curranl Posted 24 February , 2005 Share Posted 24 February , 2005 From Ireland's Memorial Records: Fitzgerald, Robert. Reg. no. 11066, 6th Royal Irish Rifles. Rank, Rifleman. Died of Wounds, Salonika, Feb. 24th, 1916. Born Belfast. I have a particular interest in the 6th RIR as this was my Granduncles Battalion. Today is also my birthday. If whoever puts up the "Remembering Today" men picked this man deliberately to coincide with my birthday, then thanks very much. If not, spooky eh? Anyway, rest at peace, Robert Fitzgerald. You have not been forgotten. What would these men have said if they knew that almost 100 years after they fell in battle, a group of people from all around the world would remember them? Regards, Liam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larneman Posted 24 February , 2005 Share Posted 24 February , 2005 Hi Liam, Interesting to be remembering the end of a life and the beginning of one. Best wishes to you and my thoughts were with the memory of this Belfastman Robert Fitzgerald RIR, may he R.I.P. Liam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 24 February , 2005 Share Posted 24 February , 2005 Well remembered ... and many happy returns Liam! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curranl Posted 24 February , 2005 Author Share Posted 24 February , 2005 Hello fellas, Thanks for the birthday wishes. Now that I am officially middle aged the Other Half says I am entitled to a Mid-life Crisis. She says I have an "unresolved blonde phase" - her words, not mine. She's a red head!! Regards, Liam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeldr Posted 24 February , 2005 Share Posted 24 February , 2005 What would these men have said if they knew that almost 100 years after they fell in battle, a group of people from all around the world would remember them? Happy Birthday, Liam And what an intriguing question Completing the details from the CWGC Cemetery: MIKRA BRITISH CEMETERY, KALAMARIA Country: Greece Locality: unspecified Location Information: Mikra British Cemetery is situated approximately 8 kilometres south of Thessaloniki, on the road to the airport, in the municipality of Kalamaria. Access is via the main entrance on Vryoylon Street, directly opposite the communal cemetery of Kalamaria. Historical Information: At the invitation of the Greek Prime Minister, M.Venizelos, Salonika (now Thessalonika) was occupied by three French Divisions and the 10th (Irish) Division from Gallipoli in October 1915. Other French and Commonwealth forces landed during the year and in the summer of 1916, they were joined by Russian and Italian troops. In August 1916, a Greek revolution broke out at Salonika, with the result that the Greek national army came into the war on the Allied side. The town was the base of the British Salonika Force and it contained, from time to time, eighteen general and stationary hospitals. Three of these hospitals were Canadian, although there were no other Canadian units in the force. The earliest Commonwealth burials took place in the local Protestant and Roman Catholic cemeteries, and the Anglo-French (now Lembet Road) Military Cemetery was used from November 1915 to October 1918. The British cemetery at Mikra was opened in April 1917, remaining in use until 1920. The cemetery was greatly enlarged after the Armistice when graves were brought in from a number of burial grounds in the area. MIKRA BRITISH CEMETERY now contains 1,810 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, as well as 147 war graves of other nationalities. Within the cemetery will be found the MIKRA MEMORIAL, commemorating almost 500 nurses, officers and men of the Commonwealth forces who died when troop transports and hospital ships were lost in the Mediterranean, and who have no grave but the sea. They are commemorated here because others who went down in the same vessels were washed ashore and identified, and are now buried at Thessalonika. No. of Identified Casualties: 1951 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 24 February , 2005 Share Posted 24 February , 2005 I have a particular interest in the 6th RIR as this was my Granduncles Battalion. Today is also my birthday. If whoever puts up the "Remembering Today" men picked this man deliberately to coincide with my birthday, then thanks very much. If not, spooky eh? Liam Happy to oblige but I fear it was more spooky than specially arranged Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 24 February , 2005 Share Posted 24 February , 2005 The CWGC database states that he 'Died of Wounds' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 24 February , 2005 Share Posted 24 February , 2005 Don't want to be spooktastic here BUT ... IIRC there was a Royal Irish Rifleman ... and you know my interests!! .... on the Remembered Today on MY birthday. He was Rfn. John McColl, 5th May/04 was the date. Even more spookily ... I found him with a search just now .... was doing some cross-checking and now he's 'disappeared'!! Ooooo... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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