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In Foreign Fields : Soldiers of Down in The Great War
"We were told it was only
a matter of going over the top, but the Germans were
well dug in and they mowed us down."
Downpatrick man Samuel Craig was one of only 87
men from the 9th Battalion of the Royal Irish Rifles
left alive after the Battle of the Somme.
Photographs and artefacts belonging to other
Down men who fought during World War I can be found
at Down County Museum in Downpatrick.
When World War I broke out Samuel Craig enlisted with
the 9th Battalion of the Royal Irish Rifles, which drew
men from the Shankill Road and Down District. His initial
training was at Ballykinler, then he was moved to Sussex
and onto France. Samuel trained as a Lewis machine gunner
and was promoted to Lance Sergeant in command of the
machine gun corp.
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| Military Medal, Mons Star,
Defence Medal and Victory Medal. Awarded to
Samuel Craig. |
The 9th Battalion was decimated during the Battle
of the Somme in 1916 and the 87 men remaining were
divided up between the 12th and 13th Battalions.
Samuel was moved to the 12th Battalion. He was awarded
the Military Medal, a rare distinction in the First
World War, for his bravery in the subsequent action
at Messines. He was also awarded 3 other medals
- the Mons Star, the Defence Medal and the Victory
Medal.
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It was at Messines in 1918 that Samuel Craig
was eventually taken prisoner, along with
another Downpatrick man Connely Pepper. So
Samuel spent the last 9 months of the war
inside a POW camp, where he said he was reasonably
well treated. He was put to work in a mill
and the hours were long and hard. It was quite
a long time before his family found out what
had happened to him. On his return home Samuel
was very proud to receive a letter from King
George V welcoming his release from "the
cruelties of captivity".
When he returned home Samuel talked little
of his experiences either in the trenches
or in the POW camp. He did however talk
occasionally about fellow Northern Ireland
soldiers who had been wounded next to him
in battle. He spoke about Gordon Martin
who took a hit in the hip and suffered a
great deal of agony. Also William Cooke
(who worked in the Belfast Telegraph and
was from Stockman's Lane), who was shot
in the mouth, the bullet entering one cheek
and passing out through the other. |
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Michael
McNamee with Samuel Craig's son
(also called Samuel) |
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The family have quite a tradition of military
service. Three generations of Samuel Craigs
have fought for their country in the Boer
War, World War I and World War II successively.
Samuel Craig's son (also Samuel) spoke to
Michael McNamee about his father's wartime
experiences ....
Click
Here to listen to Samuel Craig
talking to Michael McNamee. First of all Michael
gets a tour of a Down County Museum World
War I exhibition with Lesley Simpson.
(broadcast on Your Place and Mine 24.01.2004) |
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Medals awarded to Sergeant Robert
McClurg (1895-1976) of Crossgar.
Second from right is the Croix de Guerre
From Down County Museum collection.
Gift of Mr Oliver Priestley, Killyleagh. |
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Perhaps the most poignant object is a wooden
cross, which had been placed on the grave of Sapper
John Malone, who was killed in Flanders in 1916.
When they were replaced by stone grave markers,
these temporary crosses were given to families
of the deceased. Together with the photograph
of John Malone, it is a reminder of the 23 million
people who died in the First World War.
Another photograph shows the Love Family from
Downpatrick whose eight sons all fought in the
First World War, while a roll of honour from Drumaness
Mill lists employees who served in the war. Also
on display are the medals which were awarded to
Robert McClurg and James Roulston. Bob McClurg
joined the Royal Irish Rifles in 1914 and fought
in the Battle of the Somme in 1916. He was awarded
the Croix de Guerre by the French and the Military
Medal by the British for his bravery during this
battle. Bob served in the Home Guard durnig World
War II. Sergeant James Roulston had already fought
in India and South Africa. He also went on to
serve in the Home Guard in World War II.
Other items in the Museum’s collection
include some uniform, weapons, postcards and documents
but the Museum would always welcome more, especially
those with interesting local stories attached.
You can contact the Down County Museum at The
Mall, Downpatrick, phone 028 44 615218 or visit
the museum website at www.downcountymuseum.com.
You can also share World War I stories here at
Your Place and Mine. Post your comments by filling
in the form at the bottom of the page.
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World
War I cigarette cards showing recruitment
posters.
From Down County Museum collection
James Seeds collection, gift of Miss Jane
Seeds of Killough |
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View below further items belonging to the
Down County Museum's collection of World
War I memorabilia.
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Postcard of the period
Gift of Mrs Florence Coffey, Cluntagh, Crossgar |
Replica of 'Lusitania'
medal
Gift of Mrs M C Douglas, Bryansford |
| The original 'Lusitania' medals were
struck in Germany. They were reproduced
in England as a propaganda measure, as many
civilians were killed when the boat was
torpedoed. However, it was being used to
carry weapons at the time, despite assertions
to the contrary. |
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CAP This belonged to
the donor's father,
James McBride of Downpatrick.
Gift of Mr J D McBride, Downpatrick. |
The Love Family of Scotch
Street, Downpatrick.
All eight sons served in the army in the
First World War. |
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Peace Day Parade, New
Bridge Street, Downpatrick 19 July 1919
The Museum also has a programme of events
for this day on display. |
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Cigarette cards illustrating
military vehicles.
From the James Seeds Collection, gift of
Miss Jane Seeds, Killough. |
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Mike King, Curator of Down
County Museum, came across Samuel Craig's story when putting
together an exhibition on World War I in 2003.
See also:
Somme
hero: Robert Quigg VC 1885 - 1955
Battle
of the Somme
Battle
of the Somme - Memorabilia
The
Larne Fallen
An
Enniskillen VC
Lurgan
Men in the Great War
World
War I: Soldiers of Down
The
Peake Brothers at War 1914-18
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