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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 March 2016
Traditional accounts of the establishment of the 36th (Ulster) Division in October 1914 suggest that this unit was formed purely from the pre-war U.V.F. Writing in 1922, Cyril Falls (himself an officer in both the U.V.F. and the 36th Division) declared:
The Ulster Division was not created in a day. The roots from which it sprang went back into the troubled period before the war. Its life was a continuance of the life of an earlier legion, a legion of civilians banded together to protect themselves from the consequences of legislation which they believed would affect adversely their rights and privileges as citizens of the United Kingdom.
Modern historians have echoed this view. Tom Johnstone, for example, has noted that ‘the battalions of the (36th) Division, based on the Ulster Volunteer Force (U.V.F.) order of battle, had been in existence since before the war’. Meanwhile Philip Orr has even suggested that the 36th Division was a ‘covenanting army’, all its members supposedly having signed the Ulster Covenant opposing home rule. In this article the validity of these claims will be considered, particularly with regard to the continuity in personnel and equipment between the U.V.F. and the 36th Division and the military efficiency that the formation had achieved by the time it arrived on the Western Front.
1 Falls, Cyril, The history of the 36th (Ulster) Division (Belfast, 1922), pp 1–2.Google Scholar
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4 See, for example, the report of Detective Sergeant Edwards, R.I.C., on the Balmoral demonstration of September 1913 in ‘Report for the use of the cabinet, October 1913’ (P.R.O.,WO 141/26).
5 Jackson, Alvin, ‘Unionist myths, 1912-1985’ in Past & Present, no. 136 (Aug. 1992), p. 174.Google Scholar
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7 Typescript booklet entitled ‘C.V.F. Scheme, copy no.VI’, compiled by Col. Oliver Nugent (P.R.O.N.I., Farren Connell papers, MIC/571/9, pp 1-2).
8 Bew, Paul, Ideology and the Irish question: Ulster unionists and Irish nationalists, 1912-16 (Oxford, 1994), p. 101.Google Scholar
9 ‘Return of soldiers, ex-soldiers or other persons connected with the army who are shown in drilling returns for August, shown as having acted as instructors to Unionist Clubs etc., and as to which there is evidence available’, Aug. 1913 (P.R.O., WO 141/26).
10 ‘Roll of officers recently serving with the U.V.F. recalled to army service’, Sept. 1914 (P.R.O.N.I., Richardson papers, D/1498/7).
11 R.I.C. estimate of U.V.F. strength on 31 Mar. 1914, quoted in Giolla Choille, Breandan Mac (ed.), Intelligence notes, 1913-16 (Dublin, 1966), p. 37.Google Scholar
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13 Orr, Philip, ‘Introduction’ in Crozier, F. P., A brass hat in no man’s land (Norwich, 1989), p. 18.Google Scholar
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21 Johnstone, Orange, green & khaki, p. 216.
22 Stubbs, J. O., ‘The unionists and Ireland, 1914-18’ in Hist. Jn., xxxiii (1990), p. 871.Google Scholar
23 Hyde, H. Montgomery, Carson: the life of Sir Edward Carson, Lord Carson of Duncairn (London, 1987 ed.), pp 377-9.Google Scholar
24 Memo by Kitchener on recruiting, 29 Aug. 1914 (P.R.O., Kitchener papers, WO 162/20).
25 Carson to Ruby Frewen, 3 Sept. 1914 (P.R.O.N.I., Carson papers, D/1507/A/8/4).
26 Hickman to Gen. Robb, 20 Feb. 1915, personnel record of Maj. P. K. Kerr-Smiley (P.R.O., WO 339/39413).
27 Hughes, Clive, ‘The New Armies’ in Beckett, I.F.W. and Simpson, Keith (eds), A nation in arms: a social study of the British army in the First World War (Manchester, 1985), p. 106.Google Scholar
28 Hughes, Colin, Mametv Lloyd George’s ‘Welsh army’ at the battle of the Somme (Norwich, 1990), pp 29–30Google Scholar; Clive Hughes, ‘New Armies’, p. 106.
