16
From Ballycumber to the Western Front The Connaught Rangers 3 rd Battalion The Machine Gun Corps 31 st Battalion 92 nd Brigade (A Company) Denis Geraghty A long way - A short life
From
Ballycumber
to the
Western Front
The Connaught Rangers
3rd Battalion
The Machine Gun Corps
31st Battalion
92nd Brigade
(A Company)
Denis Geraghty
A long way - A short life
From Ballycumber to the trenches of the Western Front
The World War 1 years of Denis Geraghty’s short life
Denis Geraghty was born on the 1st August 1898 in Ballycumber, then the
King’s County (now County Offaly), Ireland.
Denis was one of five children born to Patrick and Annie Geraghty (nee Poland).
In the 1911 Census of Ireland Denis was listed as being 12 years old and his
occupation as a Scholar.
On the 16th of November 1915 Denis enlisted in the Connaught Rangers 3rd
Battalion in Athlone. On his enlistment questionnaire he stated his age as 19 yrs.
(in fact Denis was only 17 years and 3 months old)
From Ballycumber to the trenches of the Western Front
The World War 1 years of Denis Geraghty’s short life
At the time of enlisting in Athlone Denis stated he was working as a gardener.
He stood 5ft – 6inches in height and had a chest size
of 36 inches. He had no distinctive marks.
He is wearing a 1908 pattern belt and holding a short
magazine Lee Enfield Rifle.
Denis completed his basic infantry training with the 3rd
battalion at Kinsale in County Cork. He did not however
serve overseas with the Connaught Rangers.
The photograph on the left shows Denis in the standard
uniform of the Connaught Rangers. The cap bears the
badge of the regiment. His number was 3/6996.
From Ballycumber to the trenches of the Western Front
The World War 1 years of Denis Geraghty’s short life
At Harrowby all branches of Machine Gunnery were
taught from mechanism to actual tactics.
In his right hand he is holding a swagger cane a fashionable
item at the time.
On his left cuff is the insignia of a marksman.
In this picture he is wearing no badge of rank thus
indicating he was a private soldier.
On July the 27th 1916 Denis moved to England and transferred to the Machine
Gun Corps training centre in Harrowby Camp, Grantham, Lincolnshire. On
transfer he was allotted the number 45282.
The photograph on the left shows Denis wearing the crown
cap badge of the Machine Gun Corps with the crossed gun
barrels.
From Ballycumber to the trenches of the Western Front
The World War 1 years of Denis Geraghty’s short life
On the 13th August 1916 Denis crossed from Folkestone, England to Boulogne
in France. The following day he joined the Machine Gun Base at Camiers on
the French coast.
On the 22nd of August 1916 Denis was posted to the 92nd Brigade Machine Gun
Company in the 31st Division. At this stage the 31st Division was engaged in battle
action in the area around the river Somme.
Denis wrote the postcard pictured right to his
Brother Patrick on the 8th of September 1916
in which he asked:
“How is all the Ballycumber boys going on or
is there any of them home yet”
The photograph above shows a Machine Gun
Crew at the Somme in the summer of 1916.
From Ballycumber to the trenches of the Western Front
The World War 1 years of Denis Geraghty’s short life
On reporting to Camiers Denis was then sent back to the Machine Gun Training
Centre in Harrowby Camp, Grantham, England on the 23rd. November 1916.
While Denis was in Harrowby Camp the following brief report was written by an
officer of the 92nd Machine Gun Company on the 4th of December 1916:
On the 18th of November 1916 the Officer Commanding the 92nd Machine Gun
Company discovering that Denis was under 18 yrs and 6 months old sent him back
to the MGC base depot at Camiers.
The grounds of Belton House:
In which both Belton Park Camp and
Harrowby Camp were located.
Denis Geraghty is reliable, sober and intelligent. Although he has no special
aptitude, he is “a distinctly bright and willing worker”
Harrowby Camp
November 28th
My Dear Lena
You must
excuse me for not writing to you
before this but I could not write to
you all as I had no news sometimes
I expect you were surprised when you
heard I was in England I expect to be
home for a few days soon or may be
for Xmas if I can I have not much news
at present This is a village in France it
is in ruins now.
I remain Yours
DG
The back of the postcard pictured below sent by Denis to his Sister Lena from
Harrowby Camp on the 28th Nov 1916.
