February 9, 2018

remembrance ni

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Cadets at Foyle College, Londonderry, provided the guard of honour when The Princess Royal visited to officially open the new campus during a visit to Northern Ireland. Foyle College relocated to its new £23.5m home in 2018.

Former students of Foyle College, Londonderry, served in World War 1. A total of four hundred and ninety Old Boys would answer the call to arms. Seventy two of their number would not return.

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Six former students served in the Royal Naval Air Service, the Royal Fein Corps and the Royal Air Force.

Roll of Honour Foyle Flyers WW1

+BRITTON, William Kerr Magill

Royal Flying Corps, 59 Reserve Squadron, Second Lieutenant. Royal Munster Fusiliers. Died 23/05/1917 in Flying Accident at Yatesbury. Aged 25. Son of Margaret H. Hill (formerly Britton), of Hazelwood, Strabane, and the late John Britton, M.D., F.R.C.S. (E.). Strabane Cemetery, Co.Tyrone

Lea Dickey DSC and two Bars downed a Zeppelin and sunk a U boat in WW1

DICKEY, Robert Frederick Lea

RNVR. RNAS. Flight Sub-Lieutenant. F4076. RAF. DSC and 2 Bars. Mentioned in Despatches twice within six months.

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A German Zeppelin pictured leaving for a bombing raid on London during the First World War. The balloons were filled with highly flammable hydrogen. During the war the German military made extensive use of Zeppelins as bombers and scouts, killing over 500 people in bombing raids in Britain. By 1916, Germany was building massive airships of 200 m or so length capable of flying at about 70 mph at altitudes of up to about 13,000 feet while carrying 5 tons of bombs and enough crew to fly the ship, service the engines, patch any gas leaks and man somewhere in the region of 10 machine guns.

His confirmed victories as a second pilot in large America Seaplanes included the Zeppelin L. 43 and the submarine UC-6. Only 10 officers were awarded a Second Bar to the DSC in the Great War, seven of them members of the Royal Naval Air Service. He enrolled 19/04/1915 for hostilities. Petty Officer Mechanic in President II to 09/06/1916 when he was promoted to officer. Commissions: Flight Sub. Lieutenant, 24/03/1917; Captain, Royal Air Force, 01/12/1918 and Flight Lieutenant, 02/08/1919. Lieutenant,

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RNVR, 24/12/1940, Lieutenant-Commander on the Retired List, 14/05/1941. Born Londonderry 29/07/1895. Son of Professor Dickie of M’Crea, Magee College, Derry. Foyle College.ADM 188/568/4076

+ENGLISH, Maurice Graham

RNAS, RFC. Royal Air Force. Lieutenant. Died 16/07/1918. Age 20. Initially served in the RNAS, joining in early 1916. Commissioned as an observer in 1917. After the 01/04/1918 merger of that branch with the Royal Flying Corps. He served as a lieutenant in 202 Squadron of the 61st Wing of the newly-formed RAF. He flew with English flying ace Lieutenant Lionel Arthur Ashfield, as well as Lieutenant N. H. Jenkins in an Airco De Havilland4 (A7868). Not long before his death, he was wounded while engaged in perilous photographic work over Ostend.

On 16/07/1918, Lieutenant English's Airco De Havilland 4, serial (A7868), was shot down while returning from Bruges by Vizeflugmeister Hans Goerth over the village of Zevekote in West Flanders, Belgium. The twenty-year-old, who had been acting as observer, died in the aerial combat, as did the pilot Lieutenant Ashfield. During World War I, the German flying ace Hans Goerth was credited with seven aerial victories. The downing of English's de Havilland was the third of seven victories for Goerth.

Maurice English was the second son of John Graham English and his wife Ellen "Nellie" Jane English, Marlborough Street, Londonderry. A native of the city, he was born in the second quarter of 1898 and attended Foyle College. He was a member of the First Derry Presbyterian

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Church. Interred at the Ramscappelle Road Military Cemetery near Nieuwpoort in West Flanders. Diamond WM, Londonderry. First Derry - PCI RH, Foyle College WM.

