IRVING, Thomas James

Private, 2nd Batt., Border Regiment

Service No: 21568

Died: 01/07/1916
Age: 47

    

Remembered on Thiepval Memorial

Remembered on family memorial in Bangor Cemetery

Thomas was born in 1868 in Annan, Dumfrieshire, to James Irving, a joiner and his wife Isabella who hailed from Broughton in Cumbria. 

The third of their four sons, Thomas grew up in Cumbria, and on leaving school gained employment as an Iron Moulder.

He moved to Belfast in 1891 and, in November 1892, he married Martha Johnston, a widow, and they were living with Martha's daughter and sister in Upper Meadow Street, Belfast, in 1901. Sadly Martha passed away at their home in Moneyrea Street in 1906.

Thomas's brother Lester had also moved to Ireland and was working as a carpenter in Bangor when he married Annie barbour in 1898. On the death of their mother, their father James moved to live with Lester in Bingham Street, Bangor, and it was there he died in 1907.

It was Lester's address that Thomas gave when he enlisted. 

MURPHY, John

Rifleman, 3rd Batt., Royal Irish Rifles
Service No: 7446
Died: 14/12/1918
Age: 29

Interred in Bangor Cemetery

John Murphy was born on 23rd January 1889 in 22 College Street West, the fourth child of James Murphy, a labourer, and his wife Sarah (nee Simpson).

As was common with lower working class families at the time, the family can be found living at a number of addresses and where living in Eureka Street at the time of the 1901 Census. However, the family had moved once again and where living in Bentham Street when his mother Sarah died in 1904.

In June 1908, John now living in Conway Street, he enlisted in the Royal Irish Rifles (Special Reserve). As part of a restructuring of the militia regiments that year this had been the 4th Royal Irish Rifles with which John had served previously.

On the outbreak of war, John was called up and went to France in September 1914 with the Expeditionary Force. He was wounded and sent home in October 1914 with a gun shot wound to his right thigh.

Although the wound caused no permanent incapacity John was now suffering from chronic bronchitis. It was believed this had originated in 1914 when he was at camp near Belfast and had been aggravated by his service in France. He was discharged on 16th April 1915 as no longer physically fit for service.

His condition gradually worsened and in April 1917 he applied for a Total Disablement Pension.

On 7th November 1918 John married Margaret Foley in St. Matthews Church, Ballymacarrett.

Unfortunately, they weren't to have much time together, for just five weeks later, on 14 December 1918, John was to die of heart failure at the home of his sister Elizabeth in Bangor.

SMITH, Albert

Rifleman Albert Smith

Rifleman, 14th Batt., Royal Irish Rifles
Service No: 17005
Died: 16/08/1917
Age: 22

Remembered on Tyne Cot Memorial
Remembered on family memorial in Bangor Cemetery

Albert was born in Partick, Glasgow in 1895 the son of John Smith, a shoe maker, and his wife Elizabeth (nee Haddock) and was the second of their 10 children.

His father John, was from the Maze in Lisburn, had moved to Glasgow where he worked for the Belfast and Glasgow Boot Company and it was there he married his wife Elizabeth in Partick in 1892. Albert and his older sister Edith were born there before the family returned, first to Lisburn (son John born at the Maze in July 1897) and thence to Belfast where the rest of their children were born.

His father John worked his way up through the company (and would eventually become its proprietor) and Albert became an apprentice in the firm on leaving school.

Albert enlisted with the 14th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles (YCV) entering France in October 1915 and was killed in action at Passchendaele in August 1917. His brother John, who served with the 15th Battalion, was taken prisoner and released after the Armistice.

Portrait photo courtesy Great War Belfast Clippings.