HANNA, Robert Alexander

Private, D Company, 1st Battalion, Australian Infantry
Service No: 1326
Died: 02/05/1915

Remembered on Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli
Remembered on family memorial in Bangor Cemetery
 
Robert Alexander Hanna was born on the 11th November 1882 in Main Street Bangor.
He was the son of Joseph Hanna and his wife Jane Hanna nee Bowman, and was the youngest of their six children.

Lone Pine Memorial. Image © CWGC

His father Joseph was a native of Banbridge and was a clerk and book-keeper with the firm of Messrs Dixon, Ferguson and Co., linen manufacturers, Belfast. He married Jane Bowman in Trinity Presbyterian Church, Bangor, in July 1871 and the family moved to live in Main Street.

Joseph changed careers to become a grocer and General Merchant after the birth of their first child, Isabella, in 1872. About 1885 he moved to Chicago where he worked for the packing firm of Messrs. Fowler & Co. as a town traveller.

Robert was working as a draper by the time of the 1901 census and sometime after emigrated to Australia.

His family had moved to Queens Parade by the time of the 1911 census but later that year moved to Beaumont Terrace, Bangor, and it was there his father Joseph died on 13th November 1911.

Robert was working as a grazier in Australia and enlisted on 12th November 1914 at Liverpool, New South Wales.

He went to Gallipoli with the ANZAC forces but was reported as missing in action on 2nd May 1915.

A Court of Enquiry was held on 11 January 1916 at Tel-el-Kebir on those men marked as missing during the landing at Gallipoli on the 25th April and subsequent actions.

The court found that "those missing during the action at Lone Pine... thinks that there is little possibility of any of those men being alive..." consequently Robert's service record records that he was "previously reported missing now reported killed in action".

Robert's brother, James, served also with the RAMC.

DORNAN, Matthew

Private, 1st Batt., Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
Service No: 8956
Died: 13/02/1919
Age: 30

Interred in Bangor Cemetery

Matthew was born in Beech Street, Belfast, on the 11th September 1889. He was the son of  Joseph Dornan, a brick burner, and his wife Mary Dornan (nee McGreavey) and was the third of their four children.

The family lived at various addresses in Belfast: Taggarts Houses, Lower Ballysillan, where sibling Agnes was born in 1895; Lawnview Street in the 1901 census; and Mayo Street in the 1911 census and later.

Matthew worked in the Blackstaff Flax Spinning and Weaving Co. on the Springfield Road.

On the 7th February 1907 Matthew, then aged 18, enlisted for full-time service in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers having previously served in the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion.

He served in Malta, China and India where he spent part of his service working as a hospital orderly and in June 1914, he re-enlisted for another 2 years.

Matthew went to Gallipoli with the 1st Battalion in March 1915 and in August 1915 was sent to hospital with dysentery from which he suffered with continually off and on over the next year.

In 1916 the Battalion went to France but Matthew continued to suffer bouts of ill health.

In November 1917 he was finally discharged due to his health, his discharge papers recording that his discharge was due to "Disability caused by military service... attributable to... climate, stress of campaign, dysentery enteric and trench foot; Disability melancholia."

He is recorded as a Lance-Corporal on his discharge papers.

Matthew on being discharged went to live with his aunt Mrs Brown who lived in Ruby Street, Bangor.

It was there that Matthew died on the 13th February 1919 aged 28 of septic pneumonia and cardiac failure.

CROZIER, Walter Henry

Walter and William Crozier*

Sergeant, 5th Royal Irish Rifles.

Interred in Bangor Cemetery.

Walter Henry Crozier was born on the 15 October 1881 in Carrickblacker, Co Armagh.

He was the son of William James Crozier, a coachman, and his wife Henrietta Crozier (nee Neill) and the third of their six children.

The family moved to Bangor in the late 1890s after the birth of the youngest child Elizabeth (known as May) who was born 1895 and where living in 72 Castle Street at the time of the 1901 census. Walter at this time is recorded as being a coach carpenter.

In 1902 Walter, now living in Bellevue Street, Belfast, married Annie Nelson in St Anne's Parish Church, Belfast.

They moved back to the Bangor area and it was here they had six children – William James (1903, Bangor); Hugh Nelson (1905, Groomsport); Walter Henry (1907, Groomsport); Archibald (1909, Bangor); Frederick (1912, Bangor. Walter now working as a Van Man); and Samuel, (1914, Bangor.)

Their second child, Hugh, died at only 8 months old.

When war broke out Walter and his brother William enlisted. Walter quickly progressed and was recorded as Pioneer Sergeant with the 5th Royal Irish Rifles stationed at Victoria Barracks, Belfast when their son Samuel was born.