From Ballycumber to the trenches of the Western Front
The World War 1 years of Denis Geraghty’s short life
The Village he refers to is Bernaville north of the River Somme. This
indicates that Denis was posted to this area from his reference on the card
about the village being in ruins now.
From Ballycumber to the trenches of the Western Front
The World War 1 years of Denis Geraghty’s short life
On the 4th September 1917 Denis left Folkestone, England and disembarked
at Boulogne, France on the next day the 5th September.
Denis was re-united with his old 31st Division for the remainder of 1917 the
division was not involved in any major operation.
In the spring of 1918 the German army turned it’s attention to the Western
Front in what was called “Operation Georgette” This operation under the
command of General Luddendorf attacked on a 12-mile front from Ypres to
the Bassee Canal.
“There is no other course open to us but to fight it out!
Every position must be held to the last man: there must be no retirement.
With our backs to the wall and believing in the justice of our cause,
each one of us must fight on to the end. The safety of our homes and the
freedom of mankind alike depend on the conduct of each one of us at
this critical moment.”
From Ballycumber to the trenches of the Western Front
The World War 1 years of Denis Geraghty’s short life
On the 11th of April 1918 Field Marshall Douglas Haig issued his famous order:
This operation is often referred to as the Fourth Battle of Ypres.
Vicker’s
Machine Gun
Lewis
Machine Gun
On the 9th and 10th of April 1918 the German infantry breached through a line from
the La Bassee canal in the south to the south east of Ypres in the north a distance
of 12 miles approx.
Between the 10th and the 11th of April 1918 the Germans poured across the River
Lys to establish a line just 5 miles east of the strategically-important railway centre
of Hazebrouck.
On the 11th of April 1918 the 31st Machine Gun Corps to which Denis Geraghty
was attached was in Merris covering a counter attack by German infantry on the
92nd Brigade.
On the 12th of April 1918 the German army began shelling along the front held by
the 92nd Brigade and the 29th Division. This resulted in the 92nd Brigade being
forced to withdraw to the north-west under heavy shelling and machine gun fire.
From Ballycumber to the trenches of the Western Front
The World War 1 years of Denis Geraghty’s short life
In the spring of 1918 Denis Geraghty was appointed Lance Corporal and was
therefore in charge of a gun team.
A Gun Team consisted of six men each had specific tasks. No 1 a Lance Corporal in charge fired the
gun and carried the tripod. No 2 fed the 250 round belts into the gun and carried the gun. No 3
supplied ammo to the gun, others observed, were range finders and carried ammunition and spares.
As dawn broke on the 13th of April 1918 the weakly held British lines were attacked
in force by the enemy along the whole front of the 92nd Brigade. To the right of the
92nd a critical situation was developing.
The 31st Battalion Machine Gun War Diaries from the 13th April 1918 record the
dispatch of Denis Geraghtys 31st Battalion to cover the right of the 92nd Brigade.
From Ballycumber to the trenches of the Western Front
The World War 1 years of Denis Geraghty’s short life
Saturday the 13th of April 1918
From Ballycumber to the trenches of the Western Front
The World War 1 years of Denis Geraghty’s short life
92nd
Brigade
11th East
Lancashire's
29th
Division
Kings Own
Yorkshire
Light Inf 4th Guards
Brigade
31st Battalion
Defensive Position
on the 13th April
1918
From Ballycumber to the trenches of the Western Front
The World War 1 years of Denis Geraghty’s short life
On Saturday the 13th April 1918
Denis Geraghty 45282 was
killed in action while
defending the town of
Strazeele from enemy
attack.
From Ballycumber to the trenches of the Western Front
The World War 1 years of Denis Geraghty’s short life
From Ballycumber to the trenches of the Western Front
The World War 1 years of Denis Geraghty’s short life
Denis Geraghty was awarded both the Victory Medal and the British War Medal
in the aftermath of his death in World War 1. Records exist of the issuing of these
medals to his family in Ireland and receipt of same by his Mother Annie Geraghty.
The Victory Medal (front & back)
20
The British War Medal (front & back)
From Ballycumber to the trenches of the Western Front
The World War 1 years of Denis Geraghty’s short life
The body of Denis Geraghty has rested in peace for the last ninety years in the
Meteren Military Cemetery, France. The cemetery was opened in 1919 and the
bodies of the fallen from the neighbouring battlefields including Denis Geraghty’s
were interred there.
