1st Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (British Army)
Date Of Birth:
16/05/1879
Died:
09/08/1916 (Killed in Action)
Age:
37
Summary
William Connor was the only son (tbc) of Robert and Susan Connor. He was born in 1879 near Cooneen, Fivemiletown. William’s father, Robert Connor, died in the Lisnaskea area on 21st September 1899, aged 53. The 1901 census lists William as age 19 living with the family at house 4 in Curraghfad, Grogey, County Fermanagh. Both he and his recently widowed mother were farmers. William Connor enlisted in the 1st Inniskillings at Hamilton in Lanarkshire, Scotland in 1915 and went to France in February 1916.Private William Connor was serving with the 1st Battalion of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers when he was killed in action 9th August 1916.
Further Information
William Connor was the only son (tbc) of Robert and Susan Connor. Robert Connor married Susan Pogue in Fermanagh on 18th August 1874.
William Connor was born on 16th May 1879 at Grogey, near Cooneen, Fivemiletown.
Family: Robert Connor, Susan Connor, Arabella Connor (born 31st July 1876), Annie Connor (born about 1880), William Connor (born 16th May 1879), Emily Connor (born 15th May 1883).
William's father, Robert Connor, died in the Lisnaskea area on 21st September 1899, aged 53.
The 1901 census lists William as age 19 living with the family at house 4 in Curraghfad, Grogey, County Fermanagh. Both he and his recently widowed mother were farmers.
The 1911 census does not list William as living with the family at house 5 in Corraghfad, Grogey, Fermanagh.
William Connor enlisted in the 1st Inniskillings at Hamilton in Lanarkshire, Scotland in 1915 and went to France in February 1916.
On the night of 8th August 1916, the 1st Battalion was in the front line in the Poetize area. A concentrated discharge of phosgene gas lasted nearly two hours. By maintaining continuous machine gun fire at the German trenches, the battalion was able to prevent an infantry assault. Seven officers and 81 other ranks were killed. William was one of them.
Private William Connor was serving with the 1st Battalion of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers when he was killed in action due to gas poisoning on 9th August 1916. He was 37 years old.
From the Belfast Newsletter dated 15th September 1916:
Private William Connor, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, Curraghfad, Fivemiletown, died of gas poisoning.
Private Connor has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate in Ypres.
Private William Connor is commemorated locally on Fivemiletown War Memorial.
Most of the information here was derived from the book, 'Fermanagh War Memorial Book of Honour 1914 – 1921'. Page 216 is devoted to Private William Connor.
Private William Connor is listed on page 37 of the Fivemiletown book, from which some of these details come from. Many thanks to Mark Byers for the information.
