St Patricks Day 2024 Tyneside Irish Commemoration

 Commemoration of the Tyneside Irish Brigade at Eldon Square War Memorial on St Patricks Day.

Tyneside Irish Commemoration  IJ

Tyneside Irish Commemoration
Tyneside Scottish Branch RAA

Tyneside Irish Commemoration Last Post

Tyneside Irish Commemoration Two Minutes Silence

Tyneside Irish Commemoration Piper Lament

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Tyneside Irish Somme Commemoration 2023

Tyneside Irish Somme Commemoration at Tyneside Irish Centre Gallowgate.

Tyneside Irish Somme Commemoration
Tyneside Scottish

Tyneside Irish Somme Commemoration

TYNESIDE IRISH REMEMBRANCE

ST PATRICKS DAY

Armed Forces Veterans and Chi Onwurah MP

Tyneside Irish Remembrance Parade

Tyneside Irish Remembrance Parade
Opening Address

Tyneside Irish Remembrance
Padre leads the Service

Tyneside Irish Remembrance
Exhortation IJ

Tyneside Irish Remembrance
Pipers Lament

Tyneside Irish Remembrance
Irish Consulate Wreath

Tyneside Irish Remembrance
Lord Mayor Newcastle lays Wreath

Tyneside Irish Remembrance
Padre closing prayers

                        

Tyneside Irish Centre St Patrick's Day

Somme 2023 - La Boisselle

 The village of La Boisselle lies on the Albert to Bapaume road, the main axis for the Fourth Army assualt on the 1st July 1916. 

The road ran between two  valleys  which had been nicknamed  Sausage and Mash along which the primary German defences were situated. To the north of La Boisselle was the village of  Ovillers. Both villages had been heavily  fortified, supported by strong points. 

III Corps were ordered to capture the two villages and secure the high ground to the north. The 8th Division Ovillers, the 34th Division La Boisselle. 

III Corps La Boisselle and Ovillers

The 34th Division at La Boisselle would attack with the 102nd (Tyneside Scottish) Brigade left, and the 101st Brigade on the right. The 103rd (Tyneside Irish) Brigade would be echeloned behind the two assaulting brigades to attack beyond the initial divisional objectives. 

Mines had been dug under two strong points and explosives placed for detonation prior to the assault.  Y-Sap (18,000kg), Lochngar (27,000) kg and two smaller mines (3,600 kg each) in front of the ‘Glory Hole’ in front of La Boisselle.

La Boisselle

At 07:28, the mines were blown, two minutes later to the skirl of the pipes, the Tyneside Scottish left their trenches to   commence the assault. The Tyneside Irish were echeloned to the rear, of the Tyneside Scottish ready to exploit the gains of the two assaulting brigades. 

The failings of the primary bombardment became apparent. Poor co-operation between the Royal Flying Corps and the artillery meant many German guns were undetected, thus able to bring fire down on the advancing British troops. Machine guns protected in deep dugouts were deployed and swept no mans land with murderous fire. 

Brigadier Trevor Ternan, commanding the Tyneside Scottish Brigade described the scene;

“The attack had been pushed on with extraordinary heroism, but with no avail Officers and men had been literally mowed down, but in rapidly diminishing numbers they resolutely  pushed on to meet their  deaths close to the enemy wire. No-Mans-Land was reported to be heaped with dead.“

“While the enemy’s Artillery caused many casualties our losses were mainly due to the  intensity of the enemy’s machine gun fire”

The 101st Brigade where however able to capture the Lochnagar Crater,  allowing many men, including those of the Tyneside Scottish and Irish to take refuge in the large hole left by the mine explosion.

Of all the assaulting divisions on the 1st July, it was the 34th Division which sustained the heaviest casualties (6,380), as the decimated ranks of the Tyneside Scottish and Tyneside Irish would testify. They would be withdrawn form the line to regenerate.

