War

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The Tradition of Military Service

There has been a tradition of volunteering for the Regular Army, Militias, Volunteers and Yeomanry in County Londonderry from 1613 until the present.  At the start of the Ulster Plantation in 1610 the English military establishment had two organizations in Ireland, the standing army and the armed settler or citizens’ militias. Citizens’ militias were necessary because the British standing army of professional soldiers was not formed until the Earl of Ormonde established the regular Militia force in Ireland in 1666. In this work the unofficial militias raised by local dignitaries are referred to as citizens’ militias and those raised by the government will be referred to as regular militias.  Both the regular and citizens’ militias were raised when the situation demanded their service and immediately disbanded when their services were no longer required. 

The Initial Threat 

This tradition of volunteering was motivated by different factors at different periods in the history of  County Londonderry. In the early years of the Plantation, there was no option. The armed settlers had to band together as organised militias for the defence of their local areas.  This situation arose from the fact that rather than leaving the territory they had been expelled from, the dispossessed Irish used the cover of the vast forests around Coleraine for shelter. Irish swordsmen who were normally retained by the Irish lords also joined these dispossessed people. All these dispossessed groups became known as the woodkerne (Curl, 2000, p45) or the ‘tory’ from the Gaelic toraidh or thief.  They were responsible for the constant harrying of the isolated settler. Their most common practices included holding captured settlers for ransom, the killing and mutilation of farm stock, stripping, raping or killing the settlers and destroying their crops.

The 1641 Rebellion

The Gaelic lords who survived in Ulster had difficulty applying their management skills under the English system of farming and administration. To add to their despair King Charles I tried to raise money by any means and also enforced High Church conformity. This set of circumstances encouraged another Irish rebellion  led by Rory O’Moore against the English and Scottish settlers in 1641. 

On 11 February 1642 one of the Coleraine Captains of the citizens’ militia, Archibald Stewart deployed from Coleraine moved along the Bann shore towards Glenstall near Ballymoney. The general plan was to attack the rebel army. He had 300 English and 600 Scottish Protestant troops under his command that day. The rebel army attacked him first. They fired one volley from their muskets and then mounted a Highland charge on the Coleraine forces who were routed. One of those killed in this battle was the Rev John Campion, the Rector of Killowen church.

The Changing Military Establishment

In 1672 the regular militias numbered 10,000 horse and 14,000 foot. They were used in 1678 to disarm the Roman Catholics. They were then disarmed themselves after the Monmouth rising in 1685 and replaced by a Catholic militia raised by Talbot. The Protestant militias were reactivated by the Williamites in 1689 as part of the strategy to unseat the Roman Catholic King of England, James II.

The Coleraine Regiment of the citizens’ militia took part in the successful defence of Londonderry from 18 April until 31 July 1689. They were under the command of a Coleraine man, Colonel Thomas Lance.

The subsequent Battles of the Boyne and Aughrim in 1690 deposed the Royal Catholic dynasty. A Militia Act was then passed in 1716. This act demanded that all Protestant males between the ages of 16 and 60 should muster for four days each year.  The regular militias were mobilised in 1739 – 1740 and again in 1745 (Connolly, p360).

Volunteers

During the American Revolution the English regular troops were fully deployed to America and the government could not afford to raise a regular militia. So, from 1778-1779, a part-time military force of volunteers was raised to guard Ireland from invasion and internal dissent. The Volunteers served without pay and supplied their own uniforms and equipment.

By 1782 there were 60,000 Volunteers in Ireland. That included three companies in Coleraine. These were The First Company, The Second Company and The Independent Company. The residents of Killowen area did not have a separate title. Macosquin also formed a Company of Volunteers at that time. These units were raised and stood down several times between 1778 and 1788. During this period Lord Bristol was active in the volunteer movement and as well as his role as Bishop of Derry he was always ready to inspect the Volunteers. The Bishop’s Gate at Downhill was first known as Volunteer Gate because the Volunteers formed up on a regular basis to be inspected there (Patterson, 2002, p2).

