L/Cpl
Andrew Magowan
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1896 |
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Place of birth: County Armagh, Ireland, United Kingdom |
General information
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Last known residence: Portadown, County Armagh, Ireland, United Kingdom |
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Profession: High School Student |
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Religion: Presbyterian |
Army information
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Country: Ireland, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Lance Corporal |
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Service number: 18058 |
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Enlistment place: Loughgall, County Armagh, Ireland, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Royal Irish Fusiliers, 9th Bn. (County Armagh) (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 16/08/1917 |
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Place of death: Pommern Castle & Redoubt, Saint-Julien, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 21 |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: VIII Row: D Grave: 13 |
Distinctions and medals 4
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1914-15 Star Medal |
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British War Medal Medal |
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Military Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 4
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Last known residence | ||
| #3 | Enlistment place | ||
| #4 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Andrew Magowan was born around 1896 in County Armagh. When the war broke out, the family was living in Portadown, County Armagh.
Andrew enlisted in Loughgall, County Armagh, during the early years of the war and served from October 1915 on the Western Front with the 9th Battalion (County Armagh), Royal Irish Fusiliers, part of the 108th Brigade in the 36th (Ulster) Division. He rose to the rank of Lance Corporal and was awarded the Military Medal.
During the Battle of Passchendaele, on 16 August 1917, the 9th Royal Irish Fusiliers assembled in an old trench running from Pommern Redoubt — the battalion headquarters — to Iberian Farm. Their objective was to advance towards the Zonnebeke–Langemark road, about 1.5 kilometres ahead.
Moments after advancing behind the creeping barrage, the men were halted at Hill 35. Despite continuous machine-gun fire from Somme and Gallipoli, the battalion managed to capture Hill 35. Meanwhile, contact was lost with the 7/8th Royal Irish Fusiliers as the rolling barrage moved on, exposing the men more and more to German fire.
One platoon stayed behind to consolidate Hill 35 while the attack continued. The Fusiliers advanced until they encountered a double belt of barbed wire at Gallipoli, north of Hill 35. The wire had been destroyed in only one or two places, forcing the men to squeeze through. German machine-guns targeted these bottlenecks — firing from dug-outs in Gallipoli, Aisne Farm and Martha House north of Hill 35, and from Hill 37 to the east along the Zonnebeke–Langemark road. The losses were devastating.
Further advance proved impossible. The battalion was forced to withdraw and consolidated its positions in a trench in front of Hill 35. But constant machine-gun fire from Hill 37 made this position untenable. They withdrew again, this time to a trench on the southern slope of Hill 35.
This position connected with the lines of the 16th (Irish) Division on their right. But when that division was pushed back by German counterattacks, the right flank of the Fusiliers was exposed. From Iberian Farm, south of Hill 35, German machine-guns fired into their flank. With no cover left on their right, the 9th Royal Irish Fusiliers were finally forced to fall back to their original lines. The attack was a complete failure.
Andrew, only 21 years old, was killed during the attack on Hill 35. He was initially buried in the field near Pommern Castle. After the war, he received his final resting place at Tyne Cot Cemetery, Plot VIII, Row D, Grave 13.
Andrew enlisted in Loughgall, County Armagh, during the early years of the war and served from October 1915 on the Western Front with the 9th Battalion (County Armagh), Royal Irish Fusiliers, part of the 108th Brigade in the 36th (Ulster) Division. He rose to the rank of Lance Corporal and was awarded the Military Medal.
During the Battle of Passchendaele, on 16 August 1917, the 9th Royal Irish Fusiliers assembled in an old trench running from Pommern Redoubt — the battalion headquarters — to Iberian Farm. Their objective was to advance towards the Zonnebeke–Langemark road, about 1.5 kilometres ahead.
Moments after advancing behind the creeping barrage, the men were halted at Hill 35. Despite continuous machine-gun fire from Somme and Gallipoli, the battalion managed to capture Hill 35. Meanwhile, contact was lost with the 7/8th Royal Irish Fusiliers as the rolling barrage moved on, exposing the men more and more to German fire.
One platoon stayed behind to consolidate Hill 35 while the attack continued. The Fusiliers advanced until they encountered a double belt of barbed wire at Gallipoli, north of Hill 35. The wire had been destroyed in only one or two places, forcing the men to squeeze through. German machine-guns targeted these bottlenecks — firing from dug-outs in Gallipoli, Aisne Farm and Martha House north of Hill 35, and from Hill 37 to the east along the Zonnebeke–Langemark road. The losses were devastating.
Further advance proved impossible. The battalion was forced to withdraw and consolidated its positions in a trench in front of Hill 35. But constant machine-gun fire from Hill 37 made this position untenable. They withdrew again, this time to a trench on the southern slope of Hill 35.
This position connected with the lines of the 16th (Irish) Division on their right. But when that division was pushed back by German counterattacks, the right flank of the Fusiliers was exposed. From Iberian Farm, south of Hill 35, German machine-guns fired into their flank. With no cover left on their right, the 9th Royal Irish Fusiliers were finally forced to fall back to their original lines. The attack was a complete failure.
Andrew, only 21 years old, was killed during the attack on Hill 35. He was initially buried in the field near Pommern Castle. After the war, he received his final resting place at Tyne Cot Cemetery, Plot VIII, Row D, Grave 13.
Sources 6
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9 Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), WO 95/2505/2). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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British Army World War I Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920 (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), WO372). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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Census of Ireland 1901/1911 (The National Archives of Ireland, Dublin (NAI)). https://www.nationalarchives.ie/ Sources used |
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Cunliffe, M., Passchendaele: The Royal Irish Fusiliers : 1793-1968. (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1970) 324-327. Sources used |
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Harris, H., The Royal Irish Fusiliers (the 87th and 89th Regiments of Foot). (London, Leo Cooper, 1972) 100-103. Sources used |
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McCarthy Chris, Passchendaele: The Day-By-Day Account (Londen, Arms & Armour, 2018) 52-55. Sources used |
More information 3
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/463853 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=0af94962-1ecd-4aa1-83b1-55aeafbb8de3 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/5066999 |