L/Cpl
Hugh Doggart
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1895 |
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Place of birth: Ballymacarrett, County Down, Ireland, United Kingdom |
General information
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Last known residence: Holywood, County Down, Ireland, United Kingdom |
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Profession: Labourer |
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Religion: Church of Ireland |
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: 3914 |
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Enlistment place: Belfast, County Antrim, Ireland, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Royal Irish Rifles, 13th Bn. (1st County Down) (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 16/08/1917 |
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Place of death: Somme - Wiesengut, Saint-Julien, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 22 |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: IV Row: D Grave: 5 |
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
Hugh Doggart was born around 1895 in Ballymacarrett, a working-class district in County Down, separated from Belfast by the River Lagan. In 1911, he lived with his parents in Holywood, County Down. In September 1914, the then 19-year-old labourer enlisted in the army. He had previously been rejected due to poor teeth. In November 1914, Hugh, who had only served in Ireland up to that point, was discharged. But the war machine’s appetite was insatiable, and bad teeth or not, Hugh was allowed to re-enlist. From October 1915, he served at the front as a Rifleman in the 13th Battalion (1st County Down) of the Royal Irish Rifles, part of the 108th Brigade in the 36th (Ulster) Division.
On 16 August 1917, the division took up positions just south of the village of Sint-Juliaan. The 108th Brigade advanced on the right, alongside the 109th Brigade on the left. The 16th (Irish) Division was positioned to their right. The 13th Royal Irish Rifles and the 9th Royal Irish Fusiliers led the attack, with the 12th in support and the 11th in reserve.
At 4:45 a.m., the assault began behind a creeping barrage. But the boggy terrain made progress difficult. Waterlogged craters and flooded trenches turned the battlefield into a quagmire. The leading troops came under intense machine-gun and rifle fire from German bunkers at Somme Farm. Although they managed to pass it, they could not hold it, forcing the companies to dig in nearby.
Support troops and reserves were sent forward but were heavily pinned down by fire from Gallipoli, Hindu Cottage, and Aisne Farm on the right, and Pond Farm and Hindu Cottage on the left. Within an hour, the battalion had to withdraw. A second assault, supported by headquarters personnel, was also repelled by fierce crossfire. Disorganized and depleted, the brigade fell back to its original positions. Officers regrouped the remaining men and worked to stabilize the line. The next day, the 108th Brigade was relieved.
The attack was a complete failure. The two Irish divisions gained almost no ground. No further assaults were attempted that day.
Lance Corporal Hugh, aged 22, was killed on 16 August 1917. He was originally buried near Somme. After the war, he was reburied at Tyne Cot Cemetery: Plot IV, Row D, Grave 5.
On 16 August 1917, the division took up positions just south of the village of Sint-Juliaan. The 108th Brigade advanced on the right, alongside the 109th Brigade on the left. The 16th (Irish) Division was positioned to their right. The 13th Royal Irish Rifles and the 9th Royal Irish Fusiliers led the attack, with the 12th in support and the 11th in reserve.
At 4:45 a.m., the assault began behind a creeping barrage. But the boggy terrain made progress difficult. Waterlogged craters and flooded trenches turned the battlefield into a quagmire. The leading troops came under intense machine-gun and rifle fire from German bunkers at Somme Farm. Although they managed to pass it, they could not hold it, forcing the companies to dig in nearby.
Support troops and reserves were sent forward but were heavily pinned down by fire from Gallipoli, Hindu Cottage, and Aisne Farm on the right, and Pond Farm and Hindu Cottage on the left. Within an hour, the battalion had to withdraw. A second assault, supported by headquarters personnel, was also repelled by fierce crossfire. Disorganized and depleted, the brigade fell back to its original positions. Officers regrouped the remaining men and worked to stabilize the line. The next day, the 108th Brigade was relieved.
The attack was a complete failure. The two Irish divisions gained almost no ground. No further assaults were attempted that day.
Lance Corporal Hugh, aged 22, was killed on 16 August 1917. He was originally buried near Somme. After the war, he was reburied at Tyne Cot Cemetery: Plot IV, Row D, Grave 5.
Sources 5
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13 Battalion Royal Irish Rifles (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/2506/3). 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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British Army WWI Pension Records 1914-1920 (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), WO364). 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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McCarthy Chris., Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account (London, Unicorn Publishing Group, 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/462581 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=a2f21ba9-cfc7-4b92-8944-6b3be7c51d2c |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/1660428 |