In 1791, two years after the French Revolution, Wolfe Tone and other dissident Presbyterians and Catholics established The Society of United Irishmen. The Society’s aims included the ending of British rule in Ireland with armed French help if necessary. 

The United Irishmen and the Return of the Militias

The Volunteers had a series of three conventions where the leaders passed resolutions demanding parliamentary reform. The government viewed the Volunteer movement as a threat so they were disbanded in 1793 and replaced by the Loyal Yeomanry (Patterson, 2007). The Irish Militia was raised in 1793 after the Militia Bill, The 1793 Gunpowder Act  and the Catholic Relief Bill were passed within days of each other. These Bills allowed Roman Catholics to be armed and the Irish regular militia to be raised throughout Ireland.  

The English, Scottish and Manx Fencibles were raised in 1795 and a year later (Miller in Bartlett & Jeffery, 1996, p333) the yeoman cavalry was raised and used to augment the Irish Regular Militias. This Yeomanry was a part-time force and the majority were Protestants. They had been raised to counter the French threat, the United Irishmen and the Catholic Defenders.

By 1798, the three Acts of Parliament that led to the dissolution of the Volunteers also forced the United Irishmen into armed insurrection (Connolly, p569). The United Irishmen's rebellion degenerated into a series of sectarian massacres on both sides. The final 1803 rebellion never evolved beyond a general riot. 

The First Coleraine Company 

From the research done by Max Givens for his history of Coleraine the First Coleraine Company of the Volunteers appears to have been raised in Killowen. A Company of volunteers with the title Killowen was never raised and it appears to be that the residents of Killowen augmented the companies raised in Coleraine. At least one half of the company were wealthy merchants and owners of property in the town and estates in the neighbourhood during 1760-1790.

Max Givens states that the following list of fifty-one names was found neatly written in the order given on a loose sheet of paper placed between the leaves of Killowen Vestry Book (1747-1872) at the pages containing minutes of the vestry for 7th April 1793.  The Officer Commanding the First Coleraine company, Richard Heyland, was a churchwarden in Killowen parish in 1759.

Captain; Richard Heyland, Coleraine

Lieutenants; J Galt, J Given, Henry Spence

Chaplain; Rev. Robert Hezlet, Rector of Killowen

Surgeon; Andrew Allison

Members; James Adams, William Allen, John Bell, Francis Bennett, Henry Boyle, John Cordner, Henry Dalhouse, John Dunlop, Joseph Eakin, David Eakin, John Fulton, James Given, John Haltridge, Henry Morrison, William Holmes, William Hunter, Abraham Hunter, Andrew Hunter, John Johnston, Robert Kennedy, Joseph Kyle, Samuel Lawrence, Samuel Lawrence (Jnr), James Lawrence,  Alexander Lawrence, Robert Leslie, Robert Lithgow, Jacob Logan, James Mathers, Samuel McDonald, Anthony McGowan, James McMullan, Henry Newton, Samuel Reid, Thomas Rice, William Robb, Robert Shipton, Robert Smith, William Smith, Charles Swiney, John Tittle, Adam White, John Whiteford, John Wilson, William King.

Another document titled "Coleraine Yeomanry" has turned up quite recently with the following information.

"After the 1798 rebellion the Right Hon John Beresford proposed that the thanks of the Corporation be given to Marcus Hill, and Hugh Lyle, and to the Corps under their command for their spirited exertions by which the peace of the town and neighbourhood had been so perfectly preserved, and for the attachment they have manifested to their King and Constitution and of such of the said Corps as had not already been made Freemen of this Corporation. 

Lieuts; Mark K. O'Neill and Josiah Byrne, Sam Knox

Sergts; John Bell, James Hamill, James Armstrong, Alex Begley, John Bennet, Frances Brown, James Dougherty, Robert Galt, William Hamill, Robert Heslette, Matthew Hardshaw, Robert Lyle, Launcelot Kelly, John Kelly, Richard Lyons, Alexander Lawrence (Jun), William C Lynham, John Simon, James McIlwaine, Robert McCausland, Robert McLaughlin, John Rice, George R Reynolds, Joseph Stirling.

