Friends of the Somme - Mid Ulster Branch  
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June's Updates
Date Name Information
27/06/2020 Pte. Francis Harbison Private Francis Harbison served in northern Africa initially.
27/06/2020 Pte. Francis Harbison Frank Harbison enlisted in Pennsylvania with the U.S. Army shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbour in December 1941. Frank is believed to have been living in Huntingdon County at the time.
27/06/2020 Pte. Francis Harbison Frank Harbison emigrated to the United States around 1929. He found employment with the Western Union Telegraph Company in New York.
27/06/2020 Pte. Francis Harbison Known family: Henry Harbison, Alice Kathleen Harbison, Francis Harbison (born 16th February 1909), Mary Rose Harbison (born 13th May 1910), Henry Harbison (born 25th August 1911), Charles Harbison (born 4th April 1913), Alice Harbison (born 24th April 1915), Patrick Harbison (born 2nd April 1917), Edward Harbison (born 26th June 1918), Thomas Harbison (born 14th February 1920).
27/06/2020 Pte. Francis Harbison The 1911 census lists Francis as age 2, living with the family at house 19 in Ballyneil More, The Loop, County Londonderry. Henry Harbison was a farmer.
27/06/2020 Pte. Francis Harbison Francis Harbison was born on 16th February 1909. He was the oldest of twelve children, all born in the Loup / Ballyronan area.
27/06/2020 Pte. Francis Harbison Francis Harbison was the eldest son of Henry and Alice Harbison. Henry Harbison and Alice Kathleen Monaghan were married on 24th November 1908 in the district of Cookstown.
27/06/2020 Pte. Francis Harbison Mrs Harbinson is the widowed mother of twelve children. She spoke of her son leaving Ulster fifteen years ago, and how he found employment with the Western Union Telegraph Company in New York. Francis Harbinson, who was 34, entered the Army shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbour, and served with distinction in Africa and Sicily before receiving the wounds which caused his death. Mrs Harbinson will receive a pension and a considerable sum of money for life insurance for which her soldier son had provided.
27/06/2020 Pte. Francis Harbison ‘The loss of a loved one cannot be compensated for by pretty words, but as a token of the high esteem in which every American must hold your son, I present you with this medal.’
27/06/2020 Pte. Francis Harbison A posthumous award of the Order of the Purple Heart has been made to Mrs Alice Kathleen Harbinson of Loup, on behalf of her American soldier son, Private First Class Francis Harbison, who was killed in action on the Italian front on 18th October 1943. The decoration was presented by Lieutenant Colonel Cowlan of New Haven, in a simple ceremony which took place in the room where Francis Harbison was born. Witnesses were Major O H Kaberle, Waterloo, Iowa, and Chaplain (Captain) John W McLeod, Arcadia, Florida. Colonel Cowlan told the mother:-
27/06/2020 Pte. Francis Harbison 01538
27/06/2020 Pte. Francis Harbison From the Mid Ulster Mail dated 1st January 1944: Loup Soldier’s Posthumous Honour
26/06/2020 Civilian Patrick Morgan He was taken home and Patrick Morgan passed away about 7:30 pm that evening.
26/06/2020 Civilian Patrick Morgan A convoy of US jeeps were proceeding through the town. As the last jeep rounded a corner, the trailer of the jeep struck Mr Morgan who was knocked down and rendered unconscious. Dr Thomas was soon in attendance and found that Mr Morgan had received severe injuries to the back of his head.
26/06/2020 Civilian Patrick Morgan On Monday 7th February 1944, he was attending the monthly fair in Bellaghy.
26/06/2020 Civilian Patrick Morgan Patrick Morgan was a 69 year old farmer who lived in Dreenan, near Bellaghy.
26/06/2020 Civilian Patrick Morgan Patrick Morgan was born about 1875.
26/06/2020 Civilian Patrick Morgan The coroner found in accordance with the medical evidence adding there was a strong presumption that he had been struck by an American jeep.
26/06/2020 Civilian Patrick Morgan Dr Love in evidence said he found the deceased in bed breathing stentoriously. He had a ragged wound at the back of his head. In the witness’ opinion he was suffering from intracranial haemorrhage and was critically ill.
26/06/2020 Civilian Patrick Morgan Constable Young said that when he went to the place, the injured man had been removed. He saw a jeep on the left side of Church Street. The driver was private Joseph Morbitzer, who said he must have knocked a man down when going round the corner. There were a few spots of blood on the road. The witness found the deceased in Breslin’s, but he was dazed and unable to tell what happened, though he had told his name. The edge of the left mudguard of the jeep and the trailer bore traces of something having brushed them.
