September 26 – Inniskillings VC, Loos and Arnhem. Roll of Honour

On This Day in 1916 the award of the Victoria Cross to Enniskillen-born Captain Eric Norman Frankland Bell of the 9th Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers was published in the London Gazette. The twenty year old led a Mortar team in support of infantry in the Battle of the Somme. He was killed rallying and reorganising infantry parties, which had lost their officers. In 1915 the Battle of Loos commences. This day in 1916 four NI men serving with Canadian forces died. Robert Dunbar from Ballycastle, Harry Harvey from Belfast and Robert McNeice are named on the Vimy Memorial for those with no known grave. John Clarke, an Instonian, who died that day is named on a Canadian Roll of Honour illustrated with his entry . In 1944, The Battle of Arnhem ends in Allied defeat with more than 8,000 British and Polish soldiers killed or captured. James Cameron from Carrickfergus died on this date as the result of wounds received during the Battle. He had served with distinction in Italy. Randal McDonnell, the Veteran remembered today, served during WW2 and was Commander of the Ulster Division, RNVR based in HMS Caroline, 1954 -1957.

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