Grangegorman Military Cemetery, Section E. The row of CWGC headstones in the background contains more victims of the sinking of the R.M.S. Leinster on 10th October 1918, just a month before the end of the First World War.
In this part we shall take a look at the burials in Sections E & F. All the men in the following photographs are victims of the Leinster tragedy:
Private Frank Crompton, another who was lost when the Leinster was torpedoed.
Other CWGC graves in this row are of men who were wounded in France or Belgium, or possibly further afield, were evacuated to Ireland, but who sadly never recovered from their injuries.
Private John Forth (left), Notts & Derby Regiment (Sherwood Foresters), killed in Dublin during the Easter Rising on 27th April 1916. The South Staffordshires also suffered casualties during the Rising, and I wonder whether Private Harry Dickinson (right) perhaps died subsequently as a result of injuries received.
Above & below: At the end of the row, more evacuated men who died of their injuries in Dublin hospitals.
Section E, with the row of headstones we have just visited in the background.
Three New Zealanders, the two to the right, Second Lieutenant Henry Doyle and Lance Corporal Peter Freitas, both victims of the sinking of the Leinster.
Four Australians, one of whom, Private Michael Smith (second from left), was a victim of the Leinster sinking.
Two brothers, Privates Bartholomew and James Moore, both of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers. One survived the First World War and lived until 1957, the other died in March 1915 at Second Ypres.
Above & below: Three Australians, all drowned when the Leinster was torpedoed.
Above & next two photos: Canadian victims of the Leinster tragedy.
The next plot, Section F, contains many Presbyterian burials:
John Buchanan (centre), who died in Dublin on 21st March 1921, was a Lance Corporal in the short-lived Corps of Military Accountants. To his left, George Gentle, who served under the alias George McNaughton, was actually a Clerk in the Royal Army Service Corps when he died, having previously served as a Private in the Canadian Infantry.
Above & below: More Leinster graves.
In front of the three headstones in the previous photo (background left), one of the few post-Second World War burials in the cemetery.
Casualties from 1918 & 1917…
…1916 and 1915…
…and 1914 (above & below), casualties of every year of the First World War who died of their injuries in hospitals in Ireland.
Above & following photos: There are a number of Second World War and post-WWII burials in Section F.
Looking back towards Sections E & F.
Above & below: Most of the graves in Section F are individual burials.
View from the northern boundary looking back down the length of the cemetery ; part of Section F is visible to the right, with Section G, almost exclusively CWGC headstones that we shall visit in Part Three, to the left.
My grandfather Stephen Burns (born Stephen Byrne) is buried in this cemetry with his second wife my grandmother Lucy.I saw no record of him on any website including Internment.net. He died in 1932.He ran away from home at 14 (said he was 17).Took part in the Boer War.Was a sergeant in the LNLR. He re-enlisted in WW1 and ended up in the trenches in France.He was so sickened by the carnage he saw that he applied to join the RAMC. He saw the Titanic when he was a foreman in the shipyards in Belfast and he ended up on a sister-ship of the Titanic called the Britannic which was taken over by the RAMC to take back the wounded from Churchill’s big fiasco of the Dardennelles. When it sank he pulled 8 men out of the water when it hit a mine between Albania and the Greek Island of Keta.This ship was discovered by Jacques Cousteau in 1973.
Oh yes, I know about the Britannic all right. Your grandfather’s story is quite amazing Francis. What a life he had, eh? Thanks you very much for sharing.
Hi I left a comment on the first part of this story and I just want to say what an amazing job you have done but I was just wondering if there are actual records of all the burials that took place here as some of the relatives I am searching for the graves are unmarked.
Hello James. Yes, I saw your other comments, for which many thanks. I do my best! The National Library of Ireland has the Grangegorman burial register 1851-2001 on microfilm, but I have no idea where the originals are held. I should get in touch with them and see if they can help.
Hi magicfingers Thanks for the replies. I was told at one stage that the Board of Works could help too but if you cab find out more for me or any contact details then that would be great. I am in England so it’s a lot harder to get to sources 🙂
Sorry my friend, I too live in England so I am not in a position to help any further. Do as I suggested. Email the National Library of Ireland (they have a website) and see if they have a research service and will look up the burials you are after (for a fee, most likely), or if not, ask them who will.
Hi Lads.
Great site. The cemetery is 5 mins walk from me but you helped me find a few graves for my history hobby.
Maybe I can help you with burial records…
Checked the NLI catalogue & have ref no for microfilm (I’ve a reader’s ticket too).
Given a list of names and approx dates, I may be able to check records in near future (No prob for me & no fee).
If I can help, just post here.
BTW – NLI says the original records are held by the OPW Park Superintendent, Phoenix Park, Dublin 8. Tel. no. is 0035318213021.
I’d guess that office might refer enquiries to NLI, but may be worth a try? Use your obvious charm – & offshore location as an excuse (;o).
Good luck.
Des
Cheers Des! Glad to be of help. And thanks for your kind comments. Hopefully James will return to this page soon and see your offer.
Hi Des Are you still around as I could use your offer of research help.
Haha James, I’m really a zombie like this thread. But my wife tells me I am still here… So, how can I help you? PM me desw1953@gmail.com and I’ll see if I can assist.