29 Colin Hughes, Mametz, p. 35.
30 Ibid.,p. 25; Hughes, Clive, ‘Army recruitment in Gwynedd, 1914-16’ (unpublished M.A. thesis, University College of North Wales, Bangor, 1983), pp 71, 194.Google Scholar
31 Clive Hughes, ‘Army recruitment in Gwynedd’, p. 121.
32 Ibid., p. ll7.
33 Parsons to Secretary, War Office, 29 Nov. 1914 (N.L.I., Parsons papers, MS 21278); Denman, Terence, Ireland’s unknown soldiers: the 16th (Irish) Division in the Great War, 1914-18 (Dublin, 1992), p. 43Google Scholar; SirVane, Francis, Agin the governments (London, 1928), p. 248.Google Scholar
34 Colin Hughes, Mametz, p. 36.
35 Ibid., p. 33; Clive Hughes, ‘Army recruitment in Gwynedd’, p. 194.
36 Fitzpatrick, ‘Logic of collective sacrifice’, pp 1028-9.
37 Unnamed U.V.F. officer to Carson, 8 Aug. 1914 (telegram) (P.R.O.N.I., D/1507/A/7/6). See also Hennessey, Thomas, Dividing Ireland: World War I and partition (London, 1998), pp 56-8.Google Scholar
38 Belfast News Letter, 7 Aug. 1914, quoted in Orr, Road to the Somme, p. 40.
39 Richardson to Carson, 2 Sept. 1914 (P.R.O.N.I., D/1507/A/8/1).
40 Mercer, ‘For king, country & a shilling a day’, p. 6.
41 A copy of this form is in the papers of Private R. Grange, 13th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles (University of Leeds, Liddle collection).
42 Crozier, A brass hat in no man’s land, pp 36-7.
43 U.V.F. special order by Col. G. W. Hacket Pain, 2 Sept. 1914 (P.R.O.N.I., D/1507/A/8/2).
44 Spiers, Edward, ‘The Scottish soldier at war’ in Cecil, Hugh and Liddle, Peter (eds), Facing Armageddon: the First World War experienced (London, 1996), p. 316.Google Scholar
45 Beckett, I. F. W., ‘The Territorial Force’ in Beckett, & Simpson, (eds), A nation in arms, p. 134.Google Scholar
46 Beckett, I. F. W., The amateur military tradition, 1558-1945 (Manchester, 1991), p. 229.Google Scholar
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48 Grieves, Keith, The politics of manpower, 1914-18 (Manchester, 1988), p. 14.Google Scholar
49 Mercer, ‘For king, country & a shilling a day’, pp 6, 9.
50 Beckett, I. F. W., ‘The British army, 1914-18: the illusion of change’ in Turner, John (ed.), Britain and the First World War (London, 1988), p. 102.Google Scholar
51 Handbill included in U.V.F. recruiting correspondence (Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers Museum, Enniskillen, box 12). The expression ‘hire’ in this handbill suggests that it was aimed especially at agricultural labourers, attending hiring fairs at this time of year.
52 Ricardo to Mr Robinson, Oct. 1915 (ibid., U.V.F. recruiting correspondence).
53 Falls, 36th (Ulster) Division, p. 5.
54 ‘Historical records of the 13th Service Battalion, R[oyal] Ifrish] R[ifles], part 3’ (Royal Ulster Rifles Museum, Belfast), pp 1-3; J. H. Stewart-Moore, ‘Random recollections’ (Imperial War Museum, unpublished MS), p. 7.
55 ‘Report of the council of the Young Citizen Volunteers of Ireland, 1912-13’ (National Army Museum, 8210-88); Mercer, ‘For king, country & a shilling a day’, p. 10; Orr, Road to the Somme, p. 49.
