The Wartime Memories Project - The Great War
The 36th (Ulster) Division



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The 36th (Ulster) Division was formed in September 1914, from the Ulster Volunteer Force raising thirteen battalions for the three Irish regiments based in Ulster, the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, the Royal Irish Fusiliers and the Royal Irish Rifles.

The men trained at Dufferin and Ava Estate at Clandeboye, County Down and in July 1915, the Division moved to Seaford, in Sussex, England and then to France in early October 1915.

The 36th Ulster Division are most famous for thier action on the 1st of July 1916, when they were one of the few Divisions to reach thier objective. The front lines were at the edge of Thiepval Wood, troops crossed about 400 yards of No Man's Land, entering the Schwaben Redoubt, (close to where the Ulster Tower stands today) then advancing on towards Stuff Redoubt. The men held out for the day but as their stocks of bombs and ammunition dwindled, they were forced to fall back.

The casualties suffered by the 36th Division on the 1st of July were over 5,000 in total. Nine men of the 36th Division were awarded the Victoria Cross on the 1st of July 1916.

The Ulster Tower, at Theipval is a memorial to the men of the 36th (Ulster) Division, built as a copy of Helen's Tower at Clandeboye, County Down, where men of the 36th Division trained. There is a small visitor centre with a cafe behind the tower which is staffed by members of the Somme Association. Inside the tower is a small chapel with a number of paintings and plaques from Northern Ireland.

Today Theipval Wood is owned by The Somme Association and guided tours are available of a section of recently excavated trenches.

Please note that Theipval Wood is not open the public, it is used by French huntsmen who use live ammunition and who will shoot, you are putting yourself at risk by entering without permission. Please go to the visitor centre at the Ulster Tower to arrange a guided tour.

A DVD is now available, released for the official opening of the wood for guided tours on the 1st of July 2006, follows the Community Archeology Project, undertaken by The Somme Association and No Man's Land, The European Group for Great War Archaeology.

You can order a copy on-line by clicking the image below:






The 36th (Ulster) Division consisted of:
  • 16th (Service) Bn (2nd County Down) (Pioneers), The Royal Irish Rifles
  • 1st Bn, the Royal Irish Fusiliers
  • 266th Machine Gun Company
  • No 36 Machine Gun Battalion
  • Divisional Mounted Troops
  • 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons (Service Squadron)
  • 36th Divisional Cyclist Company
  • Artillery
    • CLIII Brigade, RFA
    • CLIV (H) Brigade, RFA
    • CLXXIII Brigade, RFA
    • CLXXIII Brigade, RFA
    • 36 Heavy Battery, RGA
    • 36th Divisional Ammunition Column
    • V.36 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery RFA
    • X.36, Y.36 and Z.36 Medium Mortar Batteries RFA
  • Engineerd
    • 121st Field Company
    • 122nd Field Company
    • 150th Field Company
    • 36th Signal Company
  • RAMC
    • 108th Field Ambulance
    • 109th Field Ambulance
    • 110th Field Ambulance
  • Service Troops
    • 36th Divisional Train ASC (251, 252, 253 and 254 HT Companies ASC)
    • 233rd Divisional Employment Company
    • 76th Sanitary Section
    • 36th Divisional Motor Ambulance Workshop






    • List of those who served with The 36th Ulster Division during The Great War.

