Twenty-year-old William Frederick McFadzean from Lurgan won the Victoria Cross for throwing himself on top of a crate of hand grenades that fell into his trench on July 1st (WP), the first day of the battle of the Somme; July 1st and 2nd would see 5,000 of his comrades from the 36th (Ulster) Division killed or wounded. The portrait on which the image is based can be seen at CultureNI.
Here’s a recording of the song composed in his honour:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90zwACgI3LA]
Click and click again to enlarge (to full size)
Copyright © 2015 Extramural Activity
Camera Settings: f8, 1/400, ISO 400, full size 3888 x 2592
text: X02867 36th Ulster Division (109 Brigade) 9th October 1895 – 1st July 1916 for valour for god and ulster UVF YCV ulster volunteer force young citizen volunteers