56 Canning, W. J., Ballyshannon, Belcoo, Bertincourt: the history of the 11th Battalion, the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (Donegal and Fermanagh Volunteers) in World War One (Antrim, 1996), p. 15.Google Scholar
57 Perry, Nicholas, ‘Maintaining regimental identity in the Great War: the case of the Irish infantry regiments’ in Stand To, lii (1998), pp 6, 11.Google Scholar
58 White, The Terrors, pp 11, 21.
59 Statement giving particulars regarding men of military age in Ireland, pp 2-3 [C 8390], H.C. 1916, xvii, 582-3.
60 Fitzpatrick, David, Politics and Irish life, 1913-1921: provincial experience of war and revolution (Dublin, 1977), pp 110-11.Google Scholar
61 Foy, ‘Ulster Volunteer Force’, p. 208.
62 Simkins, Peter, Kitchener’s army: the raising of the New Armies, 1914-16 (Manchester 1988), p. 71.Google Scholar
63 Powell to Carson, 25 Mar. 1915 (P.R.O.N.I., D/1507/A/11/22). Original emphasis.
64 Fitzpatrick, David, The two Irelands, 1912-39 (Oxford, 1998), p. 52.Google Scholar
65 Denman, Ireland’s unknown soldiers, pp 38-58; Gwynn, Denis, The life of John Redmond (London, 1932), pp 389-90.Google Scholar
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67 J. B. Armour to W. S. Armour, 19 Sept. 1916, quoted in McMinn, J. R. B., Against the tide: J. B. Armour, Irish Presbyterian minister and home ruler (Belfast, 1985), p. 168.Google Scholar
68 Personnel file of Capt. G. R. Irwin (P.R.O., WO 339/14269).
69 Personnel file of Maj. A. P. Jenkins (ibid., WO 339/14333).
70 Personnel record of Maj. C. F. Falls (ibid., WO 339/21314).
71 W. Copeland Trimble to Carson, 15 Jan. 1915 (P.R.O.N.I., D/1507/A/11/3).
72 Personnel records of Capt. C. B. Despard, Capt. G. H. Moorhead, Lieut. T. P. Dunbar and Second Lieut. E. G. Matthews (P.R.O., WO 339/12487, 13920, 21344, 14196).
73 See, for example, the personnel record of Second Lieut. J. A. Kelly (ibid., WO 339/14190).
74 Personnel record of Capt. P. M. Miller (ibid., WO 339/13909).
75 Obituary of Couchman in The Light Bob Gazette, Apr. 1936, p. 22.
76 See, for example, the personnel files of Lieut. H. H. R. Dolling and Second Lieut. G. C. Wedgwood (P.R.O.,WO 339/16019,21335).
77 Personnel record of Capt. Samuel Wright Knox (ibid., WO 339/13921).
78 ‘Miscellaneous papers regarding “drilling” by civilians in Ireland’ (ibid., WO 141/26); ‘Intelligence reports re the U.V.F., 1913-14’ (ibid., WO 141/1).
79 ‘Richardson to Carson, 10 Sept. 1914 (P.R.O.N.I., D/1498/7).
80 War Office, Army List, July 1914, col. 170.
81 Ibid., col. 226.
82 Ibid., col. 2012b.
83 Personnel records of Capt. William Howland and Capt. J.T. O’Neill (P.R.O.,WO 339/22376,14323).
84 Personnel record of Capt. W. L. Gorman (ibid., WO 339/16720).
85 Personnel record of Maj. Adrian Hulse (ibid., WO 339/14050).
86 Personnel record of Maj. C. St A. Wake (ibid., WO 339/14219).
87 Personnel record of Maj. J. D. M. McCallum (ibid., WO 339/13911).
88 Personnel record of Capt. William McCready (ibid., WO 339/14276).
89 See, for example, the personnel records of Lieut. D. B. Walkington and Capt. Robert McLaurin (ibid., WO 339/14295,4100418).
