Irwin, David John
Private
No. 32754, Westmorland and Cumberland Yeomanry, transferred to
No. 29052, 1st Battalion, Border Regiment
Killed in action on Monday 30 September 1918 (aged 19)
No known grave
Commemorated:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium (Panel 85 to 86)
Bangor and District War Memorial
Royal British Legion (Bangor Branch) Memorial Plaque
Comrades of the Great War (Bangor Branch) Album in North Down Museum
Ballygilbert Presbyterian Church
BIOGRAPHY
In some records, his surname is spelt Irvine.
David John Irwin was born on 13 November 1898 in the townland of Craigavad and he was a son of John and Mary Ann Irwin (nee Gilmore, sometimes Gilmer) who were married on 5 November 1895 in Ballygilbert Presbyterian Church. John Irwin, a labourer from Ballymullan was a son of John Irwin, a labourer. Mary Ann Gilmore aged 18 was from Craigavad. Mary Ann Gilmore was born on 10 September 1877 in Newtownards Workhouse.
The Irwin family lived in Greengraves; Craigavad; Glenmaghan; Tullycarnett; Dundela Street, Belfast; Ballyhanwood, Ballygrot and in The Cottages, Helen’s Bay.
John and Mary Irwin (nee Gilmore) had at least nine children:
Mary (born 4 October 1896 in Greengraves)
David John (born 13 November 1898 in Craigavad)
Charles (born 8 January 1901 in Glenmaghan Farm, Ballymaghan)
Hugh (born 7 March 1903 in Glenmaghan, Ballymaghan)
Alexander Gilmore (born 20 February 1906 in Tullycarnett)
Margaret (born 1 June 1910 at 48 Dundela Street, Belfast)
Maggie (born 5 February 1912 in Ballyhanwood)
Annabella (born 17 January 1915 in The Cottages, Ballyrobert)
Jane (born 2 May 1916 in Ballygrot Road, Ballyrobert)
David John Irwin enlisted in Belfast.
Private David John Irwin served with the Westmorland and Cumberland Yeomanry (No. 32754) before being transferred to the Border Regiment (No. 29052) and he was 19 when he was killed in action on 30 September 1918 during the Allied offensive against all sections of the German line.
Private David John Irwin has no known grave and he is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial in Belgium; on Bangor and District War Memorial; in the Comrades of the Great War (Bangor Branch) Album in North Down Museum (Page 42) and on the Memorial Plaques in the Royal British Legion (Bangor Branch) and Ballygilbert Presbyterian Church.