Wednesday, 12 November 2008

Chapter 11: For king and country – Men at War

1. Men at War

Service to the crown was a feature of the Bickerstaff family and its offshoots down different generations – with changeable outcomes.

William Slater Bickerstaff (a cousin of Joseph Bickerstaff) was a soldier in the Indian Army who became a Mormon and a conscientious objector.

In the past century, the McQuoid family contributed directly to the First and Second World Wars.

One significant figure who served in both was Ben McQuoid. In the First World War he joined the North Irish Horse, originally a yeomanry unit of the British Territorial Army, which was raised in the northern counties of Ireland in the aftermath of the Second Boer War.

Northern Irish soldiers – including those in the NIH – played a significant part in the European campaign and especially in the third battle of Ypres, Passchendaele, July 1917, when the 16th (Irish) and 36th (Ulster) Divisions were transferred to General Gough's fifth army.

On 31 July, the 36th (Ulster) Division took part in the opening attack on the strong German positions to the east of Ypres. The heavy rain, which continued for a month, made conditions for an attack impossible. Nevertheless, both Irish divisions moved forward at Langemarck on August 16th.

Sixty percent of the leading units were lost before the attack due to heavy German shelling. The 36th (Ulster) had 3,585 casualties and the 16th (Irish) 4,231.

The 16th (Irish) Division was in action near Arras and the 36th (Ulster) Division near Cambrai in November.

Service in Egypt

The 10th (Irish) Division of which Ben McQuoid was part was transferred to Egypt in September.

In the aftermath of the War, Ben went on to join the Palestine Police created in 1920 with the formation of a Civil Government for that country.

The first Police Commander had the title of Director of Public Security and with the rank of Commandant of Police and Prisons. The police establishment at this time was 18 British officers supported by 55 Palestinian officers and 1,144 rank and file. The duties of the Police were described as:-
‘Besides fulfilling the ordinary duties of a constabulary, such as the preservation of law and order and the prevention and detection of crime, act as their numbers will allow as escorts for the protection of tax collectors, serve summonses issued by the judicial authorities, distribute Government notices and escort Government treasure throughout the country.’

The Iraq of its day

A foretaste of what was to come occurred in 1920 during the feast of Nebi Musa when Jewish youths, nearly all recent arrivals from Europe, paraded in Jerusalem professing the wish for a Jewish defence arm.

The demonstration was organised by Vladimir Jabotinsky, an immigrant, and his friends.
Reaction by Arab religious leaders and their inflammatory speeches resulted in an attack on Jews by Arabs in the Old City of Jerusalem resulting in a number of fatalities and numerous casualties. As the police were heavily outnumbered, the military was called in to restore law and order.

It seems that it was at about this time that the foundations of the Haganna, a Jewish defence organisation, were laid. In the spring of 1921 the police had a further serious clash with the public when two opposing political parties of Jews arranged demonstration marches on 1st. May near the seashore between Tel Aviv and neighbouring Jaffa.

On meeting, the two parties began fighting with each other. This was at first observed with some amusement by Arab onlookers but on the arrival of mob leaders, the Arabs were incited to join in the fighting and a number of people were killed and injured before order was restored on the following day.

It was but a small beginning to the years of trouble which were to follow and which are still with us.

Little was seen of Ben McQuoid during the wartime conflict or his period with the Palestine Police but his occasional visits to Ormonde Gardens, the home of the Duffield family, were welcome as were his gifts of ivory craftsmanship (before they became an illegal export from North Africa!)

Ben died at his home in Oakland Avenue in 1952 on a date appropriate any such soldier – November 11.


The Bells and the armed services



Two members of the Bell family enlisted in the RAF.

Leslie McAteer Bell was born in 1922 and upon leaving Mountpottinger Public Elementary School went to Mercantile College and then joined the Northern Ireland Road Transport Board (the precursor of Translink) as a clerk until 1941 when he joined the RAF volunteer reserve on general duties

When he failed to be accepted for air crew he was stationed in several air stations in England, before being sent to North Africa in 1943.on to Italy where he spent a year.

He was then posted to Malta and home where he met Q (otherwise Eirene) in military hospital at Bishopstortford. The pair was married in Jersey, Eirene’s home. Leslie joined London’s Metropolitan Police Service in 1947 retiring in 1972.

He has two children, Maurice and Sylvia. Maurice is married with no children and
lives in the USA. Sylvia and Barry had two girls, sadly Jennifer tragically died before her 14th birthday. Angela is married with two boys.

Maurice, step-brother to Muriel and Leslie joined the Army and paid the ultimate sacrifice when he was killed in Italy in 1944 serving with the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, on the way to Montecasino.

Muriel’s contribution to the war is part of Women at War in the next chapter.