carninyj Posted 10 May , 2005 Share Posted 10 May , 2005 I was up in Derrykeighan Old Cemetery recently and took this photograph of the Meeke tombstone that Robert Thompson had erected. I think the text might be of interest , especially to Irishmen among the Pals. regards Carninyj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carninyj Posted 10 May , 2005 Author Share Posted 10 May , 2005 He lies beside his brother. Regards Carninyj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIGEL Posted 10 May , 2005 Share Posted 10 May , 2005 Do you know what he died of in 1923 was it in the fighting in Ireland????????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carninyj Posted 10 May , 2005 Author Share Posted 10 May , 2005 Nigel John Meeke was not involved in the post war fighting in Ireland, though he had been a member of the original UVF. I think he had seen enough of war by the time he got home. He died of natural causes in December 1923, aged 28. He was quite young and I would imagine that his family would have attributed his death to his war service, though the relationship was indirect. Samuel Meeke was captured on 21 March 1918 and sent to the notorious prison camp at Langensalza. He was forced to work in the sulphur mines, and was often badly treated. On his release, only a short time after the Armistice, his health was so poor that he died about fortnight after arriving home. Regards Carninyj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 10 May , 2005 Share Posted 10 May , 2005 J - great job. One question ... I wonder why the Meeks bros. ended up in the Inniskillings when the 12th Rifles would have been, more or less, the 'local bunch'? Cheers Des Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carninyj Posted 10 May , 2005 Author Share Posted 10 May , 2005 Cannot help you there, Des. They may simply have been posted after training. Regards Carninyj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larneman Posted 11 May , 2005 Share Posted 11 May , 2005 Cannot help you there, Des. They may simply have been posted after training. Regards Carninyj <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thanks for sharing and showing a bit of Ulster history. Liam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curranl Posted 11 May , 2005 Share Posted 11 May , 2005 Hello All, Only one brother is commemorated in Ireland's Memorial Records; Meeke, Samuel. Reg. no. 28917. Rank Private, 2nd Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. Died home, January 19, 1919. Born Dervock, Co. Antrim. Regards, Liam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swizz Posted 11 May , 2005 Share Posted 11 May , 2005 The new headstone was only unveiled on 11 November last. I think I remember seeing a newspaper report of John Meeke's funeral in 1923 which implied that his health never recovered after his war experiences. I think I'm right in saying that John Meeke is supposed to be one of the Ulster Division stretcher bearers who attended to Willie Redmond after he was wounded. I'll see if I can dig out the original newspaper article. Swizz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swizz Posted 11 May , 2005 Share Posted 11 May , 2005 Of course if I had looked properly at the photograph I would have seen the REdmond connection... D'oh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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