The launch of the Castleton Lanterns display in NI War Memorial will take place on Thursday 1st May 2014 at 7.30pm accompanied by an illustrated talk on World War One Photogaphy by Bryan Rutledge. The display will include lantern slide images of men of Castleton Church, York Road who served in the Great War, and will run as part of the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival and beyond, closing on Friday 30th May 2014.
In 2013, a box of old lantern slides was found in the organ loft of Alexandra Presbyterian Church. The images were of soldiers and sailors in First World War uniforms and were made by the famous Belfast photographer Mr Alex. R. Hogg. The committee minutes of Castleton Church state that in 1918 Mr Hogg was asked to put together a lantern slide exhibition ‘of our men at the front’ which was to be shown on 16th December 1918. Tickets for the lantern slide show were sent to the families of serving men.
Unfortunately the slides were not named and Alexandra Presbyterian Church have been attempting to identify the men in the slides. The project has flourished and to date, over 40 men have been identified. There are many more faces to put names to. NI War Memorial have stepped in to help the project attract a wider audience, to enable the families to see their ancestors' images and to ask the people of Belfast to visit to aid in the identification of the men.
The importance of finding the families of the men is demonstrated by some of the stories being told. One such story is of George Kirkwood, an engine fitter before the First World War. He was the seventh child in a family of ten children born to James and Mary Kirkwood. He grew up in New North Queen Street and Alexandra Park Avenue. His father was a joiner and each of George's siblings were employed in Belfast's important industrial landscape as joiners, platers, knitters and book keepers. Interestingly his older sister Margaret is listed as a warehouse forewoman in the 1911 census.
He joined the 14th (Young Citizens) Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles which was formed in Belfast in September 1914 from the Belfast Volunteers. Part of the 36th Ulster Division, the battalion landed at Boulogne, France in October 1915. Private George Kirkwood was killed only 8 months later, dying from his wounds on 9th May 1916 aged 22. His name appeared in the YCV Battalion orders for the gallantry which he displayed before his death. He is buried in the Forceville Communal Cemetery Extension in France.
George Kirkwood's photograph appeared in the newspaper when he died, which enabled him to be matched to lantern slide 38 (left hand side). George was a member of Brantwood Football Club and played for ‘B’ Company F.C., 14th Royal Irish Rifles (YCV). He was photographed in 1915 when he was part of the winning team of the Regimental Cup in 1915. An additional photograph of George and two of his sisters who served as Red Cross nurses was supplied by George's niece Joan Browne, who remains a member of Alexandra Presbyterian Church.
Karen O'Rawe, Project Manager of Castleton Lanterns said 'The example of George Kirkwood demonstrates just how closely connected the Castleton Lanterns men are to the North Belfast community. These men had siblings, children, best friends, team mates and colleagues. It’s important for us to reach these living links to enable us to find the men's stories and tell them, to understand their lives and remember them, coming up to the anniversary of the start of the Great War. The family photograph of George's sisters, who served with the Red Cross Nursing Corps is a timely reminder that, while the men who served are remembered on War Memorials across the country, women and those on the home front had an important role to play in wartime too.'
'We are asking everyone who had relatives around North Belfast at the time to visit the display, and to log on to our website at castletonlanterns.co.uk. There are also men with birth addresses in Ballymena, Derry, Armagh, Newtownards, Monkstown, Lurgan and across Belfast as well as men serving with non Irish Regiments. We have a list of all the men on the Roll of Honour for Castleton listed and you may find that your family member is pictured. We'd love to hear your stories and see your family photos.'
The exhibition launches on Thursday 1st May 7.30pm, and runs until Friday 30th May, at NI War Memorial, Talbot Street, Belfast. Bryan Rutledge, Museum photographer, will provide illustrated talks on Thursday 1st May at 7.30pm and Thursday 8th May at 12.30pm. Space is limited for the talk and admission is free of charge. Please email info@niwarmemorial.org to reserve a place.