Remembrance NI
Every day is a Remembrance Day
July 20 – Remembering Belgian allies. Roll of honour
Ni links with Belgium. Pointer survived Japanese camps and brought solace to deceased prisoners’ families. In Roll – Templepatrick man died with the Chinese Labour Corps in WW1. Decorated HMS Caroline reservist lost in HMS Isis off Normandy WW2. RAF casualties from Ballyclare and Coleraine Read More
July 19 – France honoured Belfast Gunner’s contribution to rugby. Roll of Honour
Harry McKibbin’s contribution to rugby and Portrush’s role in first-ever Peace Day in 1919. Today’s Roll reflects high costs of goals set for the Inniskillings in Sicily and Italy in WW2 – A British Lion killed at Catania. A Portadown musician lost in a flying incident was brought home. A Marine captured after the sinking of Force Z dies in a Japanese POW camp.
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July 18 – MC for Sir John Gorman on his first day in action. Roll of Honour
MC awarded to Old Portoran for action in tank battle in Normandy. A Royal Navy nurse from Strabane, an airborne RUR, and six others are remembered today including a cousin of the compiler who died with the Inniskillings in India. Read More
July 17 – Ballymoney WW2 RAF pilot served in Vietnam. Roll of Honour
Tom Pinkerton is honoured at the USAF museum for his contribution in rectifying major gunship problems. William Lynn died on the Somme in 1916, one of four brothers from Coalisland to die in WW1. Men from Bangor and Ballintoy were lost in HMS Newmarket in 1917. Another Pinkerton from Ballymoney died with the Inniskillings in India in 1942. Read More
July 16 – On this day. Roll of Honour
In 1918 Carrickfergus and Castledawson are linked in the loss of an RNR officer in a minesweeper and a Derry RAF officer dies in aerial combat. On the same day, the Russian Royal Family was murdered. In 1945 The United States detonates history’s first nuclear weapon and 21 days later Hiroshima is targetted. Caterpillar Valley War Cemetery on the Somme and its unique link with New Zealand. Read More
July 15 – The fate of the Sash blessed by the Pope. Roll of Honour
A Sgt Major and leading Orange light from Sion Mills took his sash to an audience with the Pope in WW2. The sash later had an untimely end. Death from wounds at the Somme feature in today’s Roll. See entries for John Alexander of Drumbeg and for Ezekiel Vance, son-in-law of the Presbyterian Moderator, Dr. West of Antrim. Photo – Menin Gate Memorial Read More
July 14 – Portrush naval doctor who sailed Atlantic both ways single handed. Roll of Honour
The story in war and peace of a doctor born this day in Portrush in 1916. Joseph Paul from Bessbrook died with the Marines in Gallipolli in 1915. 20-year-old Isaac McAllister’s remains were brought home by Royal Irish Rifles to Bushmills in 1916. In 1941 Hamilton Loughlin of Carrickfergus died in an onboard explosion on Suez Canal. Photo – Joe Cunningham’s Icebird Vertue 45 Read More
July 13 – Belfast husband awarded VC today in 1945. Roll of Honour
Ted Chapman from Wales survived the Belfast Blitz with his sweetheart. They married and he won the VC in Germany. Read their story. Today’s Roll includes eight WW1 RN veterans. James Moffett from Ballynahinch died with the RUR in 1944. Photo – The costly origin of this cemetery is in the Roll here.
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