16th (Irish) Division

[battle of loos]

good Morning,

 

I would like to know on what date the 16th (Irish) Division takes position on Loos.

 

Thank you in advance.

 

Kind regards

 

michel

[JasonMc]

According to Fox's book about the Inniskillings the it was the 16th February 1916 when the 16th Irish Division arrived in France - I presume that was HQ arrived then as in the 49th Brigade of the 16th was the 7th & 8th Royal Inniskilling Fusileers and they were still in England. 

 

The war diary for the 8th Inniskillings has them in Southampton on the 18th/19th Feb. The arrive at Philosophe on 2nd March 1916 to billets. On the 3rd March they proceed to the trenches at the Hulluch section for training.

 

On April 27th enemy action began and gas was released.

 

Hope thats of help and I suppose it would be hard to find a definitive date as I presume the arrivals were staggered

[battle of loos]

good moring,

 

thank' for your answer.

 

I am interested in this division as the St Patricks cemetery of loos Derby (france) began by the men of this Division.
We find notament certain soldiers that this buried at loos in January 1916.
the units in question:
-6th Connaught Rangers
-11th hampshire
-8th Royal Dublin Fusiliers
-6th Royal Irish Regiment

on the other hand, I had the opportunity to meet a cap badge of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers still at Loos.

 

 

michel

[JasonMc]

Looking through the CWGC site I see those burials from earlier than February '16 alright.

John Edmond from 9th Btn Gordon Highlanders seems to be the first burial and date of death is 25th September 1915. These were part of the 15th Scottish Division so it looks like that graveyard was started by the Scottish. 2 days later Arthur De Salis Hadow from Yorkshire Regiment was added.

 

The next burials during January are mainly London Regiment as far as I can see.

 

But as you say there is an 11th Hampshire regiment soldier WH Brown on 23rd January, the 11th Hampshires were Pioneers for the 16th Irish so maybe he was here doing preparatory work for the arrival of the division?

 

The earliest 16th Irish Division burial from their stated arrival that I can see looks to be 16th February, JM Fitzpatrick from the 2nd Munster Fusileers, so this would tie in with the 16th February 1916 from the book. He is the 25 burial in the graveyard so there seems to have been a significant bit of activity before the Division arrived in full.

 

Interesting that you found an Inniskilling cap badge there I've researched many of these soldiers from the Inniskilling Fusileers there. I will also be visiting the St Patrick's graveyard in April to see the grave of Patrick Kelly of the Machine Gun Corp who I have been researching. He was born a few miles from me and I've seen his medals and read his letters home to his family. His grave was destroyed in later fighting but he is still commemorated there.

 

 

 

 

[battle of loos]

Good evening,

 

Thank you for this clarification.

I know well this cemetery because I live in 500 m of that.

 

This is the cap badge of the Inniskiling :

 

find near the chalk pit wood.

 

 

regards

 

michel

[Jervis]

A very nice find! 

[battle of loos]

good Morning,

 

this is some picture about the St Patrick cemetery take today :

 

 

something not very common :
frencn - german - british grave

 

this is the Patrick Kelly 's grave :

 

:

 

 

one cap badge to the Machine Gun Corps find in Loos (1990) :

 

 

 

michel

 

[JasonMc]

Excellent photos Michel and thanks for sharing. Very interesting also the 3 side by side graves. I have never seen all 3 aligned like that before.

 

And yes that is the correct Patrick Kelly. I have attached 3 images you may like to see - a photo of Patrick, a letter home to his mother, and his bible, Death Plaque and Victory medal (incorrect ribbon).

 

That's a nice find there of the MG badge

 

 

[battle of loos]

Good evening,

 

It's great to have these documents and medals. 

 

Kind regards

 

 

michel