Tyneside Scottish Casualties: 920 killed / 1,368 wounded = 2,288

Tyneside Irish Casualties: 596 killed / 1,575 wounder = 2,171

At La Boisselle a memorial seat commemorates the losses of the men from Tyneside.

Tyneside Memorial Seat La Boisselle

Tyneside Memorial Seat La Boisselle IJ DM

Tyneside Memorial Seat La Boisselle
Remembering the Tyneside Scottish

LÉ William Butler Yeats Tyne Visit

Long Éireannach William Butler Yeats (P63) is a Samuel Beckett-class offshore patrol vessel of the Irish Naval Service. It's role is to provide border protection, immigration law-enforcement, fisheries protection, as well as search and rescue duties.

LÉ William Butler Yeats (P63)
Samuel Beckett-class offshore patrol vessel

It is one of four Irish ships (Long Éireannach - LÉ) in the class, all named after Irish Poets. The LÉ William Butler Yeats was built by Babcock Marine Appledore and commissioned 17 October 2016. It has ships complement of 44 (plus 10 trainees). It carries three x 8 m (RHIB) rigid-hulled inflatable boats. It uses Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAV) to provide aviation capability.  The ship can carry three 6.1 m sea containers and has a 5-ton 9.56 m crane aft. 

LÉ William Butler Yeats (P63)
Samuel Beckett-class offshore patrol vessel

It is armed with a 76 mm Oto Melara cannon and two 20 mm Rheinmetall cannons. There are mountings for 7.62 mm & 12.7 mm machine guns.

LÉ William Butler Yeats (P63)
76 mm Oto Melara cannon

The LÉ William Butler Yeats arrived on the River Tyne on 23rd October 2022.  It was tied up at Spillers Wharf.

LÉ William Butler Yeats (P63)
Arriving at Spillers Wharf

LÉ William Butler Yeats (P63)

The ship was on a two-day tour to take part in the Tyneside Irish Festival.

LÉ William Butler Yeats (P63)
River Tyne Spillers Wharf

LÉ William Butler Yeats (P63)
River Tyne Spillers Wharf

A reception was held on the evening of 25th October for the Tyneside Irish community hosted by the Officer Commanding and the Consul General of Ireland for Northern England. 

LÉ William Butler Yeats (P63)
Tyneside Irish Reception IJ

LÉ William Butler Yeats (P63)
Tyneside Irish Reception Irish Band

LÉ William Butler Yeats (P63)
Officer Commanding

LÉ William Butler Yeats (P63)
Tyneside Irish Reception 

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Function held last night onboard LÉ WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS as part of the @Tyneside_Irish Festival 🍀🎶 @IrlNorthEngland @IrelandEmbGB

Great night had by all 🇮🇪⚓#navy #diplomaticmission #irishabroad #seayourfuture pic.twitter.com/p1leIOJAtC

— Irish Naval Service (@naval_service) October 26, 2022

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The Long Éireannach William Butler Yeats (P63) left the River Tyne on 26th October.

Tyneside Irish Somme Commemoration 2022

 The Tyneside Irish Brigade Memories Project aims to capture family memories of some of the 5,000 soldiers who fought in the Tyneside Irish Brigade of the Northumberland Fusiliers during the First World War.

On the 1st July 2022, their exhibition was shown at the Tyneside Irish Centre in Gallowgate, and a commemorative service was held to remember the men of the Tyneside Irish Brigade who were lost on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. 

Tyneside Irish Commemoration 1st July 2022

Padre leads the Commemoration

TI Somme Commmeoration
Piper Plays Minstrel Boy

The minstrel boy to the war is gone,

In the ranks of death you'll find him;

His fathers sword he has girded on,

And his wild harp slung behind him.

"Land of song!" said the warrior bard,

"Though all the world betrays thee,

One sword at least thy rights shall guard,

One faithful harp shall praise thee!"

The minstrel fell! But the foreman's chain

Could not bring that proud soul under;

The harp he loved ne'er spoke again

For he tore is chords asunder;

And said "no chains shall sully thee,

Thou soul of love and bravery!

