Pte
Austin McDonald
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1887 |
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Place of birth: Stockport, Cheshire, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Profession: Student |
Army information
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Country: England, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 41990 |
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Enlistment place: Chester, Cheshire, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, 8th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 16/08/1917 |
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Place of death: Borry Farm, Zonnebeke, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 30 |
Memorial
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Tyne Cot Memorial Panel: 71 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal — 30/09/1920 |
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Victory Medal Medal — 30/09/1920 |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Private Austin McDonald served in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 8th Battalion, part of the 49th Brigade, of the 16th (Irish) Division.
The Division participated in the Battle of Langemarck from the 16th till the 18th of August 1917. The starting point of the Division was east of the hamlet of Wieltje, with the 48th on the right and the 49th on the left of the front. The 49th Brigade attacked with the 8th Inniskilling on the right and the 7th Inniskilling on the left; the 7/8th Royal Irish Fusiliers were in support.
At 4.45 a.m., zero hour, the Battalions moved east towards their objectives. They left just in time, because the German artillery put down a barrage on the jump off line, moments after the attacking Battalions had left it. Keeping close behind the allied barrage, the 8th and 7th Inniskilling reached their first objective within the hour, and captured the German strongpoint Beck House. The 7th Battalion moved forward to another German strongpoint at Delva Farm, and were able to capture it, before they were targeted by machine gun fire coming from a row of pill boxes in their rear, which they had failed to clear out. The 7th suffered heavy casualties.
The 8th Inniskillings were held up by heavy machine gun fire from the German strongpoint at Borry Farm, which led to a standstill. The attack of the 36th (Ulster) Division, on the left flank of the 16th (Irish) Division, and the advance of the Division on the right were also checked by the Germans. When the Germans launched a counterattack at 8.30 a.m., the Inniskillings, with both flanks in the air, had no other choice then to fight their way back to their original jump offline.
The attack of the 7th and 8th Inniskillings on the 16th of August had been very costly. Both Battalions suffered heavy casualties. The losses had been so severe that both Battalions could not be recruited up to strength again and the 7th and 8th Innsikillings ceased to exist, as they were amalgamated to form the 7th/8th Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. On the 16th of August, the 8th Inniskillings suffered 384 losses, of which 16 officers. This led to the Battalion’s diminishing of almost 80 percent.
Private Austin McDonald was killed in action during the Battle of Langemarck on the 16th of August 1917 near Beck House and Borry Farm, not far from Frezenberg. His remains were never recovered or never identified and he is remembered on the Tyne Cote memorial in Zonnebeke.
The Division participated in the Battle of Langemarck from the 16th till the 18th of August 1917. The starting point of the Division was east of the hamlet of Wieltje, with the 48th on the right and the 49th on the left of the front. The 49th Brigade attacked with the 8th Inniskilling on the right and the 7th Inniskilling on the left; the 7/8th Royal Irish Fusiliers were in support.
At 4.45 a.m., zero hour, the Battalions moved east towards their objectives. They left just in time, because the German artillery put down a barrage on the jump off line, moments after the attacking Battalions had left it. Keeping close behind the allied barrage, the 8th and 7th Inniskilling reached their first objective within the hour, and captured the German strongpoint Beck House. The 7th Battalion moved forward to another German strongpoint at Delva Farm, and were able to capture it, before they were targeted by machine gun fire coming from a row of pill boxes in their rear, which they had failed to clear out. The 7th suffered heavy casualties.
The 8th Inniskillings were held up by heavy machine gun fire from the German strongpoint at Borry Farm, which led to a standstill. The attack of the 36th (Ulster) Division, on the left flank of the 16th (Irish) Division, and the advance of the Division on the right were also checked by the Germans. When the Germans launched a counterattack at 8.30 a.m., the Inniskillings, with both flanks in the air, had no other choice then to fight their way back to their original jump offline.
The attack of the 7th and 8th Inniskillings on the 16th of August had been very costly. Both Battalions suffered heavy casualties. The losses had been so severe that both Battalions could not be recruited up to strength again and the 7th and 8th Innsikillings ceased to exist, as they were amalgamated to form the 7th/8th Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. On the 16th of August, the 8th Inniskillings suffered 384 losses, of which 16 officers. This led to the Battalion’s diminishing of almost 80 percent.
Private Austin McDonald was killed in action during the Battle of Langemarck on the 16th of August 1917 near Beck House and Borry Farm, not far from Frezenberg. His remains were never recovered or never identified and he is remembered on the Tyne Cote memorial in Zonnebeke.
Sources 3
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8 Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. [Document starts with War Diaries to August... , (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/1977/3). https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14303 Further reference |
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Fox F., The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers in The World War, (Uckfield, The Naval & Military Press LTD, 2009), pg. 99-102. Sources used |
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McCarthy C., "The Third Ypres Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account, (London, Arms & Armour Press, 1995), pg. 48-49. 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/833670 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=1553e34e-cb75-4507-9a83-f0c4248d1a6e |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/2773407 |