Sadly Walter's wife Annie died on 11 December 1914 in Newtownards Workhouse. The cause of death was recorded as "general debility following childbirth – 1 month – pleurisy and cardiac failure 1 day certified." It has been stated that Samuel was later adopted.

While family lore said Walter stayed on Home Service training troops at Clandeboye, the Medal Roll for the Victory Medal shows that while Walter did spend most of his service with the 5th Reserve Battalion he may have enlisted with the 7th Reserve in Belfast before transferring to the 5th and also did brief stints with other battalions overseas.

Entry for Walter on the Roll for the Victory Medal.

Walter later married Mary Finlay on 11 February 1919 in St. Anne's Parish Church, Belfast.

William, Walter's younger brother, enlisted in the Royal Irish Rifles, and served with the 13th Battalion. He was killed in May 1917 at Kemmel Hill.

Walter's later life was beset with problems as some of his sons became involved in a life which brought them in constant contact with the courts.

In 1933 Walter's son Archibald married Alice Rice.

With the onset of the Second World War Walter's four sons – William, Walter, Archibald and Frederick – enlisted in the Army: William is reported as having been drowned in the Nile while on R&R; Walter in the RASC with the 8th Army; and Archibald is reported as being at Dunkirk and suffering later as a result.

Archibald died at the family home in Hazelbrooke Avenue in 1941.

Walter passed away there 10 years later on the 9th May 1951.

CROZIER – May 9, 1951, at his residence, 11 Hazelbrooke Avenue, Bangor, Walter, dearly-loved husband of Mary Crozier. House and funeral private. – Deeply regretted by the Family Circle.

Belfast Telegraph, 9 May 1951.

* This image is belived to be of Walter and William Crozier  although it is not confirmed or known who is who.

BEATTY, James Harold

Trooper, Fort Garry Horse, Canadian Mounted Rifles
Service No: 115976
Died: 01/04/1918
Age: 21

Interred in Hangard Communal Cemetery Extension
Remembered on family memorial in Bangor Cemetery

Known as 'Hal', James Harold Beatty was born on 16 January 1896 in Killarty, a townland near Brookeborough in Co Fermanagh. He was the son of James Joseph Beatty, a farmer, and his wife Annie Beatty nee Bamford.

Shortly after the family moved to Neonery in the townland of Crossdoney, Co Cavan and it was there that James grew up with his older brother George.

In April 1914, now a Clerk, James emigrated to Canada on the Empress of Ireland. Going to to Halifax, Nova Scotia, James was taking up a position as Bank Clerk with the Canadian Bank of Commerce.

Hal is recorded in the Canadian First World War
Book of Remembrance

James was living in Nokomis, Saskatchewan, when, on 16 February 1916, he went to Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, to enlist and was posted to the 10th Overseas Canadian Mounted Rifle Regiment.

Within a month of enlisting James health had suffered coming down with a mild case of influenza and a severe case of measles.

When he had recovered he embarked on the 29 April 1916 onboard the SS Olympic going to Shorncliffe, a camp near Cheriton in Kent, which was a staging post for troops destined for the Western Front. It was here in May, that James was promoted acting Lance Corporal.

James health also took another setback here when, in June, he contracted a mild case of German measles.

Reverting to the ranks at own request on 10 December 1916 shortly before leaving Shorncliffe on 17 December 1916 James left to join the Fort Garry Horse in France where it was part of the Canadian Cavalry Brigade, arriving on the 19 December 1916.

James joined his unit on 5 January 1917 and served with them for just over a year when he was killed in action on 1 April 1918.

ORR, John Francis

Rifleman, 11th Batt., Royal Irish Rifles
Service No: 18/358
Died: 01/07/1916

Remembered on the Thiepval Memorial
Remembered on family memorial in Bangor Cemetery

John Francis Orr was born on 28th September 1889 in Main Street, Bangor. He was the son of John Orr, a labourer and brick moulder, and his wife Agnes Orr (nee Fowler), and was the 8th of their 11 children.

The family moved to Castle Street in Bangor where they are recorded in the 1901 census and later in 1911. However, John, now working as a labourer, was staying with his sister Sarah in Ballyree in the census of 1911.

John enlisted with the 18th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles, which was formed in Holywood in April 1915 as a Reserve Battalion and which later moved to Clandeboye in July 1915.

It was while here he married Minnie McCamley on 8th October 1915 in Ballygilbert Presbyterian Church.

He was transferred to the 11th Battalion and entered France on the 8th December 1915.

