North Irish Horse - Gallery - In memoriam

In memoriam

Private John Donaldson King

Private John Donaldson King, 9th (North Irish Horse) Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers, Service Nos 864 (NIH), 41302 (RIF). Born Whitecross. Enlisted Newry, County Down. Son of John and Mary J. King, Whitecross, County Armagh. Killed in action on 3 November 1917, aged 25. Buried in Cambrai East Military Cemetery, Nord, France. Grave location VII.B.2. His gravestone inscription reads:

41302 PRIVATE

J. D. KING

ROYAL IRISH FUSILIERS

3RD NOVEMBER 1917 AGE 25

GREATER LOVE

HATH NO MAN THAN THIS

THAT HE LAY DOWN HIS LIFE

FOR HIS FRIENDS

The Battalion diary for that day reads:

At 4.30pm C Company left Ruyaulcourt and marched up to the line to carry out a raid. The enemy's front line was successfully penetrated from the Canal (K.26.d.05.95) to about 150 yards east of it. The fighting was very severe as the enemy refused to surrender. Our men stayed in the enemy trenches for twenty minutes and bayonetted and shot at least forty Germans. We suffered some 12 casualties, mostly from bombs: one Officer severely wounded, one Officer slightly wounded; one NCO killed, three Other Ranks missing believed killed, thirteen Other Ranks wounded, one R.E [Royal Engineer?] (NCO) severely wounded.

King 2