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Sergeant John Moyney, V.C.

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A WW1 Victoria Cross Winner from County Laois

by James Scannell

John Moyney, V.C., is one of the many forgotten Irish Victoria Cross winners of the First World War who prior to his death on 10 November 1980 was the last surviving Irish First World War recipient of this award.

John Moyney was born at Rathdowney, Co. Laois, on 8 January 1895 into a large and poor family. Leaving school early he was employed as a labourer on local farms and on 7 April 1915 initially enlisted in the Leinster Regiment but his attestation papers were subsequently amended to the 2 Bn Irish Guards, and on competition of his training left for France on 5 October that year with No.5 Company where prior to Christmas 1915 he was promoted to the rank of Lance-Corporal. During the Battle of the Somme in 1916 he had a lucky escape from death after he was buried alive by a shell blast and was extricated by his comrades. On 18 October 1916 he was promoted to the rank of Lance-Sergeant.

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The Byrne Brothers

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by Sonny Kinsella

The story you are about to read is a true, sad and tragic one about three brothers and their friend who lived with the family and were all killed while fighting in the British Army against the Germans in the infamous "Battle of the Somme".

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Book Review: Danmarks Reges Medaljer Og Haederstegn

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DANMARKS REGES MEDALJER OG HAEDERSTEGN
(The Decorations and Medals of Denmark 1770-1990)
By Lars Sternberg.
Paperback, 384 pages, copious B/W illustrations and one page of ribbons in colour.
Odense University Press, Odense, Denmark. 

The Kingdom of Denmark has a long and distinguished medallic history. Its two great Orders of Chivalry, which are not dealt with in this book, had their origins in 1457 and 1671 respectively and are among the most distinguished in the world. Official medals have been awarded in one form or another since 1673 but it is interesting to note that only half a dozen or so could be described as war or campaign medals - in marked contrast to most other European countries.
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Lt. Col. Kenneth Harry Powers

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OBITUARY

We have just learned that the death of Lt. Col Kenneth Harry Powers took place on the 8th July, 2005 at his home in Westpoint, Connecticut.

Col. Powers was a member of the Medal Society of Ireland for a number of years, between 1993 and 2000 and attended some of its meetings. He was a keen member of the Military History Society of Ireland a collector of memorabilia of Irish Historical Interest.
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Great Northern Railway (Ireland) Casualties in WWI and WWII

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by Roger Willoughby

Combatant casualties during the First World War occurred on a traumatically industrial scale. Subsequent commemoration of the dead by the survivors, their families, friends and work colleagues took many forms. Within work settings perhaps the most prominent monuments were those erected by the railway companies across Britain and Ireland.1

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Dr. A.J. Devlin

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Obituary

by Liam Dodd

Dr. A.J. Devlin whose death has occurred at his home St. Jude's Foxrock County Dublin, was born and educated in Cork. He entered the Royal Military College in 1915. During the First World War 1914-18 Dr. Delvin served as Lieutenant in the Prince of Wales Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadian's) and was severely wounded.
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New R.N.L.I. Award for Lifeboat Crew Members and Lifeguards

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by James Scannell

Traditionally, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (R.N.L.I.) which provides deep sea rescue up to 50 miles off land and inshore as well around the coasts of Britain and Ireland, has awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze medals and Testimonials on Vellum to those members of the organisation who have displayed outstanding heroism on rescue operations. Now a new award, the Framed Certificate for First Aid, has been created to recognise outstanding medical assistance for life threatening injuries administered in difficult circumstances.

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Death of Mallow Man

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by Liam Dodd

Died June 1st 1947 at R.A.F. Station Leuchars Fife Scotland as the result of an accident Flight Lieutenant Francis Drew Foott (late Connaught Rangers) of Kilshanning House Mallow Co. Cork and youngest son of the late John Charles Foott M.D. Tallow Co. Waterford.

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A Sad Fatal Accident

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Inquest and Verdict 

by Liam Dodd

The sad news of the death of Gunner Sam Bond R.F.A. which occurred while training with his battery in Blicksting Park Aylaham Norfolk on January 24th was received in Bunclody Co Wexford on Friday last. The accident occurred through Gunner Bond attempting to unlimber the gun. He lost his footing and before his comrades could get the team to stop the wheel of the gun limber passed over him.

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Soldier's Death

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by Liam Dodd

The death took place on the 16th February of Corporal John Cleary A.S.C. age 37 years, husband of Mrs Annie Cleary, Friar's Hill, Wicklow at the West Herts Hospital, Hemel Hampstead. A native of Dublin the deceased had seen active service in the Boer War, where he was wounded and nearly three years ago he rejoined the Army Service Corps and saw active service in France in the motor transport.
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A Blind Soldier

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by Liam Dodd

Captain Gerald Lowry F.R.G.S. an Ulsterman was the first British soldier to be blinded in the Great War. He went on active service with the 2nd Royal Irish Rifles shortly after war was declared and fought at Mons.
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Victim of the Bayano

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by Liam Dodd

Mr. John Glanville, principal light-keeper on the Tuskar Rock, has received information that his brother James, a torpedo instructor on the auxiliary cruiser Bayano, which was sunk off the Scotch coast, is amongst those drowned. The deceased Mr. Glanville is a brother-in-law of Mr. Henry Higginbotham, mate of the Blackwater lightship.
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The Emergency Service Medals 1939-1946

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(An Bonn Seirbhise Eigeandala)

by Eamonn O’Toole

Medals were instituted on October 6, 1944 for award to those who served the qualifying periods with good conduct. However, the production and issue of the insignia did not commence until 1947.