    • W Allan Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 11th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • W G Ashe Royal Irish Rifles 10th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • James Baird Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 11th Bn (d. 1st July 1916)
    • Temporary Captain Eric Norman Frankland Bell VC. 9th Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. Read his story
    • R R Bellis 9th Btn. (d. 01/07/1916 )
    • James Bennett Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 11th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • A G Blair Royal Irish Rifles 10th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • T Blair Royal Irish Rifles 14th Bn. (d. 1st July 1917)
    • G Bodle Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 11th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • R Bothwell Royal Irish Rifles 14th Bn. (d. 1st July 1917)
    • E Bowen Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 11th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • Robert Boyd Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 10th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • C Brown Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 11th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • A Bryans 9th Btn. (d. 01/07/1916 )
    • R Bryans 9th Btn. (d. 01/07/1916 )
    • W E Bustard Royal Irish Rifles 14th Bn. (d. 1st July 1917)
    • D Caldwell 9th Btn. (d. 01/07/1916 )
    • W Carroll Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 11th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • Temporary Lieutenant Geoffrey St George Shillington Cather VC. 9th Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers. Read his story
    • J Catherwood 9th Btn. (d. 01/07/1916 )
    • W Christie 9th Btn. (d. 01/07/1916 )
    • N Coombe Machine Gun Corps (Infantry) 109th Coy. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • John Arnott Taylor Craig Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers "D" Coy. 11th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • J H Davison Royal Irish Rifles 11th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • R Deane Royal Irish Rifles 10th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • W Devlin Royal Irish Rifles 14th Bn. (d. 1st July 1917)
    • J Dobbin Royal Irish Rifles 14th Bn. (d. 1st July 1917)
    • H Dowds Royal Irish Rifles 15th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • H Eames Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 11th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • George Edward Ebbs Machine Gun Corps (Infantry) 109th Coy. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • T Elliott Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 11th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • W Ellis Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 10th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • William Ellison Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 10th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • S Fairbrother Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 11th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • J H Fitzsimons Royal Irish Rifles 14th Bn. (d. 1st July 1917)
    • W Flemming 9th Btn. (d. 01/07/1916 )
    • Richard Fowler 9th Btn. (d. 01/07/1916 )
    • Samuel Gardiner Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers "A" Coy. 11th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • W Gates 9th Btn. (d. 01/07/1916 )
    • James Gilmour 9th Btn. (d. 01/07/1916 )
    • M Goldsmith Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 11th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • Captain John Leslie Green VC. Royal Army Medical Corps attached to 1/5th Battalion the Sherwood Foresters. Read his story
    • John Roulston Gourley 9th Btn. (d. 24/06/1916 )
    • James Gourley Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 11th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • J Greer 9th Btn. (d. 01/07/1916 )
    • J Hammond 9th Btn. (d. 01/07/1916 )
    • Andrew Chichester Hart Machine Gun Corps 109th Bn. Fm Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (d. 1st July 1916)
    • G A Hawthorne Royal Irish Rifles 10th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • J Henderson Royal Irish Rifles 14th Bn. (d. 1st July 1917)
    • H Heslip Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 11th Bn (d. 1st July 1916)
    • G A Hoy Royal Irish Rifles 10th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • G Hoye Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 11th Bn (d. 1st July 1916)
    • T Hunter 9th Btn. (d. 01/07/1916 )
    • Samuel Peter Hutchings 9th Btn. (d. 01/07/1916 )
    • S Irvine Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 11th Bn (d. 1st July 1916)
    • Angus Johnston Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 11th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • J Kerr 9th Btn. (d. 01/07/1916 )
    • A G Kerr Royal Irish Rifles 10th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • T Knight Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 11th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • G Kyle Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 11th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • W Latimer Royal Irish Rifles 15th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • George Herbert Ledson 9th Btn. (d. 01/07/1916 )
    • N Lowes Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 11th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • John Lyttle Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 11th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • John Mackenzie Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 11th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • W R McCaffrey Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 11th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • A McCleery Royal Irish Rifles 14th Bn. (d. 1st July 1917)
    • J McCoy Royal Irish Rifles 10th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • T McCurry 9th Btn. (d. 01/07/1916 )
    • Private William Frederick McFadzean VC. 14th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles. Read his story
    • A McFarland Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 11th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • Samuel McIlroy Royal Irish Rifles 14th Bn. attd. 109th Light Trench Mortar Bty. (d. 1st July 1917)
    • C McKendrick Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 11th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • W McKinley 9th Btn. (d. 01/08/1916 )
    • David Menarry 9th Btn. (d. 01/07/1916 )
    • H Mills 9th Btn. (d. 01/07/1916 )
    • J Mitchell 9th Btn. (d. 01/07/1916 )
    • H Moffett 9th Btn. (d. 01/07/1916 )
    • John Trid Moore Royal Irish Rifles 14th Bn. attd. 109th Light Trench Mortar Bty. (d. 1st July 1917)
    • J Morrison Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 10th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • Arthur Galway Morrow Royal Irish Rifles 14th Bn. (d. 1st July 1917)
    • Samuel Mulligan 9th Btn. (d. 01/07/1916 )
    • M Murphy Royal Irish Rifles 10th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • A Noble 9th Btn. (d. 01/07/1916 )
    • M Noble 9th Btn. (d. 01/07/1916 )
    • J Palmer Royal Irish Rifles 15th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • T J Patton Royal Irish Rifles 10th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • J G Pearson Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 11th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • Rifleman Robert Quigg VC. 12th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles. Read his story
    • William Quinn 9th Btn. (d. 01/07/1916 )
    • Henry James Reilly Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 10th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • William Rice Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 10th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • I Richardson Royal Irish Rifles 10th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • Drummer Walter Potter Ritchie VC. 2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders. Read his story
    • George Ruddell Machine Gun Corps (Infantry) 109th Coy (d. 1st July 1916)
    • T A Rutherford Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 11th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • Corporal George Sanders VC. 1/7th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment. Read his story
    • James Tees Scott Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 10th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • Major Stewart Walter Loudoun-Shand VC. 10th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment. Read his story
    • Charles Owen Slacke Royal Irish Rifles 14th Bn. (d. 1st July 1917)
    • W J Smylie 9th Btn. (d. 01/07/1916 )
    • W J Spence Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 11th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • Nicholas Stephenson Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 11th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • W J Stratton Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 11th Bn (d. 1st July 1916)
    • D Sutherland Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 11th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • Sergeant James Youll Turnbull VC. 17th Battalion Highland Light Infantry. Read his story
    • F Thompson Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 11th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • J Vincent 9th Btn. (d. 01/07/1916 )
    • Robert Wallace 9th Btn. (d. 01/07/1916 )
    • C Wasson 9th Btn. (d. 01/07/1916 )
    • Samuel Watson Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 11th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • J Watson Royal Irish Rifles 10th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • Joseph Watson Royal Irish Rifles 11th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • W Webster Royal Irish Rifles 11th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • H Weightman Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 11th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • J L White Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 11th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)
    • James Wylie Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 11th Bn. (d. 1st July 1916)




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