LISBURN REMEMBERS IT'S WAR DEAD 30 YEARS AGO
Alderman James Howard, then Lisburn's mayor, pictured after he had laid a wreath at the War Memorial in Castle Gardens on Remembrance Sunday in November, 1969. E46114.
A few lines LISBURN folk 50 years ago this month were reading the following few lines entitled
"Remembrance".
The flames of peace had almost petered
out,
As reason fled the clash of arms drew nigh,
The souls of men were into turmoil stirred.
And headlong rushed the nations on to war.
Then all at once an echo from the past,
"We bled, we died to end this awful lust ",
The agony of that cry reached human hearts,
Man turned about--renewed the search for peace.
FIFTY years ago this month and 20 years after the signing of the Armistice the people of Lisburn gathered at the War Memorial in the Castle Gardens to pay silent homage to those who gave their lives in the 1914-1918 war.
At 10-45 am on Friday, November 11,193 the clergy and civic party walked procession from the Town Hall to the War Memorial.
The council representatives were Mr. James Barnes, chairman, Mr. S. D. B. Hanna, vice-chairman, Mr. James Duff, Mr. A. N. Stevenson, Mr. John J. Dougan, Mr. James Shortt, Mr. T. W. Millar, Mr. William Dick and Mr. Herbert C. B. McNally.
The officials were Mr. Thomas H. MacDonald, Town Clerk, Mr. F. Morrow, Assistant Town Clerk, Mr. John T. McConnell, Town Solicitor, Mr. R. E. L. Clarke, Town Surveyor, Mr. Fred Kee, Sub Sanitary Officer, Mr. A. S. Brook, Gas Manager, Mr. George McNeice, Assistant Gas Manager, Mr. W. Tyler,Gas Department Accountant, Mr. Thomas Waring, Rate Collector, Mr. Edward McNeice, Clerk of Markets and Mr. R. D. Johnston, Surveyor's Assistant.
ATTENDANCE
The attendance also included Mr. Harold A. M. Barbour, Captain C. O'Beirne, County Inspector, the Reverend L. A. Elliott, curate of Lisburn Cathedral, the Reverend St. G. C. H. Lundy, curate of Christ Church and contingents of children from local schools.
The service began with the hymn " O God, our help in ages past ", announced by the Reverend S. G. McIntyre, Methodist minister, following which a portion of Scripture was read by the Reverend David Hay, minister of First Lisburn Presbyterian Church and prayer was offered by Canon J. S. Taylor, rector of Lisburn Cathedral Parish.
Just before 11 o'clock Bugler J. Allen sounded the Last Post after which the two minutes' silence was observed. Following the Reveille the flags on the Town Hall, the Police Barracks and in the Castle Gardens were raised from half-mast.
Mr. Barnes, accompanied by Mr. MacDonald, laid a wreath at the Memorial.
It had on it the inscription:" This wreath is placed here by the Lisburn Urban District Council, as representing the citizens, in remembrance of the gallant men who gave their lives in defence of their country. Their name liveth for evermore ".
CHILDREN
Other wreaths were laid by Mrs. J. G. Johnston, President, on behalf of the Women's Section of the British Legion, Mrs. King on behalf of the Girl Guides, Mr. T. Malcomson on behalf of Lisburn Golf Club and by children representing the Barbour Playground.
After the wreaths had been laid the hymn " For all the saints ", announced by the Reverend Andrew Fullerton, minister of Sloan Street Presbyterian Church, was sung.
Mr. Mclntyre gave a short address and the service ended with the Benediction pronounced by the Reverend W. H. Good, rector of Christ Church and the singing of the National Anthem.
The massed choir, which led the praise, was under the direction of Miss E. Winifred Thompson, organist of First Lisburn.
After the service many people planted poppies in the Garden of Remembrance at the foot of the Memorial.
Over 110 members of the Lisburn British Legion branch attended the annual Remembrance service in First Lisburn on the Sunday, November 13,1938. Assembling at their Headquarters in Sackville Street, the ex-Servicemen were under the command of Captain W. F. Irvine, chairman and Sergeant T. J. Davis, MM.
BAND
The parade was headed by Lisburn Temperance Silver Band and also taking part were First Lisburn Boy Scouts under Scoutmaster R. Thompson and Assistant Scoutmaster H. Irvine and the Wolf Cubs under Miss N. Duff.
A contingent of Knocknadona scouts was under the command of Scoutmaster C. R. Williams and Assistant Scoutmaster R. H. Auld.
At the War Memorial wreaths were laid by Captain Irvine on behalf of the Legion and Mr. A. Brodie, chairman, on behalf of the Silver Band.
The Last Post was sounded, a two minutes' silence observed and the ceremony ended wan the reveille.
The procession, which was joined by members and officials of the Urban Council, then proceeded to the church.
The colours were carried by a colour party composed of Mr. J. Kelly, Mr. P. Coulter and Mr. J. Clarke commanded by Captain W Tyler
The Boy Scout colours were carried by Troop Leader J. Warwick escorted by Patrol Leaders W. Lemon and V. Walker.
The service was conducted by the Reverend Robert Kelso, MC, Boardmills, who also gave the address.
Mr. Kelso said war was the most futile and useless settling disputes that human nature had ever invented.
It did not benefit anyone except the profiteers and it settled nothing.
The choir with Miss Thompson sang the anthem " What are these that are arrayed in white robes ".
The concluding Hymn was "O Valiant hearts"
The offering was for the Earl Haig Fund.
Former Lisburn pupil who won Victoria Cross
A man who was awarded the Victoria Cross in the First World War had associations with Lisburn, where he received his early education.
He was Colonel John Alexander Sinton, who achieved the honour at Orah Ruins, Mesopotamia on January 21,1916.
Born of Ulster parents in British Columbia on December 2,1884, Colonel Sinton was brought to Lisburn as a child.
He was educated at the Nicholson Memorial School, now Christ Church Parochial Hall, the Royal Belfast Academical Institution and Queen's College. Belfast, where he qualified with First Class Honours.
Before entering the Indian Medical Service he was Riddell Demonstrator in Pathology at Queen's University, Belfast, house surgeon and house physician in the Royal Victoria Hospital and Pathologist in the Benn Eye Ear and Throat Hospital and in the Mater Infirmorum Hospital.
In India he specialised in tropical medicine and hygiene and contributed many papers to the Indian Journal of Medical Research.
But to get back to his award, the official record stated that, although shot through both arms and through the side, he refused to go to hospital and remained as long as daylight lasted, attending to his duties under heavy fire.
In three previous actions, Captain Sinton, as he was then, displayed the utmost bravery.
He also served in the Second World War, 1939 to 1945 and was the holder of the OBE.
He died at Cookstown, County Tyrone, on March 25,1956.
Ulster Star
11/11/1988
