Final call for names of local WW2 ‘Fallen’

Back in 1955, Major-General Sir Allan Adair, Bart, unveiled Ballymena Borough and Rural District War Memorial with 110 military personnel inscribed on the memorial.

Similar to that completed for the missing names from the WW1 memorials across the borough, Council commissioned professional researchers History Hub Ulster and WW1 Research Ireland to determine if there had been any omissions from the Second World War Memorial with a public call being made last October. As it stands 40 names of the Fallen who were either born or resided in Ballymena district are eligible to be added to the existing memorial but before names are added and in order to be as comprehensive as possible, Mayor William McCaughey is asking the public once again to come forward with any other potential names. He said: “We want to ensure, as best we can, that all local men and woman who made the ultimate sacrifice are remembered alongside those names already honoured.”

The eligibility criteria that Council has agreed to apply is that, primarily, the proposed person must be either born or had residency within the former Ballymena Urban and Rural District boundaries before enlistment. They must also have died in action or from wounds received within the time period September 3, 1939, to December 31, 1947. These are the official dates of the Second World War set by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

To receive a proposal form and a copy of the existing missing names list email: [email protected]

For those with no, or limited, access to the internet, two drop in sessions at the Braid have been organised on May 16 from 10am – 4pm and May 21 from 10am – 3pm. Proposers who call to the Braid will be able to complete a proposal form on informing reception staff of their arrival. For any enquiries call 2563 5029, Monday – Wednesday. Any names proposed will require to be first verified against the set criteria prior to their recommendation for inclusion on the Memorial. Work on adding the approved names is planned to commence by early autumn this year. The list of agreed names are: John Wilfred Allen. John Allison, William McKee Bonnar, Thomas Chambers, Robert Hugh Clarke, James Craig, James Noel Deane, Patrick Duffin, Emma Fleck, Desmond Mary Grant, Hill Hamilton, Jack Stanley Haskins, Richard Basil Echlin Hoey, George Johnston, James Johnston, James Bryce Armstrong Lawrence. Adam Linton, John Barnett Logan, Joseph Loughridge, William Mairs, John Maxwell, Michael McAuley, Samuel McKendry, William McKeown, Alfred Trench Mitchell, Alexander Murdoch, Thomas Alexander Nesbitt, John Nicholl, Robert Peters, James Mairs Robinson, James Smyth, Wilson Stevenson, Claude James Stock, John Thompson, Walter Thompson, William John Turtle, Thomas Weir, Robert Stewart Wilkinson, Robert Whittaker, Robert Neville, Desmond Young.

Read: Credit Union in Ballymena seeking new Board members