6th Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers (British Army)
Date Of Birth:
28/01/1884
Died:
09/12/1915 (Killed in Action)
Age:
31
Summary
Charles Doherty was the youngest son of Charles and Ellen Doherty. Charles Doherty was born in Fivemiletown on 28th January 1884. By 1901 the family were living in Belfast. Charles was working as a Machine-Boy in a Linen Mill. His father was a blacksmith. By 1911, Charles was a mill labourer. He married Mary Elizabeth Corr on 16th November 1913 in Belfast and they had a daughter, Mary Jane Doherty. Private Doherty was formerly with the Connaught Rangers before being transferred to the Royal Dublin Fusiliers. Private Charles Doherty was serving with the 6th Battalion of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers when he was killed in action near Doiran in northern Greece on the 9th December 1915. He was 31 years old.
Further Information
Charles Doherty was the youngest son of Charles and Ellen Doherty. Charles Doherty married Ellen Carey about 1868.
Charles Doherty was born in Fivemiletown, County Tyrone on 28th January 1884.
The 1901 census lists Charles as age 15 living with the family at house 8 in Lucknaw Street, Falls Ward, Belfast. Charles was working as a Machine-Boy in a Linen Mill. His father was a blacksmith.
The 1911 census lists Charles as age 27 living with the family at house 23 in Getty Street, the Falls, Belfast. Charles was a mill labourer. His father was described as a nailor, a person who made iron nails by hand using a mould.
Family: Charles Doherty, Ellen Doherty, Hugh Doherty (born 22nd April 1870), Stephen Doherty (born 25th December 1871), Catherine Doherty (born 22nd February 1873), Brigid Doherty (born 11th May 1875), Jane Doherty (born 15th March 1877), Rose Doherty (born 9th April 1879), Anne Doherty (born 9th April 1882), Charles Doherty (born 28th January 1884).
Charles Doherty married Mary Elizabeth Corr on 16th November 1913 in Belfast.
They had one child. Mary Jane Doherty was born on 13th May 1914 in Belfast.
Charles Doherty enlisted in Belfast.
Private Doherty was formerly with the Connaught Rangers, No. 2224, before being transferred to the Royal Dublin Fusiliers.
Private Doherty arrived in the Balkans with the Royal Dublin Fusiliers on 7th August 1915.
In December 1915, the 6th Battalion were at the front near Doiran in northern Greece.
On 8th December 1915, Lt.-Col Cox, discovering that Crete Rivet, a hill in front of his position, was unoccupied, sent up two companies of 6th Dublin to hold it and a French company to extend their left to the Kajali ravine making contact with the line of the French 156th Division. Cox ordered his Dublins to fall back should they be heavily attacked, and at 1400, a mass of Bulgarian infantry under cover of machine-gun fire rushed the hill. Retiring, the two companies of Dublins fought their way back to Crete Simonet losing ten dead and fifty-four wounded on the way.
Private Charles Doherty was serving with the 6th Battalion of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers when he was killed in action in the Balkans on the 9th December 1915. He was 31 years old.
From the Irish News dated 9th December 2015:
DOHERTY (100th Anniversary) Charles, 9th December 2915 (formerly of 23 Getty Street, Falls Road, Belfast). Beloved son of Charles and Ellen Doherty, beloved first husband of Mary Elizabeth Doherty (nee Corr), loving father of Mary Jane. Today, on the centenary of his death, we, the descendants of Charles Doherty, charged with remembrance think of a young father, a mill worker by profession, born in Fivemiletown, County Tyrone, Ireland, resident with his parents, wife and infant daughter in Belfast, who was killed in action at Doiran in the Balkans, while serving with the 6th Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers, formerly serving with the 6th (West Belfast) Battalion, Connaught Rangers. He lies in northern Greece with no known resting place, his passing being recorded on the Doiran Memorial, together with the names of twenty-six others who also gave their lives that day, including twenty of Charles Doherty's comrades in the Royal Dublin Fusiliers.
Our thoughts also turn to the many men known to Charles, friends and neighbours from Getty Street: Patrick Carson, aged 18, born in Belfast, but whose family came from Cookstown, who was also killed in action on that day, having served alongside Charles Doherty in the West Belfast Battalion, Connaught Rangers and 6th Royal Dublin Fusiliers. Charles O'Hara, 12 Getty Street, 2nd Royal Irish Fusiliers, killed in action in Egypt. Patrick White, 30 Getty Street, 2nd Royal Irish Rifles, killed in action in France. Daniel Donnelly, 12 Getty Street, 1st Royal Irish Fusiliers, killed in action in France. William Ponise, 27 Getty Street, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. And remembering Charles Doherty's brother-in-law, Lance Corporal John Hamilton of 25 Getty Street, 7th Leinster Regiment, killed in action in Belgium on 30th January 1917 and also Corporal James Quinn M.M., 3 Granville Street, Falls Road, 7th Leinster Regiment, killed in action on 1st February 1917.
We remember too at this time the 4945 officers and men of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers and the 2109 officers and men of the Connaught Rangers, the 2178 officers and men of the Leinster Regiment and all the men from the island of Ireland who are recorded as dying as a result of the conflict. In loving memory of our Granda Charlie and our great uncle John. The most important gift is the power to reflect. Taking time to reflect may help us to grow in Christ's love and to understand our common history. May they all rest in peace.
Private Doherty has no known grave and is commemorated on the Doiran Memorial in Greece, close to the border with Macedonia.
Private Charles Doherty is commemorated locally on Fivemiletown War Memorial.
Private Charles Doherty is listed on page 19 of the Fivemiletown book, from which most of these details come from. Many thanks to Mark Byers for the information.