The memorial in St Columb’s Cathedral to Edward Harvey bears the crests of the Wilshire Regiment and the RFC

+HARVEY, Edward George

Wiltshire Regiment. Captain. Died 16/06/1915. eldest son of James George Morewood and Nora Elizabeth (nee Rogan) Harvey, Creglorne, Londonderry. Menim Gate, Ypres, Belgium, Panel 53, Diamond WM Londonderry, St Columb’s Cathedral, Foyle College WM.

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+McCONNELL, D

Royal Flying Corps. Second Lieutenant. Foyle College WMThere is no reference to him on CWGM database. There is aSecond Lieutenant McConnell, Royal Flying Corps, whose remains are interred at Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery, Armentieres, Nord, France

+O’BRIEN, Humphrey Donatus Stafford

Royal Air Force, 63rd Squadron and 1st Bn. Northamptonshire Regiment. Captain. MC and Bar, Mentioned in Despatches. Died 14/09/1918. Aged 29. Born 1889 at Tixover Hall. Son of Minna A. O'Brien, of St. John’s, Fahan, Co. Donegal, and the late Lucius Stafford O'Brien. Born Tixover Hall, Stamford, Rutland. Bagdad (North Gate) War Cemetery, Iraq. Foyle College WM

+PORTER, L

Royal Flying Corps. 45th Squadron. Flt. Commander. Died 22/10/1916. Aged 35. Husband to Kathleen, Ballywooley

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Farm, Carnalea. Father of David, Leslie and Margaret. Arras Flying Services Memorial, Helen’s Bay Presbyterian Church and Foyle College WM

In remembrance - February 9

Representing comrades who died on this day

WW1

+GUINEY, RobertRMLI. Private. CH/1505(S). 1st RM Battalion. RND. Died of pneumonia in 1st (RN) Field Ambulance 09/02/1917. Age 23. Enlisted Belfast 25/02/1916. Embarked Royal Marine Brigade 19/07/1916 ; Draft for BEF 25/09/1916, joined 4th Entrenching Battalion 10/11/1916, joined 1st Royal Marine Battalion 25/11/1916 - 09/02/1917. Born Antrim 11/01/1893. Son of Robert Guiney, Templepatrick. Aveluy Wood Cemetery, Mesnil - Maartinsart. IMR. ADM 159/145/1505

WW2

+SWANN, JamesRNR (Patrol Service). Stoker. LT/X 10294S. Died 09/02/1940. Age 22. HM Trawler Fort Royal. Son of Richard and Hannah Swann, Larne. Lowestoft Naval Memorial, Panel 4, Column 1

+BURRELL, Thomas HenryRN. Able Seaman. D/JX 191488. HMS President III. Died 09/02/1941. Age 38. Son of William and Margaret Burrell.

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Husband to Florence Burrell, Lurgan. Plymouth Naval Memorial, Panel 46. Lurgan WM

+JOHNSTON, Terence Harvey

RAFVR. Flight Sergeant (Pilot). 745251. Died 09/02/1942. Aged 23. 274 Sqdn. Son of William Harvey Johnston and Susan Johnston; husband to Elizabeth Moore Johnston, of Downpatrick, Co. Down. Knightsbridge War Cemetery, Acroma, Libya

+FERON, John FrancisRM. Sergeant. PLY/X21395. Date of Death: 09/02/1943. Age: 47. D.E.M.S. Personnel. Son of James and Margaret Feron, of Lisnacree, Co. Down; husband of Ellen Feron, of Lisnacree. Bone War Cemetery, Annaba.

+McCARTNEY, William James

Royal Irish Fusiliers. 1st Bn. Corporal. 6975296. Died 09/02/1943. Aged 36. Husband of Matilda McCartney, of Ballymena. Massicault War Cemetery, Tunisia

+ROSS, William

Royal Irish Fusiliers. 1st Bn. Fusilier. 7043461. Died 09/02/1943. Aged 29. Son of William and Jean Ross; husband of Elizebeth N. Ross, of Belfast. Massicault War Cemetery, Tunisia

+BASSETT, EdwardRoyal Artillery. Gunner.1822802. Died 09/02/1944. Aged 41. 21 Bty., 8 H.A.A.(Belfast) Regt. Son of Henry and Eliza

