War Memorial
Let us not forget the many young men and women from the town who went off to the various services to fight for our freedom. We owe them and their families our deepest gratitude.
They went from all classes and creeds, from farms, factories and offices. From humble cottages and mill houses as well as from large private residences.
Unfortunately there is no general Roll of Honour for the town, nor have I been able to find a list of all who served. Only St. Paul's Church of Ireland commemorates the gallant young men and women from that Church who fought that we might live in peace. Their Roll of Honour includes eighty-six men and two women, listed below, who served in the Forces during the Second Great War 1949-45.
ST PAUL'S PARISH CHURCH, GILFORD
| Name | Division |
|---|---|
| Anderson, Richard | Royal Ulster Rifles |
| Anderson, Robert | The Irish Guards |
| Balmer, John H. H. | Royal Army Medical Corps |
| Balmer, Samuel W. | Royal Army Service Corps |
| Balmer, Edward | Royal Air Force |
| Baxter, Samuel | Somerset Light Infantry |
| Beattie, John | West Yorkshire Regiment |
| Beattie, Samuel | Royal Air Force |
| Beattie, Robert S. | Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers |
| Beattie, Thomas | Royal Air Force |
| Beattie, William | Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers |
| Boone, George | Royal Irish Fusiliers |
| Campbell, Henry | Royal Pioneer Corps |
| Carson, Evelyn | Auxiliary Territorial Service |
| Clarke, Frederick J. | Royal Elec. & Mech. Engineers |
| Clayton, James | Royal Air Force |
| Clayton, John C. | Royal Elec. & Mech. Engineers |
| Clayton, William | Royal Army Medical Corps |
| Curran, Thomas | Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers |
| Foster, Arnold | Royal Army Service Corps |
| Foy, Reginald E. | Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers |
| Fry, Henry | North Irish Horse |
| Fry, Thomas | North Irish Horse |
| Fry, John | North Irish Horse |
| Fullerton, Andrew | Royal Ulster Rifles |
| Fullerton, Hugh | Royal Artillery |
| Fullerton, Norman | Royal Artillery |
| Gibson, Joseph | Royal Air Force |
| Gibson, Robert | Royal Engineers |
| Girvan, John | Royal Air Force |
| Greenfield, Norman | Royal Irish Fusiliers |
| Guy, Samuel | Royal Armoured Corps |
| Hanna, Thomas | Royal Irish Fusiliers |
| Harley, Cyril | Royal Engineers |
| Harrison, Robert | West Yorkshire Regiment |
| Howie, John | Durham Light Infantry |
| Jeynes, Stanley N. | Royal Artillery |
| Kennedy, John R | Royal Ulster Rifles |
| Kennedy, Daniel | Royal Air Force |
| Lappin, William | Royal Air Force |
| Lauder, George, M. M. | Royal Pioneer Corps |
| Levingstone, Joseph | Royal Irish Fusiliers |
| Lewis, Herbert | Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers |
| Lewis, Robert | Royal Ulster Rifles |
| Lockhart, Samuel | Royal Air Force |
| Loudon, Samuel D | Royal Navy |
| McAdam, George | Royal Air Force |
| McAdam, Henry | Royal Pioneer corps |
| McCoo, John | Royal Ulster Rifles |
| McDowell, Kitchiner | Royal Pioneer Corps |
| McKenzie, Hector | Royal Ulster Rifles |
| McKeown, Alexander | Royal Air Force |
| McKeown, James | Royal Pioneer Corps |
| Mitchell, Samuel, J | Royal Artillery |
| Orr, Katherine | Auxiliary Territorial Service |
| Orr, Lawrence P. S. | The Life Guards |
| Orr, William, R. M. | Royal Navy |
| Quinn, William | Royal Army Service Corps |
| Quinn, John | Royal Navy |
| Quinn, Joseph | Royal Ulster Rifles |
| Roach, Sidney, F. | Royal Army Service Corps |
| Robinson, Frederick | Royal Army Service Corps |
| Smith, S. Harold | Royal Air Force |
| Smyth, Gerald | Royal Air Force |
| Sturgeon, Robert | Royal Irish Fusiliers |
| Thompson, Joseph | Royal Army Service Corps |