26/06/2020 Civilian Patrick Morgan Daniel McCrystal, nephew of the deceased, told of seeing a man fall and a jeep passing in Bellaghy, and when the witness went to he place, he found the man was his uncle. He was breathing heavily and was carried into Breslin’s public house, where Dr Thomas dressed his head and was then taken home. Miss Elizabeth Gray of Hillhead, employed in Burnside’s factory, said she was looking out at a convoy of jeeps which were moving very slowly down Church Street. When the last had passed the corner, she saw a man caught by the left side of the trailer amd thrown down, and she heard his head hit the ground. Miss L Kennedy, of Oldtown, Deerpark, gave similar evidence. Mr P McKenna, of Church Street, said he was standing at McKaigne’s corner and heard a dull sound, and turning round saw the deceased lying on the ground. The witness helped to carry him into Breslin’s.
26/06/2020 Civilian Patrick Morgan An inquest was held in Gulladuff on Wednesday by Dr Cousley, coroner. Mr Agnew, solicitor, appeared for the next-of-kin.
26/06/2020 Civilian Patrick Morgan While the monthly fair in Bellaghy was in progress on Monday (7th February 1944), the last trailier of a convoy of jeeps, as it turned out of Castledawson Street, contacted with Mr Patrick Morgan, aged 69 years, a farmer of Dreenan, who was knocked down and rendered unconscious. Dr Thomas was soon in attendance and found that Mr Morgan had received sever injuries to the back of his head. Later he was taken home and passed away about 7:30 pm on the same evening. Constables McGarrity and Young of Bellaghy were speedily on the scene to make investigations.
26/06/2020 Civilian Patrick Morgan 01537
26/06/2020 Civilian Patrick Morgan From the Mid Ulster Mail dated 12th February 1944: Fatal Accident at Bellaghy – Knocked Down by a Jeep
24/06/2020 Pte. Francis Harbison Mrs Alice Harbinson, of Ballyneal, has been informed by the War Department at Washington that her son, P.F.C. Frank Harbinson, of the U.S. Army, was killed in action on 16th October 1944 in Italy.
24/06/2020 Pte. Francis Harbison 01536
24/06/2020 Pte. Francis Harbison From the Mid Ulster Mail dated 1st January 1944: Moneymore
11/06/2020 Pte. Manus Alexander Costello Private Manus Costello is commemorated locally on Castledawson War Memorial.
11/06/2020 Pte. Manus Alexander Costello The 1911 census lists Manus Costello as age 23, living with the family at house 39 in Bellaghy, Londonderry. Manus was a tailor.
11/06/2020 Pte. Manus Alexander Costello Sometime between 1901 and 1911 the family changed their name to Costello.
11/06/2020 Pte. Manus Alexander Costello The 1901 census lists Manus Cushley as age 14 living with the family at house 82 in Bellaghy, Londonderry. Manus had left school and was working as a tailor. His father was an agricultural labourer.
11/06/2020 Pte. Manus Alexander Costello Known family: Patrick Cushley, Jane Cushley, Michael Cushley (born 14th February 1866), Rose Cushley (born 29th February 1868), Mary Cushley (born 3rd December 1869), Elizabeth Cushley (born 14th September 1873), Margaret Cushley (born 16th September 1875), Hugh Cushley (born 23rd May 1877), Patrick Cushley (born 8th August 1879), James Cushley (born 24th May 1881), John Cushley (born 14th June 1883), Annie Cushley (born 10th September 1884), Manus Cushley (born 16th February 1888).
11/06/2020 Pte. Manus Alexander Costello Manus Cushley was born on 16th February 1888. He was the youngest of at least eleven children, all born in the Bellaghy area.
11/06/2020 Pte. Manus Alexander Costello Manus Cushley was the youngest son of Patrick and Jane Cushley. Patrick Cushley and Jane Scullion were married on 28th August 1865 in the district of Magherafelt.
09/06/2020 Able Seaman Thomas Kidd 01535
09/06/2020 Able Seaman Thomas Kidd 01534
09/06/2020 PO Joseph Donnelly Petty Officer Joseph Donnelly served with the Royal Naval Air Service. He was a motor mechanic. He was with the Russian Armoured Car Division (R.A.C.D.).
09/06/2020 PO Joseph Donnelly Joseph Donnelly enlisted on 16th November 1915.
09/06/2020 PO Joseph Donnelly 01533
09/06/2020 Naval Sch Stewart O'Fee The census lists Stewart as age 22 living with his sister at house 32 in Hillhall, Drumbeg, County Down. He was a National School Teacher.
