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Remembered Today:

Fed up with officers


Desmond7

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I love this letter! It shows how the man in the street was getting totally fed up with all the officer and a gentleman stuff ... the writer, Mr. McQuiston, caused the local council to act swiftly.

A Rifleman Andrew McQuiston of Queen Street, Ballymena, is amongst those listed as wounded on July 1, 1916. I assume it was his father who penned this letter.

Correspondence

A distinguished Ballymena soldier

(To the Editor)

Dear Sir - I observe with pleasure in this week’s issue of the ‘Ballymena Observer’ where Mr. Samuel Hood and the

Urban Council have brought to the notice of the general public, the names of several officers from this district who

have distinguished themselves on the field of battle.

We all rejoice with the relatives of those distinguished soldiers and are proud of the brave County Antrim officers

who have been conspicuous among the millions of soldiers for their noble deeds. I had no idea there were so many

from these parts that we could be so especially proud of, but if you will allow me space in your paper, I will add

another, whose name seems to have been omitted from the list.

His is not an officers, but as Burns would say ‘a poor but honest soger’ o. 23504 Pioneer R. Wylie, Royal Engineers

who was mentioned in despatches and has been recommended in recognition for ‘conspicuous bravery in the field’.

He is a real Ballymena man, was born and brought up in King Street, Harryville and now lives in Gilmore Street

with his family.

Private Wylie is quite young and smart and a good type of Irish soldier though he has just been discharged from the

army with 25 shillings per week of a pension, having been incapacitated through gas used by the Germans. When I

see Wylie, I always like to salute him and when I se a group of young men and Wylie near by, I point to him and say,

‘Go thou and do likewise.’

Yours Faithfully,

Andrew McQuiston.

This letter set the cat amongst the pigeons when the Urban Council next met. Mr. McQuiston was reflecting the

views of many ‘real Ballymena folk’ that the officers from the ‘big house’ families of the district, some of whom had

only limited contact with the town and common people were receiving more than their fair share of publicity.

Private Wylie’s name was hurriedly added to the Urban Council’s list of congratulations - causing several red faces in

the chamber!

It would not be the last time, that the ordinary ‘sogers’ would take the great and good of the Urban Council to task

for their often contemptuous remarks about the rank and file.

July 16, 1915

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