THE 36 ULSTER DIVISION IN CANADA. Pictured below at a Remembrance Service in Toronto in 1962 is a veteran of World War I who th

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1 THE 36 ULSTER DIVISION IN CANADA By Brian McConnell * Pictured below at a Remembrance Service in Toronto in 1962 is a veteran of World War I who served wi e British Army as a member of e 36 Ulster Division. (1) It was a unit composed mainly of members from e counties in e old province of Ulster in e nor of Ireland. It suffered some of e largest casualties of any British Division during e entire war. It is difficult to know for certain how many members of e Ulster Division immigrated to Canada. Noneeless, e memories of what ey and eir fellow comrades did has been remembered by e 36 Ulster Division Old Comrades Association of Toronto. It was established in 1928 by veterans of e Division including Joseph Clarke pictured above. He came to Canada in In 1935 he was elected President of e Association. Joseph Clarke, like many oers who volunteered to serve wi e Ulster Division, was an Ulster Scot, descended from Scots who settled in Ulster in e 17 century, and a loyal unionist who believed in King and Country. He immigrated to Canada wi his faer in 1914 before e war began to work on a farm, however, returned so he could join e Ulster Division to fight in France. He indicated at on his travel document.(2)

2 - 2 - Declaration of Joseph Clarke showing he was returning to Ireland to Join Ulster Division for France.

3 - 3 - After war was declared between Great Britain and Germany on August 4, 1914, ere was a need for soldiers to serve. When e Ulster Division was created it consisted of about 15,000 men, many of whom had been associated wi e Ulster Volunteer Force, at had been formed to show a military force existed to oppose to e introduction of Home Rule in Ireland. Each of e Brigades in e Ulster Division consisted of Battalions of ree existing Irish Regiments, e Royal Irish Rifles, e Royal Irish Fusiliers, and e Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. In addition to ree infantry units e Division included field companies of engineers and signals, medical corps, service corps, a cyclist company, veterinary section and artillery unit. By October, 1915 e Ulster Division was in France and involved in trench warfare. On July 1, 1916 e Somme offensive commenced when men along 15 miles of trenches attacked German lines. The attack lasted for 140 days. Casualties in e Ulster Division were extremely high and in one two day period were estimated at 5,500. It was estimated 75 % of all homes in Ulster were affected The remains of e Division were moved back from e front line and it received replacements including a large number of English reinforcements. The Division continued to play a significant role in e major battles of e war leading up to e Armistice being signed on November 11, 1918.(3) While Joseph Clarke survived e war he was badly wounded and his younger broer William, who also volunteered in e Royal Irish Fusiliers was killed in action during e attack at Hamel on July When Joseph first enlisted he was sent as part of e Ulster Composite Battalion to Dublin where he was wounded during Irish Republican attacks. He was hit by gunshot in e left leg. After he recovered he was posted to France and was wounded again during fighting at Marcoing in December 1917 by shrapnel to e abdomen. He was evacuated to hospital in England and discharged on November 15, 1918 as no longer fit for service. He was awarded e Silver War Badge.(4) Alough Joseph Clarke s experience of moving to Canada and en returning to Ireland to join e Ulster Division seems remarkable it was not e only extraordinary one. There were oers too wi a strong sense of duty and service. John Foster, born in Londonderry, N. Ireland, was working for e Hudson Bay Company at George River in norern Quebec in He joined e 7 Officer Cadet Battalion of July 5, 1917 and was commissioned as a Lieutenant into e Royal Irish Fusiliers on October 30, He was captured in March 1918 and remained a prisoner of war until e Armistice.

4 - 4 - One of e primary purposes of e 36 Ulster Division Old Comrades Association of Toronto is to perpetuate e memory of e Division. To do is it has participated and flown its colours in veterans parades, held remembrance services, worn e poppy wi pride, assisted less fortunate, visited historical and military sites in Ulster and France, and maintained a comraderie among its members.(5) The 36 Ulster Division Old Comrades Association of Toronto also has supported oer organizations who are committed to its ideals. One example is e Somme Association which has renovated and maintains e Ulster Memorial Tower at Thiepval, France at was dedicated by Sir Henry Wilson on November 19, It has organized an annual pilgrimage. The memorial is not only for e 36 but also to e 10 and 16 Irish Divisions who also fought wi distinction in WWI and suffered heavily. The Association also operates e Somme Heritage Centre at Clandeboye County Down, N. Ireland which has an extensive data base on e men of e 36 and an educational centre.

5 - 5 - NOTES: * This article was prepared on April 5, To contact e auor Brian McConnell please brianm564@gmail.com 1. The photo is of Joseph Clarke, born in Newbliss, Co. Monaghan, Ireland in 1895 and appeared in e Toronto Star newspaper. For more about him see article The Ulsterman -in Ireland and Canada, by Brian McConnell published May 17, It can be see at 2. Passenger Declaration, Metagama, Canada Pacific Shipping Co., 1924 st 3. See The History of e 36 Ulster Division by Cyril Falls, 1 published 1922, McCaw. Stevenson & Orr, Belfast and London 4. See Blackers Boy s by Nick Metcalfe, published by Writers World, Also see Soldiers Died In The Great War The Royal Irish Rifles, Princess Victoria s (The Royal Irish Fusiliers), The Connaught Rangers. published by J. B. Haywod& Son, From Presentation by Raymond Bailie to members of e 36 Ulster Division Old Comrades Association, Toronto, Canada on November 2, 2001