9th Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (British Army)
Date Of Birth:
12/05/1896
Died:
08/05/1916 (Killed in Action)
Age:
19
Summary
George Neely was the son of James and Matilda Neely. He was born on 12th May 1896 in near Clogher. The Neely family later lived at Ardunshin, west of Fivemiletown. George Neely enlisted in the 9th Battalion of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers at Finner Camp, Co. Donegal. Private George Neely was killed in action near Authuile on 8th May 1916. He was 19 years old.
Further Information
George Neely was the son of James and Matilda Neely. James Neilly and Matilda Montgomery were married on 13th May 1885 in the district of Dungannon.
George Neely was born on 12th May 1896 in Crossowen, Clogher, County Tyrone. He was one of eleven children, all born in the Clogher area.
The 1901 census records George as 5 years old. The Neely family were living at Ardunshin, Cecil, Tyrone. Ardunshin is west of Fivemiletown. George’s father James was a coachman.
Known family: James Neely, Matilda Neely, William Neely (born 8th August 1886), John Neely (born 19th May 1888), Annie Neely (born 26th February 1890), James Neely (born 16th May 1891), Elizabeth Neely (born 2nd March 1893), George Neely (born 12th May 1896) , Albert Neely (born about 1897), Thomas Neely (born 8th May 1899), Maud Neely (15th June 1901), Arthur Neely (born 24th July 1902), Harry Neely (born 14th September 1905).
The 1911 census shows George Neilly as 14 years old, living with the family at house 2 in Crossowen, Cloghan, Tyrone He was still at school. His father was an agricultural labourer.
George Neely enlisted in the 9th Battalion of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers at Finner Camp in County Donegal.
Private Neely arrived in France with the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers on 5th October 1915.
Private George Neely was killed in action near Authuile on 8th May 1916. He was four days short of his 20th birthday.
From the Belfast Newsletter dated 19th May 1916:
Private G Neely, son of Mr James Neely, Summerhill, Clogher.
The village of Authuile was held by British troops from the summer of 1915 to March, 1918, when it was captured in the German Offensive on the Somme; it was ruined by shell fire even before that date.
From the Tyrone Constitution dated 26th May 1916: Death of Private Neely
Mr James Neely, of Summerhill, Clogher, has just received the following letter from Colonel Ricardo, Commanding 9th Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers:-
‘In the Field, 12th May 1916. I wish to convey to you the sympathy of all ranks of the battalion in the sorrow that has come to you by the death of your son, Private G Neely. The battalion carried out a successful raid on the enemy’s trenches last Sunday night, inflicting severe loss on them. We were subjected to a very heavy bombardment for three and a half hours, and we had considerable casualties. Your son was a gallant soldier and a good comrade and we mourn his loss. The battalion was thanked on parade today by the Army Corps Commander on the gallantry shown by all ranks.’
Private Neely, who was not quite twenty years of age, thoroughly deserved the soldierly character given him by his colonel, and much sympathy is felt in the district fo his father and mother in their bereavement. Clogher school has twenty-five ex-pupils serving their country in the army in this great struggle, and Private Neely is the third to make the supreme sacrifice, the others being Lance Corporal Bertie Cull and Private Richardson Paisley.
Private George Neely is buried in Authuile Military Cemetery. The village of Authuile lies five kilometres north of Albert in France.
George’s large family includes a James Neely. This may be the James Neely who is also listed on Clogher War Memorial.
Private George Neely is commemorated locally on Clogher War Memorial and on the WWI tablet in St Macartan's Cathedral in Clogher.
The CWGC records Private George Neely as the son of James Neely of Summer Hill, Clogher, County Tyrone.
