Somme hero honoured in ceremony

Somme hero honoured in ceremony

23 November 2016

THE 100th anniversary of the ending of the Battle of the Somme was marked at a poignant ceremony at a graveside in Killyleagh on Friday.

For the first time in 100 years, since the day of his burial, Last Post and Reveille were sounded at the grave of Somme hero William Samuel Montgomery, from the Toye, outside Killyleagh.

His 91 year-old nephew, Mr Gerald Montgomery, and great nephew, Mr Peter Moore, accompanied the chairman of the Killyleagh and Killinchy branch of the Royal British Legion, Mr Billy Croskery, in laying a poppy wreath at his grave in 1st Killyleagh graveyard.

Relatives joined townspeople, members of the Royal British Legion, the Sloane’s History Group and the Killyleagh Remembers the Great War project at the ceremony which was held on the 100th anniversary of the ending of the battle.

Ms Catherine Woods from Wellington Memorial Silver Band, Barnamaghery, sounded Last Post and Reveille.

A short act of remembrance was conducted by the village’s Presbyterian minister, Rev. Hiram Higgins, and the Church of Ireland rector, Rev. Colin Darling.

Earlier Mr Chris Hagan, of the Killyleagh Great War project, said that they had gathered to recognise the sacrifice of William Montgomery. He explained that he was possibly the last member of the 36th Ulster Division to die before the Battle of the Somme ended.

“Montgomery, who was wounded on the Western Front, died hours before the battle finally ended on November 18th 1916 as the Germans and Allies fought each other to a standstill in the Flanders mud. He was aged 24,’’ he said.

He noted Montgomery had enlisted on Boxing Day 1915, worried that he would not get to the Western front in time to take part in the Great War. He died after an operation on a chest wound sustained on the Somme battlefield when serving with the 16th Royal Irish Rifles (Co Down Pioneers). His death in a Sheffield war hospital came hours before the actual day the Battle of  the Somme ended. 

“His body was brought home to Killyleagh for burial and is marked by a Commonwealth War Graves headstone.’’