More about John Carrigan

John has no known grave but is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial. His address is also recorded as 34 Dallfield Walk, Dundee.

John Carrigan   CZ/147   Hood Bn   R.N.D.

City Medallist.

A Dundee soldier has been awarded the Military Medal.  He is Petty Officer John Carrigan, R.N.D.  Petty Officer Carrigan, whose relatives reside at 39 Church Street, Dundee, was home on ten days leave some time ago, and had just returned to the front when he was informed that he had won the medal.  He was a reservist when called up at the outbreak of war, and saw service at Antwerp, the Dardanelles, and in the Balkans.  He is 23 years of age, and was formerly employed with Messrs Lawless & Hunt, plasterers.

Dundee People’s Journal 20th January 1917

Military Medal RO1171 12/12/16 (Ancre) London Gazette 19/2/17 p.1750

CARRIGAN—Petty Officer John Carrigan, R.N.D., reported missing between 4^th and 5^th February, 1917, now reported killed on same date.

Dundee People’s Journal 13th October 1917

Family Background;

John`s father, Matthew, was a mason’s labourer and his mother Betsy was a jute winder. The family lived at 6 Littlejohn Street, 34 Dallfield Walk and then 39 Church Street, Dundee.

Service History:

John enlisted in the RNVR on the 15^th February 1912.Following training at Blandford Camp in Dorset he fought at Antwerp and then in the Dardanelles, where he was wounded at the 2^nd Battle of Krithia in May 1915. After his recovery in hospital in Cairo he rejoined Hood Battalion and fought in the Balkans, being made Petty Officer in October 1915. In May 1916 he went to France and fought at Beaucourt winning the Military Medal for “ bravery in the field during operations north of the Scarpe” in November 1916. His award was published in the London Gazette on the 19^th February 1917. Earlier that month, on the 5^th, he was posted missing in action, presumed dead during the assaults on Puisieux and River Trenches at Miraumont.

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John Carrigan was the son of Mrs Betsy Carrigan of 34 Dallfield Walk and, later, 39 Church Street, Dundee. He was employed as a Plasterer and he volunteered to join the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, signing on in February 1912, onboard HMS Unicorn in Dundee. He was mobilised on the outbreak of war and reported onboard the Unicorn before being drafted, with most of the Dundee pre war RNVR men, to the Hood Battalion of the newly formed Royal Naval Division to be trained as Naval infantry for land operations. In October he went with the RND to Antwerp to assist the Belgian defence of the port. After two days the RND was withdrawn leaving over 2,500 men behind. Most were either interned in neutral Holland or captured by the Germans. The RND was reformed and John Carrigan went to Blandford Camp in Dorset for advanced military training before the Hood Battalion sailed from Avonmouth to the Dardanelles in late February 1915. The Battalion landed to join the fight ashore in April and took part in the Second Battle of Krithia in early May. John Carrigan received a gunshot wound to his left hand on 20 May and was hospitalised in Cairo until 28 June. He remained with the Hood and was rated as a Petty Officer in October. John remained on the Peninsula until mid December 1915 when he was hospitalised again, this time with dysentery. The Hood Battalion sailed for France in May 1916 and transferred to the Western Front. He was hospitalised again for several weeks and rejoined the Battalion before the assault on Beaucourt in November 1916 after which he was awarded the Military Medal on 19 Feb 1917 for “Bravery in the field during operations north of the Scarpe in November 1916”. Unfortunately, he never knew of the award as he was listed as Missing in early February 1917 during the assaults on Puisseux and River Trenches near the village of Miraumont. His death was confirmed in September 1917. His body was not recovered and he is listed on the Thiepval Memorial as well as the Roll of Honour onboard HMS Unicorn. He was also awarded the 1914 Star, the Mons Star, for his service in Antwerp.

Iain Stewart and Iain Birnie