Belfast Corporation marks fourth anniversary of the Somme
Belfast, 2 July 1920 - Belfast Corporation has expressed its gratitude for the sacrifices of Ulster men at the Battle of the Somme in July 1916.
At its monthly meeting yesterday, the city’s Lord Mayor, William Frederick Coates put forward a motion that read:
'...we, the Lord Mayor, aldermen, and citizens of the city of Belfast, on this, the fourth anniversary of the Battle of the Somme, desire again to record our feelings of gratitude to the brave men of the 36th (Ulster) Division who by their glorious conduct on that day made an imperishable name for themselves and the province they belonged to which will never be forgotten so long as the British Empire lasts.’
Seconding the motion, Councillor Sir James Johnston, stated that it was right that they should convey, year after year, their appreciation of the work that was done in the war by the gallant Ulster men and he hoped that 1 July would be a permanent day of remembrance for those who fell in the service of their king and country.
READ: Ulster Unionism and the Somme by Philip Orr
An attempt to lodge an amendment to the Lord Mayor’s resolution was ruled out of order.
Councillor James Baird’s amendment would have added to the resolution the regret of the corporation that the government and all public bodies had neglected their duty to the survivors of the war and the widows of the fallen, which meant that many were now on the verge of destitution.
Responding to Baird, Councillor E.J. Elliott pointed out that the people of Ulster had already raised a sum of £100,000 for a fund to benefit soldiers and their dependents.
The Lord Mayor’s motion was passed and the members of the council stood as a mark of respect.
Historian Philip Orr gives an account of the Ulster Division's experience on the first day of the Battle of the Somme on the western front during the First World War
[Editor's note: This is an article from Century Ireland, a fortnightly online newspaper, written from the perspective of a journalist 100 years ago, based on news reports of the time.]