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Bassett; husband of Dorothy Bassett, of Welwyn, Hertfordshire. Taukkyan War Cemetery, Myanmar+MONTAGUE, James

RAFVR. Flight Sergeant. 1051821. Died 09/02/1945. Aged 27. 630 Sqdn. Son of Denis and Alice Montague; husband to Brigid T. Montague, of Swatragh, Co. Londonderry. Runnymeade Memorial, panel 272

Events on this day - 8th February

Additions to the feature presented yesterday

1943 A transport of 2,000 Jews deported by the Germans from the ghetto in. Białystok arrived at Auschwitz. SS doctors selected 75 men & 95 women to be registered in the camp. 1,830 people were immediately murdered in gas chambers.

1944Capt Franklyn-Vaile, 1 RIrF, Irish Brigade, at Campobasso, Italy,"We are in a town where there are a couple of ENSA shows & cinemas. We have had a lot more snow during the last few days and the weather is bitterly cold. At the moment of writing, my feet feel like blocks of ice..."

1963 The Hawker P1127, forerunner of the Harrier, made the first touch and go by VTOL (Vertical Take Off & Landing) ever in the world on a Carrier on HMS Ark Royal off Portland, UK

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1978Cpl. William Gordon, age 41yrs, was murdered. His daughter Lesley age 11yrs died alongside her dad on that fateful day. William was a part time member of G. Company (Maghera), 5th Co. Londonderry Battalion, the Ulster Defence Regiment.

1983Shergar, a horse which had won both the Irish and Epsom Derbies, was kidnapped from Ballymany Stud Farm, Co. Kildare. A ransom of £2 million was demanded. Shergar was never seen again. The Provisional IRA were believed to be responsible.

1998John Enoch Powell one of the best British Parliamentarians died. A classical scholar, he was one of the youngest Brigadiers in the British Army in WW2.

Events on this day - February 9

1941

Admiral Darlan becomes Vichy Vice-Premier.

In a radio broadcast, Churchill warns Bulgaria against joining the Tripartite pact.

U-boats and Fw 200 Condor bombers sink 5 of 16 ships in Allied Convoy HG-53 off the Azores (3 more will be lost in the coming days).

British take El Agheila, Libya, but the advance halts.Page �10

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1942

By dawn the Japanese 5th and 18th Divisions have firmly established themselves and begin to advance south-east towards Singapore city.

French liner Normandie, which had been seized by the US and renamed the troopship USS Lafayette, burns at pier in New York, capsizes next day.

US institutes War Savings Time: year-round daylight savings time.

US Department of Justice requires German, Italian, and Japanese nationals to register for Certificates of Identification by Feb. 28.

Britain begins to ration soap (4 oz/month).

1943

The Red Army captures Belgorod.

US secures Guadalcanal; in the campaign, 1700 Americans killed and 40,000 Japanese.

President Roosevelt orders a 48-hr work week in war plants.

1944

The Germans capture Aprilia in the Anzio beachhead.

1945

British and Canadians troops smash the first of the main Siegfried Line defence zones. The last Rhine bridge is blown in the Colmar Pocket. Half the German Nineteenth Army were evacuated, but General De Lattre’s forces have taken 22,000 German prisoners since the 20th January.

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US Seventh & French Armies clear Colmar Pocket and Alsatian Plain and drive Germans over Rhine south of Strasbourg, France.

The Red Army encircles Elbing and Posen.

In rare sub vs. sub combat and the only documented case in naval history where both were submerged, British submarine Venturer sinks U-864 off Norway.

Acknowledgments

CWGC, Belfast Telegraph and RFCA NI

Reservists of 206 (Ulster) Battery, 105 Regiment, Royal Artillery, firing a salute at Hillsborough Castle this week to mark HM Queen Elizabeth’s succession

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remembrance ni

The remembrance ni programme is overseen by Very Rev Dr Houston McKelvey OBE, QVRM, TD who served as Chaplain to 102 and 105 Regiments Royal Artillery (TA), as Hon. Chaplain to RNR and as Chaplain to the RBL NI area and the Burma Star Association NI. Dr McKelvey is a Past President of Queen’s University Services Club. He may be contacted at houston.mckelvey@btinternet.com

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