#OnThisDay 1916 Privates John Doyle from Galway & Harold Kincade from Longford died at the battle of Mouquet Farm during the larger Battle of the Somme. Both men enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force barely ten months prior to their death.
#OnThisDay 1607 Hugh O’Neill, his family & 90 of his followers left Ireland in what became known as “The Flight of the Earls”. They hoped to build an army on the continent & return to Ireland. They never saw home again. Gaelic Ireland was no more.
#OnThisDay 1916 Lt John V Holland from Athy, Kildare was awarded the Victoria Cross at Guillemont.
“During a heavy engagement, Lt. Holland, not content with bombing hostile dug-outs, fearlessly led his troops through our own artillery barrage and cleared a great part of the village in front. He started out with 26 troops and finished with only five after capturing some 50 prisoners. By this gallant action he undoubtedly broke the spirit of the enemy and saved many casualties.”
Holland finally reached the rank of Major and survived the war.
#OnThisDay 1916 At Guillemont, Private Thomas Hughes from Castleblayney, Monagahn was awarded the Victoria Cross.
‘Private Hughes was wounded in an attack but returned at once to the firing line after having his wounds dressed. Later, seeing a hostile machine-gun, he dashed out in front of his company, shot the gunner and, single-handed, captured the gun. Though again wounded, he brought back three or four prisoners.’
Hughes was later promoted to Corporal. He survived the war.
#OnThisDay 1916 As part of the Battle of the Somme, the 47th Brigade of the 16th (Irish) Division attacked & took the French village of Guillemont, but at a terrible cost.Of 2400 men, 1147 were casualties including the Second-in-Command, Derry-man Lt-Col John Lenox-Conyngham.
The Irish at War 