| Tomlinson, Joseph | Royal Army Service Corps |
| Tomlinson, Bertie | Royal Ulster Rifles |
| Topping, William D. | The Irish Guards |
| Topping, Thomas | Royal Artillery |
| Totten, Samuel | Royal Pioneer Corps |
| Uprichard, R. Rutledge | Royal Artillery |
| Uprichard, H. Albert | North Irish Horse |
| Watson, Ivan, V. W. | North Irish Horse |
| Watson, Harry De. L. | Royal Air Force |
| Webster, Christopher, J. | Royal Army Service Corps |
| Whimpanny, Ephriam L | Royal Ordnance Corps |
| Whitten, Samuel | Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers |
| Woods, A. Reginald | Royal Ulster Rifles |
| Woods, A. Desmond | Royal Ulster Rifles |
| Woods, R. Bryan | Royal Parachute Regiment |
| Woods, Thomas | Royal Army Service Corps |
| Woods, William J. | Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers |
| Woods, John | Military Police |
| Woods, Andrew U. | Royal Navy |
| Woolrich, James | Royal Army Ord. Corps |
| Wright, James Francis | Royal Air Force |
GILFORD WAR MEMORIAL
Many from the town and the surrounding district were never to return. The town's War Memorial bears the names of the following twenty-two young men who laid down their lives, that we might live in peace.
TO THE MEMORY OF OUR FALLEN HEROES 1939 - 1945
BERRY JOSEPH: Service Number PO/X 4370, Marine, Royal Navy. From Tullylish, Gilford. He died aged 22, on 25/11/1941, when his ship H.M.S. Barnham was sunk in the Eastern Mediterranean. His death is commemorated on Panel 58, Column 3, Portsmouth Naval Memorial. Hampshire. England.
BRADBURY GRAHAM: Service No 6913264, Sergeant, 1st Battalion Rifle Brigade. Died 25/10/1942 at El Alamein, aged 26. He was the son of Charles and Ellen A Bradbury, and husband of Elizabeth Bradbury of Lenaderg, Co Down. His grave is in El Alamein Cemetery, Egypt. Grave Reference XIII.F.8.
CLAYTON JAMES: Service No. 970707. Corporal, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, son of James and Martha Clayton, of Gilford. Died 2/3/1945 aged 28, whilst a prisoner of war. His death was commemorated on Column 452 Changi War Memorial in Singapore, now commemorated on Krangi Cemetery, Singapore.
CRAIG WILLIAM JOHN: Service No P/JX 323451 Able Seaman, Royal Navy. H.M.S. Falmouth. Died 5/9/1945, age unknown. He was the son of John and Isabella Craig, of Lenaderg, Co Down. His death is commemorated on Panel 89, Column 1. Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Hampshire, England.
CRANGLE WILLIAM BOYD: Service No. 14443647, Private, 2nd Batallion, Highland Light Infantry (City of Glasgow Regiment). Died 3/12/1944 aged 21. He was the son of Samuel and Lucy Crangle of Laurencetown, Co Down. His grave is in Mierlo War Cemetery, Netherlands, Grave Reference VI. D. 6.
DUKE GILBERT NOEL: Service No 1063676, Sergeant (Obs.) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, son of John James and Sarah M Duke of Knocknamuckley, Portadown. Died 14/2/1942 aged 25. Buried in Knocknamuckley (St Matthias) Church of Ireland Churchyard, Co. Armagh. Northern Ireland.
FITZWILLIAM SAMUEL: R.A.F. from Stramore Road, Gilford, medically discharged from the R.A.F. with tuberculosis, later died at home. Interred in All Saints Parish Churchyard, Tullylish, Gilford, Northern Ireland.
FULLERTON ANDREW: Service No. 7013832, Rifleman, 2nd Batallion, Royal Ulster Rifles. He was the son of Joseph and Mary Fullerton, Loughans, Gilford. Died between 29/5/1940 and 4/6/1940 at Dunkirk, aged 21. Buried in Bleuet Farm Cemetery, Belgium. Grave Reference 1. AA. 7.
MAJOR RICHARD: Service No. 1074283. Sergeant, 58 Squadron Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. He was the son of Robert and Susanna Major. Died 15/8/1943, age 28. His death is commemorated on Panel 158, Runnymede War Memorial, Surrey, England.
