was sunk by Turkish forces on 11/01/1917 whilst supporting French troops on Kastellorizo off Turkey. All of the crew including Chief Petty Officer Sam Ryan from Newcastle were safely evacuated. Read Sam’s remarkable story in today’s report. Erskine Childers, who had served in the Boer War with the City Imperial Volunteers, and had smuggled guns into Ireland for the Irish Volunteers on his yacht Asgard, was commissioned in the RNVR at the beginning of the WW1 and flew with the Royal Naval Air Service. He operated off HMS Ben my Chree at Gallipoli and was appointed DSO for his gallantry and service. In today’s Roll of Honour – Bushmills-born David Elliott died in Basra in 1917 serving with Highland Light Infantry. David Mitchell, a Cookstown man, came from the southernmost point of the South Island of New Zealand to serve in WW1. He fell in 1918 and is named on the Polygon Wood Memorial in Belgium. In today’s Veterans Roll is Thomas Reid from Clady who was discharged from the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. He had fought at Gallipoli and was wounded at the Somme in July 1916 with a gunshot wound to the right clavicle. Assessed as 20% disabled. He applied for and received a disability pension of eight shillings per week. Petty Officer Jaminson from Lisburn survived a sinking in the Mediterranean on this day in 1941.
Remembrance NI - Every day is a Remembrance Day 