Johnston, William (No. 27060)

Johnston, William

Private

No. 27060, 9th Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers

Killed in action on Saturday 1 July 1916

No known grave

Commemorated:

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Thiepval Memorial, France (Pier and Face 4 D and 5 B)

BIOGRAPHY

In the Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914 – 1919 database it is recorded that William Johnston was born in Newtownards, he lived in Newtownards and he enlisted in Belfast.

Private William Johnston served with the 9th Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers in 109th Brigade of the 36th (Ulster) Division and he was killed in action on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.

Initially he was posted as missing in action and in the 2 March 1918 edition of the Newtownards Chronicle it was reported that ‘the name of Private W. Johnston (No. 27060), Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, Newtownards, appears in this week’s official casualty list as being killed instead of missing’.