09/06/2020 Naval Sch Stewart O'Fee 01532
09/06/2020 Naval Sch Stewart O'Fee Stewart O’Fee died of illness on 13th March 1920. HMS Vivid was a shore establishment in Devonport. He was 41 years old.
09/06/2020 Naval Sch Stewart O'Fee Warrant Schoolmaster Stewart O’Fee served with H.M.S. Vivid.
09/06/2020 Naval Sch Stewart O'Fee Stewart O’Fee served in the Royal Navy as a naval schoolmaster in various locations.
09/06/2020 Naval Sch Stewart O'Fee Stewart O’Fee enlisted with the Royal Navy on 7th August 1903, signing up for twelve years.
09/06/2020 Naval Sch Stewart O'Fee 01531
09/06/2020 Able Seaman Frank Edward Sutton 01530
09/06/2020 Able Seaman Frank Edward Sutton Able Seaman joined the crew of H.M.S. Black Prince on 21st April 1914.
09/06/2020 Able Seaman Frank Edward Sutton 01529
09/06/2020 Able Seaman Frank Edward Sutton Able Seaman Frank Sutton served on board many ships during his Royal Navy career.
09/06/2020 Able Seaman Frank Edward Sutton 01528
08/06/2020 Deck Hand Patrick McIlkennon 01527
08/06/2020 Deck Hand Patrick McIlkennon Patrick was found drowned near the wall of Fountain Lake, Portsmouth Dockyard. Death was due to suffocation following immersion.
08/06/2020 Deck Hand Patrick McIlkennon On 1st March 1918 he was despatched to Devonport Depot on retention at Killybegs to train as Signal Boy.
08/06/2020 Deck Hand Patrick McIlkennon 01526
08/06/2020 Deck Hand Patrick McIlkennon 01525
08/06/2020 Deck Hand Patrick McIlkennon 01524
08/06/2020 Deck Hand Patrick McIlkennon 01523
08/06/2020 Deck Hand Patrick McIlkennon 01522
08/06/2020 Deck Hand Patrick McIlkennon 01521
08/06/2020 Deck Hand Patrick McIlkennon Patrick enlisted under his mother’s name as Patrick McIlkennon on 28th January 1918. He gave his address as St Columba’s Industrial School in Killybegs, which is in County Donegal.
08/06/2020 Deck Hand Patrick McIlkennon The 1901 census lists Patrick as a baby, living with his unmarried mother at house 5 in Drumanee Lower, Bellaghy, County Londonderry.
08/06/2020 Deck Hand Patrick McIlkennon Patrick Overend was the son of John Overend and Maggie McIlkennon. Patrick was born in Bellaghy on 17th March 1901.
08/06/2020 Deck Hand Patrick McIlkennon 01520
07/06/2020 Petty Off. William Purcell 01519
07/06/2020 Petty Off. William Purcell 01518
07/06/2020 Petty Off. William Purcell 01517
07/06/2020 Petty Off. William Purcell 01516
07/06/2020 Able Seaman Samuel Gourley 01515
07/06/2020 Able Seaman Samuel Gourley Able Seaman Samuel Gourley joined the crew of HMS Viknor on 5th December 1914.
07/06/2020 Able Seaman Samuel Gourley Samuel was with HMS Victory I between 1st November and 4th December 1914.
07/06/2020 Able Seaman Samuel Gourley 01514
07/06/2020 Ord Sea Henry McNally 01513
07/06/2020 Ord Sea Henry McNally Ordinary Seaman Henry McNally joined H.M.S. Monmouth on 31st July 1914.
07/06/2020 Ord Sea Henry McNally Ordinary Seaman Henry McNally was at Vivid I between 27th Feb 1914 and 9th May 1914. He then was with HMS Carnarvon between 10th May and 30th July.
07/06/2020 Ord Sea Henry McNally Henry McNally enlisted in the Navy on 27th February 1914.
07/06/2020 Ord Sea Henry McNally 01512
07/06/2020 Swrt George Christie He joined the crew of the Royal Navy light cruiser H.M.S. Amphion on 8th April 1913.
07/06/2020 Swrt George Christie 01511
07/06/2020 Swrt George Christie George was a carpenter and served on many ships.
07/06/2020 Swrt George Christie George Christie enlisted with the Royal Navy on 6th June 1902.
07/06/2020 Swrt George Christie 01510
07/06/2020 Able Seaman Samuel Gourley Samuel Gourley enlisted on 28th August 1912. He was living at 4 Carnegie Gardens, Port Glasgow, Scotland at the time.
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