Cassidy, W J (William Joseph)
Cassidy, W J (William Joseph)
Private William Cassidy died from asphyxia,[1] caused by illness in Ebrington Barracks Londonderry while serving with the 3rd Reserve Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.
Up until the 28th of December 1915, William was working in the workhouse in Donegal. He was unmarried and had no family. He enlisted in the army on the same day and travelled to Londonderry on the 29th. He had complained of a sore throat at the time.
On arrival at the barracks, William and another recruit were drunk and were sent to the guardhouse to sober up. He complained about not feeling well and did not eat until the evening of the 30th. He did not appear to have fully sobered up and so went to bed at around 18:30.
The next morning William was found unconscious and sick on the floor at about 07:45 and was taken to sit by the fire. The doctor was called for. By the time the Doctor arrived at 8:00, he found that William was now deceased.
An enquiry later determined that his stomach had stopped functioning due to it being inflamed and the food he had ate had come up and chocked him to death.
The 3rd Reserve Battalion was based in Ebrington Barracks, Londonderry from September 1914 until April 1918 when it moved to England.
Their duties were to recruit and train soldiers for the front line. They alone recruited and trained more than twelve thousand men.
Throughout the war the 3rd had the same commander who was Lieutenant Colonel McClintock. He retired in 1919 when the battalion was disbanded.
On a few occasions, they had to host hundreds of shipwrecked sailors, including those from the Brisk (sunk October 1917) and the American transport ship SS Tuscania (sunk February 1918.) They received praise and gifts for their hospitality on both occasions.
Private Cassidy was awarded no medals as he never served abroad. He had only been in the army two days.
Date of Death: 01/01/1916 (Aged 39)
Service: Private, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, 3rd Battalion
Service Number: 28283
Burial Location: Londonderry (or Derry), City Cemetery, L. Mil. 7.
[1] Asphyxia is the inability of an individual to acquire enough oxygen through breathing.
