The Craster Fallen of the Great War

1. Seven out of the sixteen men who lost their lives in WW1 were on the 1911 census return for Craster/Dunstan.

2. Five of the men on the memorial had previously emigrated to Canada and returned to Europe to fight in the war. Of these five, four fought in Canadian units and one in the Royal Garrison Artillery.

3. There is evidence for three of the men being married and for three children.

4. The men were typically employed as labourers, cart men or drivers. One was a coastguard and only one a fisherman when he went to war.

5. The oldest man on the memorial was 37, the youngest 20 and the average age 28.

6. Four served in the Navy and twelve in the army; of the latter, four served in the Northumberland Fusiliers.

7. The highest rank within the group was corporal.

8. Most of the men died in France, one in the Dardanelles, one in Iraq and three in the UK.

9. Most of the men died of wounds received in action, but three died of illnesses.

10. Two were lost at sea and two on the battle field and their bodies not found/identified.

Although WW1 is slipping into history, artefacts from the conflict continue to be dug up by farmers in the region. This display of shell cases and other materials is to be found on the site of the Ulster Memorial, near Thiepval. May 2011