Private William James Abercrombie, 9th (North Irish Horse) Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers, Service No. 41507. Formerly 6th Inniskilling Dragoons (Service Squadron) UD/279 and 2nd Regiment North Irish Horse. Son of Emily Brownlee (formerly Abercrombie) of Deerines, Florence Court, County Fermanagh. Enlisted Enniskillen. Residence Blacklion, County Cavan. Killed in action on 30 September 1918, aged 30. Buried in Dadizeele New British Cemetery, Moorslede, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium, grave IV.F.24.
William enlisted in Enniskillen in the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons. The 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons, Service Squadron was amalgamated into the North Irish Horse, which then dismounted and became the 9th Royal Irish Fusiliers.
From the war diary:
30th September
Becelaere. At 5.30am the Battalion, covered by an advance guard, moved forward through J.18.b, K.13 central to K.16.c. Information was received from Brigade to the effect that the 109th Brigade held Terhand and Dadizeele. Battalion was to pass through 1st Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers at 7am. 12th Royal Irish Rifles to advance on our left, Terhand – Vijfwegen Road the inter-Battalion boundary, the first objective to be a line roughly north and south through Vijfwegen (K.24.a); second objective to be railway running north and south (K.20 and K.26 central); third objective to be Mooreseele. The 29th Division was on our right.
7am. 1st Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers was on a line running south-west through K.21.a and c. 9th Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers were facing south with posts along Terhand – Vinwegen Road. The 1st Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers were held up by machine gun fire and had lost touch with the 29th Division. A patrol discovered the 1st Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers holding line running south from K.19.a.9.6 through K.19 central, i.e. 2000 yards in rear. B Company were sent to move along line of enemy wire through K.21.b, K.22.c and K.29.c to occupy high ground in K.30.a. C Company to move to right rear of B Company to protect flank, to get and keep in touch with 29th Division. A Company to move through K.22 central, K.23 central to K.24.c and to keep touch with 12th Royal Irish Rifles. D Company to move in support along Terhand – Vijfwegen Road. B and C Companies came under machine gun fire almost at once after moving through the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, but A Company met with no opposition until they reached the east side of Methuen Wood, when they came under machine gun fire from houses in K.23.d about 9.30am. About this time the reserve Company came under machine gun fire from a pill box on K.24.b.0.3 and Leadenhall Copse which were cleared in spite of stiff resistance by 12.30. Twelve prisoners and two machine guns were captured in this operation, and an Officer with twenty Other Ranks of the enemy being killed. All further attempts to advance our line beyond the general line of this pill box and Leadenhall Copse were prevented by very heavy machine gun fire from fortified farms on our right flank which was still hanging back. At about 1800 when the (2nd?) Royal Irish Rifles passed through the line to attack, the general line ran K.24.b.0.3 – Leadenhall Copse – K.23.d.2.5 – K.29.b.2.8. Our casualties during the day were six Officers (130?) Other Ranks.[78]
[Signed] R.J Tamplin
Major
Commanding 9th (North Irish Horse) Royal Irish Fusiliers
[78] Killed in action this day – 2nd Lieutenant Francis Henry Hall, 1st Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers, attached 9th Battalion, formerly a Sergeant in the Royal Irish Rifles (20/75), aged 25, son of John and Margaret Hall (nee Lytle) of Glenanne, County Armagh, buried at Dadizeele New British Cemetery, grave IV.F.21; Captain George Herbert Cross, Royal Army Service Corps, attached 9th Royal Irish Fusiliers, aged 25, son of Mr W.H and Mrs E Cross of 1 Effra Road, Rathmines, Dublin, buried at Dadizeele New British Cemetery, grave IV.F.27; Private William James Abercrombie (41507) formerly 6th Inniskilling Dragoons (279), enlisted Enniskillen, residence Blacklion, County Cavan, aged 30, son of Emily Brownlee (formerly Abercrombie) of Deerines, Florence Court, County Fermanagh, buried at Dadizeele New British Cemetery, grave IV.F.24 [CWGC shows his date of death as 30 September 1918, Soldiers Died shows it as 3 Ocotber 1918.]; Corporal (Acting Sergeant) Reginald Percy Collins (10054), born Chatham, Kent, enlisted Dublin, residence Baldock, Herts, buried at Duhallow Advanced Dressing Station Cemetery, grave IX.E.10; Private Rodger Devine (43285) formerly Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (2278_), born Ardstraw, County Tyrone, enlisted Castlederg, County Tyrone, aged 34, son of Mrs Bridget Devine of Meenachirin, Castlederg, County Tyrone, buried at Dadizeele New British Cemetery, grave IV.F.2924 [CWGC shows his date of death as 30 September 1918, Soldiers Died shows it as 3 Ocotber 1918]; Private Thomas George Dixon (24019), born Ballymoney, County Antrim, enlisted Belfast, aged 20, son of William and Mary J Dixon of 67 Delhi Street, Belfast, buried at Duhallow Advanced Dressing Station Cemetery, grave IX.E.9; Private George Lally (42509) [shown as 1st Battalion RIF on CWGC], formerly Royal Irish Rifles (22569), born and residence Enniskillen, enlisted Belfast, aged 18, son of Mr R Lally of Belmore Street, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, no known grave, commemorated at Dadizeele New British Cemetery, Special Memorial 7 [CWGC shows his date of death as 30 September 1918, Soldiers Died shows it as 3 Ocotber 1918]; Lance Corporal Stanley Hastings Mellor (27820) formerly Royal Army Ordnance Corps (912104), born and enlisted Liverpool, aged 26, son of Emily Mellor of 24 Burwen Drive, Orrell Park, Liverpool, and the late Thomas Mellor, buried at Duhallow Advanced Dressing Station Cemetery, grave VIII.D.30; Private Francis William Milligan (42218) formerly Royal Army Service Corps (S4/140215 [or 146215]), born Walton, Lancashire, enlisted Southport, Lancashire, no known grave, commemorated at Tyne Cot Memorial, Panel 140 to 141; Private Felix Murphy (11737), born Newry, County Down, enlisted Dundalk, County Louth, residence Newry, aged 30, son of Eliza Murphy of 36 North Street, Newry, County Down, no known grave, commemorated at Tyne Cot Memorial, Panel 140 to 141; Private Walter McClean Murray (22891), born Rockcorry, County Monaghan, enlisted Armagh, residence Rockcorry, aged 21, son of J and M Murray of Rockcorry, County Monaghan, buried at Hooge Crater Cemetery, grave VI.J.1 [CWGC shows his date of death as 30 September 1918, Soldiers Died shows it as 3 Ocotber 1918]; Private Albert Oglesby (42448) formerly Royal Irish Rifles (10948), born and enlisted Dublin, aged 34, husband of Mary Oglesby of 112 Capel Street, Dublin, buried at Dadizeele New British Cemetery, grave IV.F.18.
Operations, September 28th to October 2nd
9th (North Irish Horse) Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers
September 28th. The Battalion moved from St Jean D’Bizen to rail to Flammertinge, thence by road to Salvation Corner, Ypres. Accommodation poor.
September 29th. Moved 4am to Rifle Farm on Menin Road.
7am to Glencorse Wood and later to Reutel. Battalion took up a position J.17.b & d with 12th Royal Irish Rifles on our left.
About 7pm the Battalion took up a position west of Becelaere in J.18.a & c.
At 7pm Commanding Officers were sent for to report at Brigade and had verbal order issued for an advance on Moorseele to begin at dawn 30th September. Very wet evening and night. Rations not received.
September 30th. Moved forward at 5.30am. Battalion covered by an advance guard through J.18.b, K.13 central to K.16.c.
