Book Description

This is a the story of the origin and development of the Tyneside Irish Brigade ending with a brief and highly imaginative account of the 1st July 1916. Locally the four battalions were known as 1st - 4th Tyneside Irish, officially they were the 24th - 27th Northumberland Fusiliers, likewise the brigade s designation was the 103rd, part of the 34th Division. This is more than a history, it is an extremely useful reference work in that it includes alphabetical lists of officers of the brigade, with biographical details, along with lists of tne NCOs and men, all shown by battalion and by company within each battalion. These are accompanied by group photos of officers and NCOs of each battalion with individuals numbered and identified, and groups of officers and men of each battalion. One chapter of the book is entitled Irish Heroes Who Have Won The Victoria Cross; this lists thirty-six officers and men with biographical details and citations plus portrait photos of twenty-four of them. There is a further chapter giving details of awards made to some officers and men, including a so-called Card of Honour which is, presumably, a certificate acknowledging meritorious service, probably awarded by the divisional or brigade commander. Finally there is a listing of Who s Who of the Tyneside Irish Movement and Associates giving brief details of numerous civilians who played a part in raising the brigade or who were involved in Irish Nationalist politics in Tyneside. The introduction is by John Redmond M.P, the leader of the Irish Nationalist Party in Parliament, who was primarily responsible for bringing the Irish National Volunteers into the war, and this is followed by a chapter on the Irish in Great Britain by another M.P., Mr T. O Connor. The politics and mechanics of the formation of the Brigade and the rivalry with the Tyneside Scottish all make fascinating reading.