With the Ulster Division in France A Story of the 11th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles (South Antrim Volunteers), From Bordon to Thiepval.

A vivid, first‑hand account brings listeners into the world of the 11th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles, as the men leave their homes in Ulster and journey to the battle‑scarred fields of France. From the cramped train rides and the stark arrival at Bordon to the nervous anticipation of early trench life, the narrative captures the camaraderie, the uneasy quiet of the front, and the everyday routines that defined a soldier’s existence before the infamous July 1st offensive.

Compiled from the diary of a captain who fell at the Somme, the memoir blends personal reflections with photographs and maps, offering an intimate glimpse of training camps, the stark landscape of Thiepval Wood, and the hopes that sustained a tightly knit community of volunteers. Listeners will feel the mix of pride and apprehension that colored the Ulster Division’s first months in France, while the authentic voice preserves the spirit of a generation whose story has long been remembered in their homeland.