Skerry Bahn AIF connection

[Desmond7]

Many of the Northern Ireland contingent (and perhaps others) will have made a visit to Portrush, Co. Antrim at some time.

Some may well have noticed the large 'Skerry Bahn' guest house which looks over the sea towards the Skerries reef.

I found this link to WW1 - I found it rather poignant.

Pte Samuel MacFarlane 13th Btn Aus. Inf, whose death is reported was the youngest son of Mr. James MacFarlane and Mrs. MacFarlane of Skerry Bhan, Lansdowne Crescent, Portrush. He served through the New Guinea Campaign and afterwards volunteered for service in Europe.

Sept. 7 1915

Will add pic of Skerry Bahn (hopefully).

[Desmond7]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/national_muse...57612811747748/

Amazing what you find when you google!

[1st AIF]

His record on Australia National Archives is here - http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/ItemDetail...0&B=1961552

Copped a head wound on 10 Aug 1915 and died at sea on 20 Aug 1915. This could indicate a penetrating head wound which invariably killed the man but often very slowly.

The circumstances of his wounding during the battle of Sari Bair according to "The Fighting Thirteenth";

"All night fresh hordes of Turks massed in Kaiajik Dere and on Kaiajik Agahla, there patrols and ours scrapping among the bushes....We watched into the gloom with our fingers on our triggers until 2.00am ....Within a moment a hundred had-to-hand fights fights were taking place, those not using their bayonets pouring bullets into the second and third waves rushing up the slope...It was a grim voiceless struggle - no orders, invitations or callings on Allah...Our losses were 13 killed and 15 wounded.

Buried at sea and remembered on the Lone Pine Memorial.

Len

[Fedelmar]

Sorry Len ... you have to go one step further

http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/imagine.as...mp;I=1&SE=1

There is some more informtion here:

http://www.awm.gov.au/research/people/roll...on.asp?p=488708

If you click on the PDF file for the circular there will be some more information. The AWM model will show you where his name is commemorated on the Australian War Memorial.

Bright Blessings

Sandra

[pietro]

Aw Des,

I stayed in the Skerry Bahn when I was about 9 - it was a stop on the way to a family holiday in that far off place called Donegal....

(Before you were born)

Peter

[Desmond7]

Hi - Peter - me too. And I remember my fortnight's holiday in Mrs. Hamill's guesthouse where a huge model of HMS Invincible was in a glass cabinet. And the sea mine up at the town hall ... glory days eh!?

BTW see you on May 9?

Thanks to Australian members for input. I have a few more snippets to put on from time to time. Best wishes.

Des

[pietro]

Aye, I'll try to be there on May 9th, my father sounds like he's interested in going too, so he'll want to find out if you're related to anyone he knows, etc....!

Peter

[Wesley Wright]

Sorry for joining this thread very late--Samuel James McFarlane was born at Doons,Orritor (just outside Cookstown) on 17/03/1894.

He is recorded in the book "Cookstown War Dead" which contains quite a lot of information on his early career.

Wesley Wright