John was reported missing after the first day the Battle of the Somme. His parents appealed for information in the local papers. It is reported that a soldier in a French hospital wrote and told them that he had seen John with shrapnel wounds to his legs but it was later confirmed that John must be presumed killed in action on the 1st July.

McEWAN, William Arthur

Merchant Seaman
Died: 4/08/1916
Age: 22

Remembered on family memorial in Bangor Cemetery

William McEwan was born on the 20th March 1894 in Slieveban, Co Donegal. He was the third son of St.George Glencairn McEwan (known as George), a coastguard, and his wife Ann nee McNeill.

The family had moved several times as George was posted to various stations. The family had been living in Cushendun, Co Antrim when William's two older siblings, David and Margaret, where born before moving to Slieveban. It was here his brothers George and Isaac where also born. The family then moved to Helen's Bay where brother Charles was born in 1899. When his father George retired from the Coastguard the family moved to Hardcastle Street in Belfast and it was here George died in 1914.

In 1909, at the age 15, William joined the Royal Navy as a Signal Boy where he served, among other postings, on the Ganges, Impregnable, and King Alfred. William had an exemplary service record and in 1912, at age 18, fully enlisted with the rating of Ordinary Signalman.

Unfortunately, only two years later in 1914, William was dismissed as unfit for service suffering with acute rheumatism.

William did not give up the sea however, and joined the mercantile marine where he served on vessels such as Lord Antrim and Duke of Argyll.

In 1916 William came down with malaria and was being brought home by a White Star liner but only reached Liverpool. The family received a telegram from the White Star Company and his mother and a brother crossed over to Liverpool but William died later that day in the Northern Hospital.  His remains were brought home to Bangor and he was interred in Bangor Cemetery on Monday, 7th August.

Although, as a merchant seaman, the circumstances of his death preclude him as being included as a war fatality with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission William is commemorated on the Bangor and District War Memorial and the Royal British Legion (Bangor Branch) Memorial Plaque.

M'EWAN -- August 5, 1916, suddenly, at the Northern Hospital, Liverpool, William Arthur, third and dearly-beloved son of Annie and the late George M'Ewan, R.N., 28 Croft Street, Bangor.

Bangor Man's Death.
The many friends of the family in Bangor learned with deep regret of the sudden death in a Liverpool Hospital or Mr. Wm. A. M'Ewan, son of Mrs. M'Ewan and the late Mr. Geo. M'Ewan, R.N., Croft Street, Bangor. Deceased had been brought home by a White Star liner suffering from malaria fever, but he unfortunately did not survive to reach Bangor. Mrs. M'Ewan and his brother crossed on Friday on receiving the Company's wire, but found him unconscious and sinking rapidly. His remains were interred in the Bangor New Cemetery on Monday, the attendance at the funeral being very large and representative. Rev. J. R. M'Donald, M.A., conducted the funeral service.

(The Spectator, 11 August 1916.)

MERCER, Robert

First Engineer, S.S. "Bandon" (Cork), Mercantile Marine
Died: 13/04/1917
Age: 67

Remembered on Tower Hill Memorial
Remembered on family memorial in Bangor cemetery

Robert Mercer was born in Clonmel about 1850 and was the son of Richard Mercer, an engineer.

Robert joined the mercantile marine working as an engineer on various vessels mainly on coasting trade in home waters.

He was living in Cork when he married Ellen Corban in St Lukes Parish Church, Cork, on 30th July 1878.

The family stayed in Cork and it was there that Robert and Ellen raised their nine children.

In 1917 Robert was serving as the First Engineer on the ss Bandon and on 12th April, sailed from Liverpool for Cork with a cargo of coal under the command of Captain P.F. Kelly with a crew of 32.

ss Bandon

The ship was just off Mine Head when it was struck was holed on the port side beside the engine room. Generally recorded as having been torpedoed by U33 it is now believed it was caught in a minefield laid by U44. (www.naval-history.net)

The ship began to sink immediately and the captain returned to the bridge and ordered to head to land. Unfortunately, the ship exploded due to the damage to the engine room and sank rapidly taking most of the crew with it.

The captain managed to come back to the surface and was able to reach one of the collapsible deck-seats which were floating among the wreckage. The third engineer, Mr Mercer; Jeremiah O'Keeffe, fireman; Kewley, carpenter; J. McCarthy, AB and a fireman, John Walsh were also clinging to the deck seat. Sadly McCarthy lost hold of the raft and was drowned.

After 6 p.m. a motor launch which had been sent to their rescue picked up four survivors, after being 2 1/2 hours in the water. The fifth man, John Walsh, in letting go of the raft grasped the large rope fender of the motor launch, but just as he did so she took a heavy roll, with the result he lost his grasp and was drowned.