Lieut. R Church, Adjutant JS Thompson, 

Sergts; John Stewart, John Hamilton, Arthur Long, J Ewing, (Corps) William Penn, J Hartford, Andrew Keith, Thomas Lundy, Archibald McFetridge

Privates; Samuel Adams, William Andrews, Jas Bailey, Joseph Bailey, Thomas Bailey, William Black, William Boyd, David Cameron, Thomas Crawford, Samuel Davis, Neil Dougherty, Jas Dougherty, Pat Dougherty, Matt Dougan, Abram Douthart, Benjamine Drain, William Drennan, Jas Dunlop, Benjamine Fryre,  William Gammon, John Grey, Henry Hail, John Haltridge, Rodger Hartin, Arthur Hill, John Humes, Robert Hunter, William Jackson, John Kerr, Hugh Kerr, William King, Martin McMaster, William Leake, J Hargy, George Long, John McGee, Alex Mairs, Jas Molloy, Jas Moore, Daniel McAllister, J McNally, P McCormic, Alex McDonnell, Derod McFadden, George McFadden, D McFadden, John McGonagle, John McGrath, Robert McGrath, Jas McGrotty,(Sen), Jas McGrotty (Jun), Alex McIlwaine, Robert McKay, Chas McLargy, George McLaughlin, Jas McLaughlin, John McLaughlin, Richard McLaughlin, Thomas McClean, Henry McPeak, Robert Patterson."

The Regular Army

In England a regular militia was raised by ballot for the last time on 27 December 1830. The regular militia was eventually allowed to serve in Great Britain and the troops were encouraged to transfer to the regular army. By 1908 the regular militias had virtually disappeared as the regular army was reformed. 

The Great War (1914-1917)

James Leighton

Many Killowen volunteers served the Crown during Britain’s conflicts after the days of the citizens and regular militias. That included Waterloo, the Peninsular War and the Crimean War in 1855. After the Crimean War a Russian cannon was presented to the town in 1859 to mark the contribution made by all the Coleraine volunteers. Killowen volunteers were also well represented during the Zulu War in 1879, the Egypt War in 1882, the first Boer War 1881 and the second Boer War in 1899-1902. Take for example the Leighton family discussed by Robert Thompson in his work, Coleraine Heroes 1914-1918 published in 2004. At the age of 24 Private James Leighton died of head wounds and gas suffocation on 8th August 1917 at Mendinghem.

"He was born on Kyle's Brae and like his father he served his time as a Painter and Decorator with J & D Baxter. James was the grandson of Corporal William McClean, Royal Horse Artillery, who was through the Crimean and American wars, great grandson of Private James Long, who served through the Peninsular war, and great great grandson to Hugh McCurdy, who came through the Battle of Waterloo. All three now rest in Killowen Churchyard". (page 183-184, Coleraine Heroes 1914-1918, 2004)

William McSheffrey

Born 1880 - Died 27th December 1963

William McSheffrey was also born Kyle's Brae. He was born in 1880 and with the exception of service in the Iniskilling Fusiliers for the second Boer War and the Great War, he lived in a three room cottage in Laurel Hill, Coleraine, Co. Londonderry. The third room was the bedroom in the roof space.

He started his working life in the employment of Armour Andrews and then moved to H.T. Barrie Ltd. before starting with the contractor Henry Cummins of Coleraine.  That job was the start of his 50 year career as a steam engine driver. He traveled round the whole of Ireland rolling newly constructed roads, bailing hay and breaking stones. His favourite steam roller was called "William the Conqueror".

William McSheffrey and 'William the Conqueror' Courtesy of Diana Kirkpatrick, 2008

In the early stages of the Great War in 1914-1918, when he was 34 years old, he found himself on a journey by steam roller from Coleraine to Lisburn. En route he stopped at Randalstown. It was here that he met up with several of his townsmen who had joined the 10th Battalion Royal Iniskilling Fusiliers (Derry Volunteers). They had interrupted their recruiting march from Finner Camp, Donegal, to Coleraine. This surprising encounter was constantly recalled by him throughout his long life. On returning to Coleraine, he had been inspired enough to enlist in the 8th Battalion Royal Iniskilling  Fusiliers. 

