Matier, Daniel
Corporal
No. 7659, 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles
Killed in action on Sunday 9 May 1915 (aged 29)
No known grave
Commemorated:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Ploegsteert Memorial, Belgium (Panel 9)
Newtownards and District War Memorial
Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) Roll of Honour 1914 – 1919
for Greenwell Street Presbyterian Church Newtownards
BIOGRAPHY
In some records his surname is spelt Mateer and in others McTeer.
In the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Debt of Honour his forename is recorded as David.
Daniel Matier was born on 8 April 1886 in Russell Place, Newtownards and he was a son of Miss Isabella Matier who worked as a seamstress and lived at 78 East Street, Newtownards. He had one brother.
After leaving school, Daniel Matier (aged 14) worked as a hackler (he combed flax with a hackle).
In the Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914 – 1919 database it is recorded that, for a time, Daniel Matier lived in Rangoon, Burma (now Yangon, Myanmar).
In the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) Roll of Honour 1914 – 1919 for Greenwell Street Presbyterian Church Newtownards it is recorded that, for a time, Daniel Matier lived at 59 Little Francis Street, Newtownards.
Daniel Matier enlisted in Belfast and served with the 1st Battalion Royal Irish Rifles. Corporal Daniel Matier (No. 7659) was 29 when he was killed in action on 9 May 1915 during the Allied attack at Rouge Bancs. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial in Belgium; on Newtownards and District War Memorial and in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) Roll of Honour 1914 – 1919 for Greenwell Street Presbyterian Church Newtownards.
Army records show that he enlisted as Rifleman Mateer (No. 4504) in the 3rd Battalion Royal Irish Rifles Militia on 4 April 1902 (aged 17 years 11 months). He signed his surname as McTier, and was described as a labourer, 5 feet 4 inches, 116 pounds, chest 32–34 inches, blue eyes, brown hair, Presbyterian. His next-of-kin (NOK) was his mother at Victoria Avenue, Newtownards. He joined the Regular Army on 13 October 1904 and was posted to the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) with C Company, 1st Battalion Royal Irish Rifles on 5 November 1914. Killed in Action on 9 May 1915, he left a widow, Gladys Adelaide Matier, at 30 Eden Street, Rangoon, Burma.