The History of Coagh booklet lists Captain William E Carnaghan as having served with the 2nd Connaught Rangers in the war.
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William E Carnaghan was the son of Samuel and Jane Carnaghan. Samuel Carnaghan and Jane Deering were married on 16th October 1880 in Orritor Presbyterian Church, Parish of Kildress in the district of Cookstown.
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William Carnaghan was born on 17th April 1885 in the Magherafelt area.
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Known family: Samuel Carnaghan, Jane Carnaghan, James Carnaghan (born 10th March 1882, died age 2), William Carnaghan (born 17th April 1885).
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The 1901 census lists William as age 16, living with his father at house 3 in Druminard, Salterstown, County Londonderry. William’s mother had died. William and his father both farmed.
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The 1911 census lists William as age 25 living with his father at house 4 in Druminard, Salterstown. They were farming.
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William Carnaghan attended Queens University School of Instruction at Belfast in 1915.
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In November 1915, he was gazetted to a commission in the Connaught Rangers.
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The Connaught Rangers Battalion Diary reports that in October 1916, 2nd Lieutenant W E Carnaghan, with a draft of 11 Other Ranks, joined the 6th (Service) Battalion on 11th October.
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Captain William E Carnaghan was mentioned in despatches.
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A newspaper article from December 1916 reports that Second Lieutenant W E Carnaghan, was wounded around that time.
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From the Belfast Newsletter dated 7th December 1916:
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Second Lieutenant W E Carnaghan, Connaught Rangers, wounded, belongs to Druminard, Coagh, County Tyrone., where he lived before the war. He attended Queens University School of Instruction at Belfast in 1915 and in November of that year was gazetted to a commission in the Connaught Rangers.
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William E Carnaghan survived the war. He was 33 years old when the war ended.
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W E Carnaghan is listed on the World War One memorial tablet inside the Assembly Rooms in Moneymore which lists the men from the area who served during the war.
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Although dates and names fit, the census references cannot be tied to the newspaper report from December 1916, so it is unclear as to whether the William Carnaghan who was a farm labourer went to Queens University.
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