Commemoration of Participation of our Ancestors from this Locality  in World War 1 

∙ World War 1 was simmering for about twenty years or more.  During this time, the countries of Europe had been making  alliances with each other. Tensions grew and that led to one shot  starting World War 1 in 1914. There were 2 sides, the Central  Powers and the Allies World War 1 lasted for four years. During  those years about 10 million soldiers were killed and 20 million  injured.  

∙ My name is Thomas N. Corry Burnett from Abbeyderg. I was a  Lance corporal, no. 3/9065 in the 8th battalion of the Royal Irish  Rifles. One of the worst things about life in the trenches was the  horrible smell of decaying food, body odour and fallen  comrades. 

∙ Thomas was killed in action at the Battle of Messine Ridge on the  7th of June 1917. He was buried in Lone Tree Cemetery, Belgium.  ∙ My name is Owen Cahill from Tenelick. I was a Private. Number  5244 in the 6th battalion of the Leinster Regiment. Many people  did not bath for weeks and the trenches also smelled of rotting  sandbags, cigarette smoke and poison gas. 

∙ Owen died of wounds in Palestine on the 10th of April 1918. He  was buried in Ramleh War Cemetery, Israel. 

∙ My name is Michael Carroll from Tenelick. I was a Private.  Number 3289 in the 2nd battalion of the Leinster Regiment. It  was difficult to sleep properly in the trenches because of the  noise and uncomfortable and cramped surroundings. 

∙ Michael died of wounds on 22nd of December 1914. He was  buried in Bailleul Communal Cemetery, Nord, France. 

∙ My name is Patrick Cassells from Torboy. I was a Private.  Number 366804 in K company, the 114th Infantry in the 29th Division of the American army. What I dreaded most was the  infestation of lice in the trenches. Between the itch from the lice  and the heat of our heavy uniforms, we were very  uncomfortable. The lice caused a disease known as Trench  Fever. 

∙ Patrick was killed in action in Meuse-Argonne Woods, France on  the 12th of October 1918. He was buried in Meuse-Argonne  American Cemetery, France.  

∙ My name is Thomas Cassells. Patrick was my brother. I was a  Private, Number 89613 in C Company, the 165th Infantry of the  42nd Division in the American army. Rats, frogs and lice lived in  the trenches; it was very tough sharing our space with them. 

∙ Thomas died of wounds in Chateau-Thierry, Picardy, France on  the 13th August 1918. He is buried in St. Mihiel American  Cemetery, Thiaucourt, France. 

∙ My name is George Curran. I came from Tashinny. I was a  Private; Number 6788, D company, in the 2nd battalion of the  Leinster Regiment.  

∙ George was killed in action in Belgium on the 20th of October  1914. George’s name is mentioned on Ploegsteert Memorial in  Hainault in Belgium. 

∙ My name is James Fagan from Drumanure, Abbeyshrule. I was a  Private; Number 3384 in the 1st battalion of the Leinster  Regiment.  

∙ James was killed in action in Egypt on the 17th of October, 1918.  He is buried in Cairo War Memorial Cemetery, in Egypt.

∙ My name is Thomas Fry from Clonbrin, Co. Longford. I was a  Private, Number 17721 in the 1st battalion of the Royal Dublin  Fusiliers. Building the trenches involved a lot of labour and was  very time-consuming. Trenches were dug by men, using spades,  shovels and picks. It took 450 men 6 hours to build one trench. 

∙ Thomas was killed in action in Gallipoli, Turkey on the 29th of  June 1915. 

∙ My name is George Kells from Tashinny. I was a Private, Number  16747 in the 7th battalion of the Royal Enniskillen Fusiliers. ∙ George died of pneumonia in Tipperary on the 14th of June 1915.  He is buried in St Mary’s Churchyard in Tipperary. 

∙ My name is John McBurney and I’m from Park Place, Colehill. I  was a Gunner, Number 45755, in the 280th Siege Battery, Royal  Garrison Artillery. The most difficult thing during the war for me  was the constant dampness and moisture in the trenches. Our  feet were never dry, snug and warm. They were always cold and  damp. All this dampness led to foot problems among the  soldiers. They suffered from a condition called Trench Foot. 

∙ John Mc. Burney was killed in action on the 13th of March 1918.  He is buried in Aubigny Communal Cemetery Extension,  Aubigney-en-Artois, Pas-de-Calais, France.  

∙ My name is William McBurney from Park Place, Colehill, Co.  Longford. John was my brother. I was a Sapper; Number 57696,  in the Royal Engineers. The weapons I used were a rifle, a  bayonet and a hand grenade. They were the weapons of a typical  soldier during the War. 

∙ William died from an illness on the 27th of April 1917 in a hospital  in Leeds. He is buried in Lawnswood Cemetery, Leeds, United  Kingdom.

∙ My name is Robert Mills and I’m from Clonbrin, Abbeyshrule. I  was a Gunner, Number 187412 in B Battery, 107th brigade of the  Royal Field Artillery. One of the exciting things in World War 1  was the Army Artillery Tanks. Tanks in World War 1 were huge  and very powerful, but only travelled at 5 miles an hour. 

∙ Robert was killed in action on the 14th of June 1917. He is buried  in Railway Dugouts Cemetery, Ieper, Belgium. 

∙ My name is James Moxham and I’m from Tenelick, Colehill. I was  a Company Sergeant Major, Number 7417 in the 2nd Battalion of  the Royal Irish Fusiliers Life in the trenches was very cold,  especially during the Winter months. Many soldiers suffered  from hypothermia. Soldiers sometimes lost fingers or toes due  to frostbite. 

∙ James died on the 3rd of October 1916, in Greece, from his war wounds. He is buried in Mikra British Cemetery, Kalamaria,  Greece. 

∙ My name is Thomas Nolan, from Tashinny. I was a Private,  Number 5781. I fought in the 2nd battalion of the Leinster  Regiment. 

∙ Thomas died of illness in Red Cross Hospital, Dublin Castle on the  26th of December 1918. He is buried in a Commonwealth War  Grave in Abbeyshrule Cemetery. 

∙ My name is John Nugent and I’m from Abbeyshrule. I was a  Private Number 16920, B Company, in the 6th Battalion of the  Royal Irish Fusiliers. Army generals were treated to a better  lifestyle in the trenches than the rest of us. They had superior  living quarters and safety conditions. Generals were not allowed  to rise above the top of the trenches, in case they were killed or  wounded. We privates were always in the front line and bore the  brunt of the war.

∙ John Nugent was killed in action in Gallipoli, Turkey on the 9th of  August 1915. His name is inscribed on the Helles Memorial in  Gallipoli, Turkey. 

∙ My name is James Ruttledge and I’m from Abbeyshrule. I was a  Private Number 3043 in the 2nd Battalion of the Leinster  Regiment. 

∙ James was killed in action in Belgium on the 20th of August 1915.  He is buried in Ramparts Cemetery, Ieper, Belgium.  ∙ My name is Samuel Cecil Webb, from Park Place, Colehill. I was  a Lieutenant in the 6th Battalion of the Royal Munster Fusiliers.  The war was supposed to be over by Christmas 1914 but ended  up lasting over four years. There was a ceasefire for Christmas  Eve 1915. Both sides called a truce for the day; for that one day,  soldiers from both sides sang carols and played football together  as friends. When Christmas was over, both sides resumed their  war duty as enemies to each other. 

∙ Samuel was killed in action in Yenekoi, Greece on the 3rd of  October 1916. He is buried in Struma Military Cemetery, Greece.