MCBURNEY WILLIAM ASHWOOD: Service No. 7046106, Rifleman 1st Airborne Battalion, Royal Ulster Rifles. He was the son of Joseph and Annie McBurney of Banbridge, Co Down. He died 9/7/1944, aged 23, and was interred in Ranville War Cemetery, Calvados, France. Grave/Memorial Reference IIIA.J.I.
TOMLINSON JOSEPH: Service No T/13009997, Driver 378 General Transport Company, Royal Army Service Corps. Died 24/5/1945, aged 45. Interred in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Germany. Grave Reference 45.D.13.
REILLY FRANCIS PATRICK: Service No. 1331709. Flight Sergeant, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, died 29/2/1944, aged 21. Buried in Berlin 1939 – 1945 War Cemetery. Germany. Grave Reference 9.G.5.
McCOO JOHN: Service No. 6985059. Rifleman, 1st Airborne Battalion Royal Ulster Rifles. John's parents had died when he was a young child and he was brought up by Jimmy and Minnie Bell of Gilford. He died 13/6/1944, aged 21. Buried in Ranville War Cemetery, France. Grave Reference IIIA.K.4. Also commemorated on Richhill War Memorial. Co Armagh, Northern Ireland.
McCRORY ROBERT GETGOOD: Service No. 1024870. Sergeant (Obs.) 115 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. He was the son of Robert and Margaret Elizabeth McCrory of Portadown, Co Armagh. Died 29/7/1942 aged 23. Interred in Kiel War Cemetery, Germany. Grave Reference I.A.12.
McKELVEY WILLIAM MURRAY: Service No. 144279503. Lance Corporal, 1st Battalion, Highland Light Infantry (City of Glasgow Regiment). He was wounded at the Battle of the Bulge, and died 2/11/44, aged 20. He was the son of William and Elizabeth McKelvey of Laurencetown. His is buried in Bergen-Op-Zoom War Cemetery, Netherlands. Grave Reference 8.CD.18.
QUINN JOHN: Royal Navy. Gilford. - No further details.
SINTON ARTHUR BUCKBY: Service No. 119279. Flying Officer Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Killed 26/6/1943, aged 27. His death is commemorated on Runnymede Memorial, Surrey, England. Grave/Memorial Reference Panel 129.
SMYTH MAXWELL: Service No. 6977646. Corporal, 1st Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. Son of Agnes and William Smyth, Laurencetown, Co Down. Died 19/3/1942, aged 27. He is buried in a collective war grave in Taukkyan War Cemetery, Myanmar (Burma). Grave Reference 23A. D. 1-3.
SPRATT JOSEPH: Service No. D?JX 135189. Leading Signalman, Royal Navy - HMS Jaguar. Died 26/3/1942, aged 26. He was the son of John and Charlotte Spratt, of Lenaderg, Co Down. His death is commemorated on Plymouth Naval Memorial, England. Grave/Memorial Reference – Panel 67. Column 3.
WEBSTER CHRISTOPHER JOHN: Service No. T/87268. Lance Corporal, 531 Infantry Brigade Company, Royal Army Service Corps. Died 17/7/1944, aged 24. He was the son of Mr & Mrs Thomas Webster, and husband of Emily Webster, Gilford. He is buried in Brouay War Cemetery, France. Grave Reference 111. F. 2.
WOODS REGINALD BRYAN: Service No. 176460. Lieutenant, 2nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment, A.A.C. He was wounded at the Battle of Arnheim, and died later in a Prisoner of War Camp on 14/10/44, aged 25. He was the son of Captain Alfred Reginald Woods and Eileen Elizabeth Woods, Lenaderg, Banbridge. He is buried in Becklingen War Cemetery, Germany. Grave Reference 8. C. 3.
WATSON HENRY DE LANDRE: Service No. 148537. Flight Lieutenant, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Died 26/2/1947 aged 23. His death was commemorated on Changi War Memorial,Singapore, Reference column 460, now transferred to Kranji War Memorial, Singapore.
These names deserve to be in the forefront of all our thoughts. They have earned the right to be remembered as more than just a name on a War Memorial, for each one was an individual with a life and a family, and sacrificed his life that we all might live in freedom and peace.