Sergeant Thomas Waring 14th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles
(Young Citizen Volunteers)

Sergeant Thomas Waring, 109th Infantry Brigade,
14th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles
(Young Citizen Volunteers), 36th (Ulster) Division

Thomas's Grandson Peter Waring tells us a bit about this photograph and his Grandfather -
" It is typical in that he loved shooting and gundogs and I think it gives a hint of his mischievious sense of humour.
He 'travelled' the border counties as a menswear rep for a Belfast Department Store with a dog and shotgun whenever possible in the back of the car. My memory of him is very sketchy but I remember him staying at the house in Aylesbury Road where he brought up my father, his brother and sisters and him showing me how he worked the hives of bees he kept in the little back garden. Also his party pieces and practical jokes."

Thomas's son Tom Waring remembers his father -
"As the youngest member of our family, [I was born in December of 1930], I was not privy to all the World War I stories.However, there are a few things I remember hearing---- for instance the reason for the visit back to France as depicted in the photographs sent by my nephew Peter the grandson .
Apart from visiting old war sites and cemeteries there was a matter of the clock hands.  The return of which became a focal point since they had been removed by my father together with another whose name escapes me.
The reason for the removal was, the clock tower they occupied was in a prominent church spire occupying high ground overlooking the trenches of the Allies.  An enemy soldier was placed in the church tower to observe and direct their artillery by means of semaphore utilizing the hands of the clock on the side facing his troops.A patrol was sent to remove him and find out how he managed to signal of the artillery.He was eliminated and to prevent further use of the clock as a signaling device the hands were removed from all the faces and were in safekeeping to be returned some years after the war ended.This was a voluntary effort not in any way funded by the government as I understand it.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning
WE WILL REMEMBER HIM

Note the YCV badge on Thomas's lapel in the before the War photograph

The Warings 1935 - from clockwise -
Grace Kathleen - Thomas Noel - Thomas McHenry - Joseph - Florence Patricia

Son Joseph R.A.F. Regiment World War II

YCV Battlefield Tour
Through France and Belgium 8th - 17th July 1927

Photographs supplied by Peter Waring, son Thomas Waring which are taken from an album, in which around 60 members of the 14th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles (Young Citizen Volunteers), return to the Battleline through Ypres, Arras and Albert, visiting all places of interest to the Battalion. Leaving the Battle zone they travelled to Paris where two days were spent sightseeing. The party returned the hands of the clock taken from the Church Tower at Mensil, while the Battalion held the village. These were handed over to the Mayor who gave the Party a very cordial reception.