Thy songs were made for the pure and free,

They shall never sound in slavery."

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The origin of Tyneside Irish lay with Lord Kitchener's call to arms at the begining of the First World War and the formation of the Pal's Battalions. Originaly it was intended to raise a battalion of men of Irish descent to serve in the Northumberland Fusiliers. 

The number of men volunteering was such that four battalions were formed, the 24th to 27th Service Battalions Northumberland Fusiliers, 1st to 4th Battalions Tyneside Irish. 

They would form the 103rd (Tyneside Irish) Brigade, which together with their fellow compatriots from the North East the 102nd (Tyneside Scottish) Brigade and the 101st Brigade, constituted the 34th Division.

After training in the UK, the 34th Division depated for France in January 1916 destined for the Western Front to take part on the Battle of the Somme in the Summer. They would deploy in the area of La Boisselle in May 1916, ready for the British Army's assault on the Somme. 

Tyneside Irish Brigade 1st July 1916

Source: The Somme 1916 - Tyneside Irish Brigade Association

 On the first day on the Somme, the 34th Division attacked astride the Albert-Bapaume road at La Boisselle. The 103rd (Tyneside Irish) Brigade's task was to follow up the main attack by the 101st and 102nd (Tyneside Scottish) Brigades and advance on a line from Pozières to Contalmaison.

Advancing at the same time as the main attack, the Brigade started from the reserve trenches on the Tara-Usna Line. The four Battalions, marching in extended line (from left to right; the 2nd, 3rd, 1st and 4th), advanced down into Avoca Valley and then up the other side to the British front-line trench. 

From there they had to cross no man's land, pass through the German front-line and advance to their objectives. However, the main attack was an almost complete failure and the Tyneside Irish were utterly exposed to the machine guns of the German defences. 

The Brigade suffered heavy casualties even before its Battalions reached the British front-line. Opposite La Boisselle the Brigade was halted but on the right, elements of the 1st and 4th Battalions were able to advance up 'Sausage Valley' and pass through the German front-line. 

Two small parties met up behind the German support trench and pushed on towards their objective of Contalmaison. Their effort was in vain as they were eventually killed or captured.

The 1st battalion suffered 620 casualties on 1 July (18 officers and 602 other ranks), its commander, Lieutenant Colonel L.M. Howard, was among the dead. The 4th Battalion suffered 539 casualties (20 officers and 519 other ranks). While the commanders of the 2nd and 3rd Battalions were both wounded, as was the Brigade commander, Brigadier General N.J.G. Cameron.

The Brigade's losses on 1 July were so severe that on the 6th, it, along with the 102nd (Tyneside Scottish) Brigade, was transferred to the 37th Division, swapping with the 112th Brigade. The two Brigades returned to the 34th Division on 22 August.

The press reports of the first day of the Battle of the Somme outlined an optimistic view of events. 

Tyneside Irish La Boisselle 1st July 1916

The casualty figures told a different story. The Tyneside Irish and Tyneside Scottish had sustained some of the highest number of casualties on that fateful day, for little territorial gain. The effects on the families of the fallen around Tyneside, Durham and Northumerland would be devastating. 

Tyneside Irish Casualties 1st July 1916

Source John Sheen, author                                                                                                                 Tyneside Irish 24th, 25th, 26th & 27th (Service) Battalions of Northumbeland Fusiliers

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Tyneside Irish Uniform

Tyneside Irish Uniform
Tyneside Irish Collar Badges
Northumberland Fusilier Cap Badge

Tyneside Irish Uniform
1st Battalion Tyneside Irish Shouder Patch
24th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers

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The Colour of the 27th Battalion Northumberland Fusilers, 4th Battalion Tyneside Irish can be found in St Mary's Cathedral, Newcastle.

St Mary's Cathedral Newcastle

27th Battalion Northumberland Fusilers
4th Battalion Tyneside Irish Colour