the 36th (ulster) division
was a division of Lord Kitchener's New Army formed in September
1914. Originally called the Ulster Division it was made up of the Ulster Volunteer Force who formed thirteen additional battalions for three existing Irish regiments. The Royal Irish Fusiliers, The Royal Irish Rifles and the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. The division served on the Western Front for the duration of the First World War. The 36th were one of the few divisions to make significant gains on the first day of the Somme. They attacked between the Ancre and Thiepval against a position known as the ' Schwaben Redoubt '.
The French High Command along with Field Marshall Haig chose the Somme as a battlefield where the British would attack the German positions in order to take pressure off the french at Verdun. This is how Haig decribed the German positions.
" Not merely a series of successive lines, but one composite system of enormous depth "
The reality was, that if Haig had bothered leaving his Chateau and listened to his officers in the line he would have seen that every feature, natural or artificial was turned into a fortress by all means known to the ingenious Germans.It is a known fact that many officers found Haig unapproachable, the worst attribute a Commander could pocess.The German bomb proof shelters and deep communication trenches were the strongest the British had yet encountered. The cellars which were to be found beneath every farmhouse were reinforced until they were veritable strong points. The quarries and pits were connected by underground passages in some cases as much as thirty feet deep. The interlocking arcs of fire of more machine gun emplacements sited so as to be able to cover the German's own trenches should these fall. In front of the whole, immensly strong defensive system were the wire entanglements. Two belts about forty yards in depth, built of Iron stakes supporting barbed wire-not the agricultural type we know today, but with strands as thick as a mans finger. The Germans with justification believed the position impregnable. It had been in the making for two years, in an area of France where the chalk soil could be used to burrow deep. And this was only the first line of defence. The whole was repeated some 3,000 yards back and then again-the overall depth of this defencive position was little short of seven miles.
And so Haig, in order to keep the French happy sent a generation of young men forward to their deaths, in a battle which he had no intention of ever winning. It was the ' bravery ' of the Tommy in the line who brought some success to this battle known as the Somme by their sheer determination and sacrifice to an area of France where so many of them now lie. These pages are dedicated to one such group of Irishmen, the men of the 36th ( Ulster) Division. This is their story.
And so Haig, in order to keep the French happy sent a generation of young men forward to their deaths, in a battle which he had no intention of ever winning. It was the ' bravery ' of the Tommy in the line who brought some success to this battle known as the Somme by their sheer determination and sacrifice to an area of France where so many of them now lie. These pages are dedicated to one such group of Irishmen, the men of the 36th ( Ulster) Division. This is their story.
the ulster volunteers
The Ulster Volunteers were formed by Edward Carson and James Craig ( previously mentioned on the 16th Irish Division Page ) as Unionist militias in the tentions surrounding the success of the third Irish Home Rule Bill.
At the start of 1912 Unionists and members of the Orange Order started drilling and the 9th April ( Easter Tuesday ) Carson and Conservative Andrew Bonar Law reviewed 100,000 Ulster Volunteers marching in columns. On the 28th September 237,368 men signed the Ulster Covenant pledged to " using all means which may be found necessary to defeat the present conspiracy to set up a Home Rule Parliament in Ireland " with support of 234,046 women.
On 13th January 1913, the Ulster Volunteer Force was formally established by the Ulster Unionist Council. Recruitment was to be limited to 100,000 men aged from 17 to 65 who had signed the covenant, under the charge of Sir George Richardson KCB.
At the start of 1912 Unionists and members of the Orange Order started drilling and the 9th April ( Easter Tuesday ) Carson and Conservative Andrew Bonar Law reviewed 100,000 Ulster Volunteers marching in columns. On the 28th September 237,368 men signed the Ulster Covenant pledged to " using all means which may be found necessary to defeat the present conspiracy to set up a Home Rule Parliament in Ireland " with support of 234,046 women.
On 13th January 1913, the Ulster Volunteer Force was formally established by the Ulster Unionist Council. Recruitment was to be limited to 100,000 men aged from 17 to 65 who had signed the covenant, under the charge of Sir George Richardson KCB.
Above Sir Edward Carson inspecting members of the Ulster Volunteer Force
During this time the Unionist enjoyed the whole hearted support of the British Conservative Party, even when threatening rebellion against the British Government. On 23rd September 1913 the 500 delegates of the Ulster Unuionist Council met to discuss the practicalities of setting up a provisional government for Ulster.
Carson and Craig supported by some British Conservative politicians, threatened to establish a Provisional Government in Ulster should the province be included in the Home Rule settlement. In April 1914, thirty thousand German rifles and 3,000,000 rounds were landed at Larne, with the authorities blockaded by the UVF.
The Curragh Incident showed it would be difficult to use the British Army to coerce Ulster into home rule From Dublin. These developments led to the formation of the Irish Volunteers by Southern Nationalist to ensure enactment of the proposed home rule act.
