Friends of the Somme - Mid Ulster Branch  
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2234   Private John Boyle
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Dated added: 14/02/2017   Last updated: 14/02/2017
Personal Details
Regiment/Service: 18th Battalion, Australian Infantry (Australian Army)
Date Of Birth: 31/01/1885
Died: 05/08/1916 (Killed in Action)
Age: 31
Summary      
John Boyle was the eldest son of James and Mary Martha Boyle. William John Boyle was born in the townland of Clintycracken, Mountjoy (now Brocagh), near Coalisland, County Tyrone, on 31st January 1885. John was the oldest of seven children, six surviving. John’s father, James Boyle, died in 1897 when John was just twelve years old. By 1911, John, aged 16, and his sister were working as servants in Richhill, County Armagh. John emigrated to Australia. John Boyle enlisted on 29 July 1915 in Sydney, Australia. Private John Boyle was serving with the 18th Battalion of the Australian Infantry when he was killed in action on the last day of the Battle of Pozieres on 5th August 1916.
Further Information
John Boyle was the eldest son of James and Mary Martha Boyle. James Boyle married Mary Martha waters on 16th August 1882 in the district of Dungannon.
William John Boyle was born in the townland of Clintycracken, Mountjoy (now Brocagh), near Coalisland, County Tyrone, on 31st January 1885. John was the oldest one of 7 children, six surviving.
Family: James Boyle, Mary Martha Boyle, William John Boyle (born 31st January 1885), Catherine Boyle (born 28th December 1886), James Boyle (born 30th September 1888), Henry Boyle (born 7th February 1892), Joseph Boyle (born 19th May 1894), Martha Boyle (born 7th April 1896).
John’s father, James Boyle, died on 24th January 1897 from pneumonia. He was 41 years old. John was just twelve years old.
The 1901 census not list John as living with the family at house 5 in Magheralamfield, Mountjoy, County Tyrone. His mother Mary Martha was with her four youngest children, James, Henry, Joseph and Martha.
The 1901 census lists John, aged 16, and his sister Kate, aged 14, working as servants for farmer Francis Macartney at house 30 in Mullalelish, Richhill, County Armagh.
It is not known when John emigrated to Australia, but Kate emigrated to the United States in 1905, so it is possible that John also emigrated around this time.
James died at home in 1910, aged 21 years. He had contracted a lung disease due to his occupation as a brass worker in Belfast.
By 1913, Henry, Joseph and Martha had followed Kate to America.
Prior to enlistment, John Boyle worked as a fireman.
John Boyle enlisted on 29 July 1915 in Sydney, Australia. He listed his next-of-kin as his mother, Mrs Mary Martha Boyle of Mountjoy, Coalisland, Tyrone, Ireland.
Following initial training with the 4th Reinforcement Regiment of the 18th Battalion of the AIE, Private John Boyle was posted to Tel El Kebir in Egypt. Private Boyle embarked with his unit from Sydney on 30th September 1915.
John Boyle joined the newly formed 18th Infantry Battalion, which was being raised in Liverpool, New South Wales, some 30 miles west of Sydney.
Tel El Kebir was a huge training camp for the Australian Army, a tented city with up to 40,000 troops stationed there at times.
On 18th March 1916 his unit travelled to Marseilles. C Company duly disembarked at Marseilles on 25th March and proceeded to the front in France.
The 18th Battalion then took part in its first major battle at Pozières between 25th July and 5th August.
Private John Boyle was serving with the 18th Battalion of the Australian Infantry when he was killed in action on the last day of the Battle of Pozieres on 5th August 1916.
Private J Boyle has no known grave and is commemorated on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial in the Somme Department, France. The memorial is the main memorial to Australian military personnel killed on the Western Front during World War 1. It contains the names of 10,773 soldiers of the Australian Imperial Force with no known grave who were killed between 1916 and the end of the war.
Private John Boyle’s brother, Henry Boyle, also served. Henry served in France with the American Expeditionary Force from August 1917, returning to America in April 1919.
The CWGC record Private John Boyle as the Son of James and Mary Martha Boyle of Mountjoy, Coalisland, County Tyrone, Ireland.
Many thanks to the Ardboe Heritage website (see references below), from which most of the information here was obtained.
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Relevant Dungannon Area Locations
No Location Region Location Notes Longtitude Latitude
1 Magheralamfield, Mountjoy Coalisland Census listing in Magheralamfield 54.556783 -6.602894
GRONI References
TYPE - B:Birth M:Marriage D:Death | GRONI | SIBLING: brother or sister | NOTES: spelling inconsistencies, etc.
Date Type Surname First name Relationship GRONI Ref Notes
16/08/1882 M Waters Mary Parent M/1882/T1/2564/5/56 Watters
16/08/1882 M Boyle James Parent M/1882/T1/2564/5/56
31/01/1885 B Boyle William Casualty U/1885/110/1012/14/112 John, Watters
28/12/1886 B Boyle Catherine Sibling U/1887/110/1012/15/230 Watters
30/09/1888 B Boyle James Sibling U/1888/110/1012/16/311 Watters
07/02/1892 B Boyle Henry Sibling U/1892/110/1012/17/447
19/05/1894 B Boyle Joseph Sibling U/1894/110/1012/18/370
07/04/1896 B Boyle Martha Sibling U/1896/110/1012/19/207
References and Links
No Link Reference Map Doc
1 1901 Census lists Boyle family Does not list John as living with the family at house 5 in Magheralamfield, Mountjoy, Tyrone
2 1901 Census lists John Boyle Lists John as age 16, working as a servant at house 30 in Mullalelish, Richhill, Armagh
3 1911 Census lists Boyle family Does not list John as living with the family at house 20 in Magheralamfield, Mountjoy, Tyrone
4 AIF Project Details of Private John Boyle
5 Australian Embarkation Roll Embarkation Roll - Private John Boyle
6 Australian Military Documents Military Papers (26 no) for Private John Boyle
7 Australian Nominal Roll Nominal Roll - Private John Boyle
8 Australian Roll of Honour Roll of Honour - Private John Boyle
9 Returned Services League Details of Private John Boyle
Dungannon District's War Dead Acknowledgements 2015-2023