Lance Corporal Anthony Naughton

Glengad Stone Circle, Kilcommen, Erris, North Mayo 2010 Comhar

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Glengad_Stone_circle_overlooking_Broadhaven_Bay_Kilcommon,_Erris_North_Mayo.jpg

Etching by Anthony Gross 1950's of Parade Grounds. Guard's Depot Caterham,England

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:This_etching_shows_recruits_at_squad_drill_on_the_parade_ground_at_the_Guards_Depot._Gross_visited_the_Guards_Barracks_in_Caterham,

Bisley, The Cotswold, England 2006 Stuart Wilding

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bisley,_The_Cotswolds_-_geograph.org.uk_-_150732.jpg

Rouen, France 2012

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rouen,_France_-_panoramio.jpg

Kilcommon Co. Mayo

Exemplary Soldier

Anthony Naughton recovered from injuries sustained to return to his campaigns in his short military career.

Anthony Naughton was born in Muingnabo, Rossport, Kilcummen in Erris, North Mayo.

Employment

Prior to enlisting in the military Naughton was employed as a grocer’s assistant in Ballinrobe.

Career / Transfers

Anthony Naughton joined the Irish Guards as a private aged twenty years on 4^th November 1915. He transferred to the Guards Machine Gun, 4^th Battalion. On 13^th November that year he transferred to First Guard Department in Caterham Barracks in Surrey, England. The following year on the 28^th September 1916 he moved to Machine Gun Company. He travelled to the Camiers Machine Gun Corps in France with an expeditionary force. Another transfer on the 1^st February 1917 was to the Gun Machine Battalion.

Injury

He was unfortunately wounded on 16^th February & hospitalized in Rouen, France. He was hospitalized in England at The Royal Westminster Eye Hospital on 27^th February with a shrapnel injury to his eye for a month. That was followed by three weeks convalescence in Bisley.

Return to Duty

Naughton qualified as a machine gunner on 12^th July 1917. He was appointed an unpaid Lance Corporal in 5^th Coy on 3^rd December 1917.

France

He travelled to Boulogne in France via Folkestone on 29^th March 1918. Then returned to Base Camp at Camiers. On the 20^th April that year he joined the 4^th Battalion in the field.

Demise

Lance Corporal Anthony Naughton’s demise occurred in action on 27^th August 1918.

Honour

He was awarded a British War Medal & a Victory Medal. [i]

Footnote

Five years following his demise: principle assistant secretary of the Imperial Graves Commission forwarded a notice to his family that stated his remains were re-interred to Plot 5, Row C, Grave 4, Mary Abbey British cemetery, Mory Pas-de Calais, Hauts-de-France in France.

This site has information also photographs: https://www.ww1cemeteries.com/mory-abbey-military-cemetery.html

Source

Remembering Mayo’s Fallen Heroes Michael Feeney MBE [assessed 25^th October 2019]