April 29. Sir William Tyrell, British Lion, Army and RAF doctor. Roll of Honour

This is the anniversary of the death in 1968 of Air Marshall William Tyrell who served in both wars as a medical officer in the army and later the RAF. He played rugby for Ireland and the British Lions. Two of his younger brothers, Marcus and Walter, both old boys of RBAI, were killed in WW1 on active service with the Royal Flying Corps. Among the WW1 fatalities is Charles Crockett a young officer from Londonderry who died of wounds received in Dublin in 1916. In 1920 a 25 year old son of James & Martha Matthews of Coleraine died. His remains rest in St. John’s Parish Churchyard, Killowen. In 1943 RAF aircrew Patrick Morrow from Dunmurry and Gordon MacIntyre DFC, from Coleraine died. The Veteran’s Roll today contains the remarkable story of Sergeant Alexander Liggett of Portadown. He had served in India and re-enlisted when WW2 started. He was at Dunkirk, in the Desert campaign near Lybia, and later escaped when a POW in Italy and on re-capture sent to Germany. Photo – the NI Horse on exercise near Bushmills in 1940.