90 J. H. Stewart-Moore, ‘Random recollections’ (unpublished MS, Imperial War Museum), p. 7.
91 Personnel records of Lieut. Eric Crawley, Second Lieut. Frank Quicke and Second Lieut. H. M. Allom (P.R.O., WO 339/20586,20583,20579).
92 Personnel record of Maj. Adrian Hulse (ibid., WO 339/14050).
93 Personnel record of Lieut. W M. Crozier (ibid., WO 339/21334).
94 Buckland, Patrick, James Craig (Dublin, 1980), p. 36Google Scholar; StErvine, John, Craigavon: Ulsterman (London, 1949), p. 298.Google Scholar
95 Falls, 36th (Ulster) Division, p. 6; Cooper Walker, G. A., The book of the Seventh Service Battalion, the Royal lnniskilling Fusiliers (Dublin, 1920), p. 3.Google Scholar
96 Two photographs on display at the Somme Heritage Centre, Newtownards, County Down, show recruits in the 36th Division training with obsolete Lee-Metford and Mauser rifles, provided by the U.V.F. See also Foy, ‘Ulster Volunteer Force’, p. 208.
97 Simkins, Kitchener’s army, pp 290-91.
98 Winter, J. M., The Great War and the British people (London, 1985), p. 31.Google Scholar
99 Bourne, J. M., Britain and the Great War, 1914-1918 (London, 1989), p. 160.Google Scholar
100 Falls, 36th (Ulster) Division, pp 13-14.
101 The County Down Spectator and Ulster Standard, 25 Sept. 1914.
102 David Starret, ‘Batman’ (unpublished MS, Imperial War Museum, 79/35/1), p. 5.
103 Crozier, A brass hat in no man’s land, pp 46-7.
104 All details from the personnel file of Lieut.-Col. James Craig (P.R.O., WO 339/3792).
105 Diary of Second Lieut. Guy Owen Lawrence Young, 11th Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (P.R.O.N.I. D/3045/6/11, pp 18-19). A similar account can be found in McCrory, F. J. M., ‘The history of the 36th (Ulster) Division, the 10th Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (the Derrys)’ (unpublished MS, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers Museum, box 70), p. 4.Google Scholar
106 Nugent to his wife, 16 Oct. 1915 (P.R.O.N.I. Farren Connell papers, D/3835/E/2/5/12A).
107 Nugent to his wife, 10 Oct. 1915 (ibid., D/3835/E/2/5/8).
108 Nugent to his wife, 12 Oct. 1915 (ibid., D/3835/E/2/5/10).
109 War Office, Army List, July 1916, col. 1496f.
110 The Army Lists for January, July and December 1916 make no mention of Ford-Hutchinson being on the active or reserve lists, which suggests that he had been compulsorily retired.
111 Nugent to his wife, 26 Oct. 1915 (P.R.O.N.I. D/3835/E/2/5/20A).
112 Nugent to his wife, 23 Oct. 1915 (ibid., D/3835/E/2/5/17).
113 Falls, 36th (Ulster) Division, p. 24.
114 Crozier, A brass hat in no man’s land, pp 77-8.
115 Bowman, Timothy, ‘The discipline and morale of the B.E.F. in France and Flanders, 1914-18, with particular reference to Irish units’ (unpublished Ph.D. thesis, University of Luton, 1999), pp 292-5.Google Scholar
116 Ibid., pp 295-6.
117 Beckett & Simpson (eds), A nation in arms, app. I, p. 235.
118 I should like to thank Professors Ian Beckett, Alvin Jackson and Keith Jeffery for helpful comments on an earlier draft of this article, and the Scouloudi Foundation for a grant which enabled me to carry out research into officers’ personnel files at the Public Record Office. For permission to consult and to refer to documents in their care I am grateful to the Comptroller of H.M. Stationery Office, the Public Record Office, Kew, and to the Deputy Keeper of the Records of Northern Ireland.
