William Henry Boland was the son of Bartholomew and Margaret Boland. Henry Boland was born on 11th August 1895 in Clogheen, Fivemiletown, County Tyrone. Henry lived with his grandparents in Bricklieve, County Sligo. Henry Boland enlisted in Boyle, County Roscommon. Private Henry Boland was serving with the 1st Battalion of the Irish Guards when he was killed in action during the Battle of Poelcappelle on Tuesday 9th Oct 1917. He was 22 years old. 83 Irish Guards were killed on that day. Private Henry Boland has no known grave and is commemorated on Tyne Cot Memorial.
Further Information
William Henry Boland was the son of Bartholomew and Margaret Boland. Bartholomew Boland married Maggie Reid in Dungannon on 21st October 1890.
Henry Boland was born on 11th August 1895 in Clogheen, Fivemiletown, County Tyrone. He was baptised on 11th November 1895 in Augentaine Parish Church.
The 1901 census lists 5 year old Harry Boland as living with grandparents at house 7 in Bricklieve, County Sligo. The census records his parents and family living in as Garlaw, Cole, County Tyrone.
The 1911 census records that 15 year old William Henry Boland was still living with his grandparents in Bricklieve, County Sligo. He was still at school. His parents and family were still living in as Garlaw, Cole, County Tyrone.
Family: Bartholomew Boland, Margaret Boland, Elizabeth Boland (born 2nd October 1891), James Boland (born 18th August 1893), William Henry Boland (born 11 August 1895), Anna Boland (born 12th June 1897, died 11th March 1900), Kathleen Boland (born about 1899), Sarah Jane Boland (born 25th April 1899), Thomas John Boland 10 (born 17th July 1901), Marshall Boland (born 29th July 1905), Samuel Fredrick Boland (born 1st May 1909).
Henry Boland enlisted in Boyle, County Roscommon.
Private Henry Boland was serving with the 1st Battalion of the Irish Guards when he was killed in action during the Battle of Poelcappelle on Tuesday 9th Oct 1917. He was 22 years old.
The Battle of Poelcappelle (9 October 1917) marked the end of the string of highly successful British attacks in late September and early October 1917, during the Third Battle of Ypres. Only the supporting attack in the north achieved a substantial advance. On the main front the German defences withstood the limited amount of artillery fire managed by the British after the attack of 4 October. The ground along the main ridges had been severely damaged by shelling and rapidly deteriorated in the rains, which began again on 3 October, which in some areas turned the ground into a swamp. Dreadful ground conditions had more effect on the British, who needed to move large amounts of artillery and ammunition to support the next attack. The battle was a defensive success for the German army, although costly to both sides. The weather and ground conditions put severe strain on all the infantry involved and led to many wounded being stranded on the battlefield. Early misleading information and delays in communication led Plumer and Haig to plan the next attack on 12 October (First Battle of Passchendaele) under the impression that a substantial advance had taken place at Passchendaele ridge, when most of the captured ground had been lost to German counter-attacks.
Poelcappelle is situated north west of Passchendaele. On 9th October, the Irish Guards attacked the German front line. 83 Irish Guards were killed on that day.
Private Henry Boland has no known grave and is commemorated on Tyne Cot Memorial.
Most of the information here was derived from the book, 'Fivemiletown's Fallen'. Page 56 is devoted to Private Henry Boland.