Whilst stationed in Tipperary he was discharged from the Army due to ill health and chest problems. This ill health was probably as a result of the constant exposure to the coal fumes of the steam engine. Before he left Tipperary, he wrote home to his mother, explaining that he was being medical discharged and he would see her soon to explain. As she was reading the letter back home on Kyle's Brae, William walked into the room.

Shortly afterwards he joined the Army Construction and Labour Corps. The medical checks for that unit were less stringent. He served his time with the Corps in France, digging the infamous trenches.

"We had to dig the trenches to a set plan, without any deviation. It did not matter what you cut into;  roots, equipment, the bodies of mules, horses and men, you cut through them all and laid the trench out according to the plans."

William was discharged after the Great War ended and in his final job he operated a steam engine at Young's Mushroom Nursery on the Mountsandel Road.

The Sacrifices Made by the Coleraine and Killowen Volunteers

The following table contains the totals extrapolated from Hugh Thompson's book, Coleraine Heroes 1914-1917 and shows the number of volunteers from Coleraine who served in the armed forces during the Great War. 

Table 1: Coleraine Volunteers in the Armed Forces During The Great War (1914-1918)

KIA = Killed in Action       DOW = Died of Wounds  M = Missing

 Table 2: The Killowen Area Details

            Table 2 shows the breakdown of the volunteers from  the Killowen area who served, were killed inaction, died of wounds or went missing during the Great War.

The Second World War

The Crash Landing

At the start of the war an RAF plane crashed about one mile outside Coleraine town. The plane came down on the high ground just above Reid's Lane where the Greenhall Highway now is. 

The Martha McSheffrey Story

"Mac"  

Basic Training - Innsworth, Gloustershire  

At the age of 20, accompanied by her sister Jessie, Martha McSheffrey went to Belfast and enrolled in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force. After the papers were signed, Martha said goodbye to her sister and was taken by truck to the Heysham boat. One of the girls on the truck was the daughter of Lady McDonald-Tyler.

Martha started her two weeks basic induction, inoculation, square bashing, and finally tear gas exposure and respirator mask testing at Innsworth in Gloustershire. After the third day of training, Miss McDonald-Tyler moved to another unit and received her commission.

The square bashing was not only mandatory, it was necessary. After the battery of inoculations the arm swinging helped to ease the pain. The inhalation of tear gas was also mandatory. It was important to establish at this stage of your training if you had the capacity to inhale the obnoxious fumes of the barrage balloons. 

Barrage Balloon Training

After basic training in Gloustershire, Martha trained as a Barrage Balloon Operator. 

The aim of the barrage balloon was to discourage the German Air Force from using low-level flying and bombing tactics.  The German targets were the English cities and munitions production centres.  Higher flying resulted in less accurate bombing.

Martha's enrolment in the WAAF coincided with the decision to train women for the role of Barrage Balloon Operators in the summer of 1942. By April 1943, some 31,800 WAAF's were deployed at Barrage Balloon Sites across England. This allowed the men to be redeployed to other tasks. 

The Barrage Balloon Operator's training involved, Splicing Wire Ropes, Splicing Cord Ropes, Tying Knots, Inflating Balloons, Deflating Balloons, Anchoring Grounded Balloons, Raising and Lowering Balloons, Winch Handling, Repairing and Patching Balloons

The procedure for repairing the balloons was to winch them down to ground level first. At ground level they were then anchored with sandbags and concrete blocks and then finally, they were deflated.

        "We were virtually gassed every time we had to get inside the deflated balloons to patch and repair them"

                                                                                                                                                         (Martha Gamble)

First Posting - Dagenham, Essex 

After Barrage Balloon Training, Martha was posted to the London County Council Playing Fields in Dagenham, Essex as a Barrage Balloon Operator.  She was then known as Mac.