The Irish Home Rule Act 1914 was eventually passed despite the objections of the House of Lords whose power of veto had been abolished under the parliament Act, though Carson managed to force through a provision exempting part or all of Ulster; however the home rule issue was temporarily suspended by the outbreak of the Great War. Many UVF men enlisted with the British 36th ( Ulster) Division of Kitchener's New Army. Others joined Irish Regiments of the Britains 10th and 16th ( Irish ) Divisions. By the summer of 1916, only the Ulster and 16th Divisions remained, the 10th Irish Division was amalgamated into both following severe losses in Gallipoli. Both of the remaining divisions suffered heavy casualties in July 1916 during the Battles of the Somme, to be largely decimated in 1918 during the German Spring Offensive.
Carson and Craig supported by some British Conservative politicians, threatened to establish a Provisional Government in Ulster should the province be included in the Home Rule settlement. In April 1914, thirty thousand German rifles and 3,000,000 rounds were landed at Larne, with the authorities blockaded by the UVF.
The Curragh Incident showed it would be difficult to use the British Army to coerce Ulster into home rule From Dublin. These developments led to the formation of the Irish Volunteers by Southern Nationalist to ensure enactment of the proposed home rule act.
The Irish Home Rule Act 1914 was eventually passed despite the objections of the House of Lords whose power of veto had been abolished under the parliament Act, though Carson managed to force through a provision exempting part or all of Ulster; however the home rule issue was temporarily suspended by the outbreak of the Great War. Many UVF men enlisted with the British 36th ( Ulster) Division of Kitchener's New Army. Others joined Irish Regiments of the Britains 10th and 16th ( Irish ) Divisions. By the summer of 1916, only the Ulster and 16th Divisions remained, the 10th Irish Division was amalgamated into both following severe losses in Gallipoli. Both of the remaining divisions suffered heavy casualties in July 1916 during the Battles of the Somme, to be largely decimated in 1918 during the German Spring Offensive.
the young citizen volunteers
The Young Citizen Volunteers of Ireland had its first meeting just prior to the signing of the Solemn League and Covenant ( Ulster ) in Belfast Hall on September 10th 1912.
Each member was to pay 2s.6d ( approximately 12.5 pence ) on joining the YCVs and a further 6d ( Approx 2.5p)
each month; he was to attend weekly drills to learn " modified military and police drill, single stick, rifle and baton exercises, signalling, knot-tying and other such exercises ". If possible he was also to gain some knowledge of " life saving and ambulance work ". The constitution of the YCVs insisted that members should not take part in any political meeting or demonstration. They were stated as being " non-secretarian and non-political " and their objectives were considered to be:
Each member was to pay 2s.6d ( approximately 12.5 pence ) on joining the YCVs and a further 6d ( Approx 2.5p)
each month; he was to attend weekly drills to learn " modified military and police drill, single stick, rifle and baton exercises, signalling, knot-tying and other such exercises ". If possible he was also to gain some knowledge of " life saving and ambulance work ". The constitution of the YCVs insisted that members should not take part in any political meeting or demonstration. They were stated as being " non-secretarian and non-political " and their objectives were considered to be:
To develop the spirit of responsible citizenship and municipal patriotism by means of lectures and discussions on civic matters, to cultivate, by means of modified and police drill, a manly physique with habits of self control, self respect and chivalry, to assist in an organisation, when called upon the civil power in the maitenance of peace.
Membership was open to anyone aged between 18 and 35 who was over five feet in height and could present
" credentials of good character ". Some Roman Catholics did join the YCVs, though it was overwhelmingly Protestant in numbers.
The British Government refused to offer financial assistance to the YCVs, in return for placing themselves at the government's disposal. In May 1914 with the gathering momentum of the Home Rule crisis and with many Young Citizens feeling betrayed by the government the YCVs applied for membership of of the Ulster Volunteer Force and became a Battalion of its Belfast Regiment. In turn, the UVF and the YCVs amalgamated to form the 36th ( Ulster ) Division as an official part of the British Army due to the outbreak of WW1. It took some time to receive official status however because of the political situation in Ireland at the time, and so many men either joined the 10th ( Irish ) Division or the 16th ( Irish ) Division, or crossed over to Scotland and England to join the British Army Regiments there.
" credentials of good character ". Some Roman Catholics did join the YCVs, though it was overwhelmingly Protestant in numbers.
The British Government refused to offer financial assistance to the YCVs, in return for placing themselves at the government's disposal. In May 1914 with the gathering momentum of the Home Rule crisis and with many Young Citizens feeling betrayed by the government the YCVs applied for membership of of the Ulster Volunteer Force and became a Battalion of its Belfast Regiment. In turn, the UVF and the YCVs amalgamated to form the 36th ( Ulster ) Division as an official part of the British Army due to the outbreak of WW1. It took some time to receive official status however because of the political situation in Ireland at the time, and so many men either joined the 10th ( Irish ) Division or the 16th ( Irish ) Division, or crossed over to Scotland and England to join the British Army Regiments there.