The series is probably unique in that the medals have a 1 common obverse but no fewer than eleven different reverses and two types of ribbons. Some of these are very rare but the majority are common, having been issued in the tens of thousands.

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White Star Losses In The 1914-18 War

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Due To The Activities Of German U-Boats

by J. Morton

The 1914-18 War saw the destruction of merchant shipping on an unprecedented scale with Great Britain alone losing almost 2,500 ships, the vast majority of which fell victim to a new weapon perfected by Germany, the U-Boat. Even today, nearly ninety years on, statistics relating to merchant shipping losses during the war, together with the associated passenger and crew casualties make grim reading.

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Deserter Offers to Re-Enlist

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by Liam Dodd

Private Michael Connor of the Royal Irish Regiment, who is a native of Tipperary, called at the Wicklow police barrack on Tuesday of last week and said he wanted to enlist. Examination disclosed the fact that Connor was wearing a military shirt and on being questioned he admitted he was a deserter from the regiment. The military authorities having been communicated with, an escort arrived and took the man in charge.

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Irishmen Who Died In U.S. Armed Services

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by Liam Dodd

The American Legation wishes to announce that in accordance with the established practice of the United States Government of returning the bodies of deceased soldiers home for burial when so requested by the next-of-kin, there will arrive at Collinstown Airport on July 5th, three military aircraft containing the remains of the following men from Ireland who died in the American Armed Services during the last war.

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The Man who became his Brothers Ghost

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by Brad Hunter

The amazing story of the Irishman who assumed the identity of his dead Victoria Cross sibling only to suffer a hero’s death of his own on the other side of the world.

On the afternoon of June 9, 1866, a train pulled into a siding just outside the Canadian city of Quebec. Locked inside were 800 German immigrants. In another car was 2,000lbs of ammunition for use against Irish-American Fenian raiders from across the US border. It was the job of Private Timothy O’Hea of the 1st Battalion Rifle Brigade to guard the precious consignment.

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Book Review: Almost a Rebellion - The Irish Army Mutiny of 1924

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Written by by M.G. Valiulis, Tower Books of Cork, 1985

On 6 March 1924 a Major General and a Colonel presented an ultimatum to the government of the Irish Free State, demanding that the government meet with them and other disaffected officers to discuss their interpretation of the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921. They set the following conditions:

    a.    that the Army Council be disbanded
    b.    an immediate suspension of Army reorganization and demobilization.
Last Updated on Thursday, 15 October 2009 14:42 Register to read more...
 

Dublin University O.T.C.

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Commenting on Roger Willoughby’s book on this subject, Captain W.W.F. Chatterton Dickson RN writes:
“My father was a mechanical engineering student at TCD from about 1912 until he enlisted (with his motorbike) as a despatch rider in September 1914. He had been a keen member of the OTC and took part in the Summer 1914 manoeuvres both in Ireland and England before they were overtaken by the war. He eventually took a BA at Trinity in 1916 when home on leave from France in 1916.”
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A Christmas Celebration Aboard U.46

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by J. Morton

Andania

On 27th January 1918 the 13,405 ton Cunard liner ANDANIA, on a voyage from Liverpool to New York carrying passengers and general cargo, was torpedoed two miles N.N.E of Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim by the German submarine U.46 commanded by Kapitanleutnant Leo Hillebrand. Seven of the crew were killed by the torpedo explosion, including Edward Fox whose 1914-18 War and Mercantile Marine medals I have, but the rest of the crew and passengers were taken off safely by other vessels in the area. Forty-six year old fireman Edward Fox from Henley, the only war casualty of that name in the Mercantile Marine, was probably working below in the stokehold when the torpedo struck. His body was never recovered and he is commemorated, by name, on the Tower Hill Memorial, London.

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Bertram Covill

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Recipient of Three Gallantry Awards

While serving as a naval rating in a defensively equipped merchantman, Bertram Covill received three awards for the same act of gallantry in the Battle of the Atlantic in 1941. The Adams Beck, in which he was a gunner, was bombed of the Irish coast by the Luftwaffe and the crew were forced to take to her lifeboats. On discovering that his chief engineer was missing and that their vessel was likely to sink, Covill swam back and managed to reboard her.

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Newsflash

Medals, Militaria and Collectables Fair

A warm welcome awaits at the Medal Society of Ireland hosted "Medals, Militaria and Collectables Fair"

in Knox Memorial Hall, Monkstown, Dublin on Saturday 3rd February from 10 am to 2 pm

FREE ENTRANCE for members while admission charge for all other adults is €4 each (accompanied children free)