Because of their ability to handle the balloons, the operators were also responsible for providing a 24-hour Guard on the Balloons. There were two women on Guard Duty at night. For that task, they were issued with a tin hat and a truncheon each. Their job was to prevent intruders getting too close to the balloons. When confronted by any person at night, they had to issue a challenge and be prepared to call out the armed guard. 

The two women on Guard Duty were also responsible for ensuring that the anchored balloons stayed anchored. A change in direction of the wind would twist the anchor ropes and the sandbags and concrete blocks would have to be moved to accommodate the shift. 

If there was an increase in the wind speed, there was always a danger of the balloons breaking away from their anchoring. On some occasions an errant balloon carried aloft the anchoring itself. Many chimneystacks and residential roofs were demolished in the Dagenham area by anchoring blocks bouncing across them.  

If an Air Raid Warning was issued, the Guard was also responsible for getting the balloons ready for winching up. 

It was while Mac was at Dagenham that the WAAF was taken off all Barrage Balloon tasks. Mac was informed that there were two main reasons for this loss of role. First, females found the task of shifting the anchoring too strenuous.  Second, a WAAF was killed during a German daylight raid. At the time of this incident, she was operating a winch from the back of a lorry.   

Driver Training - Bedfordshire  

In 1943, all WAAF trained as Barrage Balloon Operators were asked to retrain in a choice of different roles in support of the RAF. Mac elected to become a Heavy Goods Vehicle Driver. The Driver training took place in Bedfordshire. The two driving instructors were civilians from S. Ireland.

Mac's training progressed well until she was handling 3 Ton lorries. But, one week before the test, there was role-changing incident. Mac swerved the lorry in order to avoid a cat crossing the road in front of her. That concluded Mac's interest in learning to drive anything.

Mac then moved to Blackpool for further training. This included Drill Instruction, Route Marching and Stewarding. Mac qualified as a Leading Aircraftswoman and was placed in charge of the female staff in the Sergeants Mess. Blackpool turned out to be a lovely place, even with the blackouts, so little money was saved during this phase.

Stewarding - Ballyhalbert 

After Blackpool, Mac was transferred to Ballyhalbert in Co Down N. Ireland. She was responsible for the female staff in the Airman's Mess.

Stewarding - Ballykelly 

Finally, Mac was moved closer to home. This was Ballykelly, Co. Londonderry, where the famous Shackleton Bombers had their operational base. She was again responsible for the supervision of the female staff in the Flying Canteen during the night shift. After her shift was over, Mac would return to her billet and try to sleep between 9am and 3pm. This was usually impossible because officers would check out the billets, wake her up and inquire into her reasons for sleeping in the middle of the day. To achieve some respite, Mac resorted to traveling the sixteen miles home to Kyle's Brae by bus after her night shift.

The Flying Canteen was the last watering hole for all pilots and crew before they embarked on their active service missions. Here the crews were issued with everything that was only rationed out to lesser mortals. This included such luxuries as chocolate, fresh fruit, corned beef, jam and sugar. 

The thermos flasks used by the crew to carry their coffee and tea proved to be very expensive luxuries. Mac found this out when she accidentally dropped one of the flasks and her pay was stopped until the flask was paid for.

In some respects, working in the Flying Canteen was also an emotionally draining task. Mac was responsible for making up the meal packs before the mission. She saw the flights off in the evening and then prepared breakfast for the returning crews. On some occasions, the returning crews were short of men, either wounded or killed. On other occasions, the complete crew failed to make it back. 

Mac finished off her WAAF Service on 16th December 1944.

Martha was married to William Gamble from Brook Street on the 7th November 1946. The best man was William’s brother, Jim Gamble. The Bride's Maid was Nancy Eaton from Shuttle Hill.

Post War Volunteering

Jack McGowan from Killowen and William Kirkpatrick working on the barrel of a Damlier armoured car during North Irish Horse training in England in 1956.