LEIXLIP, 12 September 2002:
Sir,
I read on the internet an article entitled Leixlip's War Dead Remembered, with the date 14 November 2000 under the byline of Brian Byrne.
The article was about a new War Memorial. "We know little about the men who enlisted ..", said Councillor Catherine Murphy.
One of the names mentioned was N McD Teacher. I can add a little information about him. My grandfather, William Orr was a Captain in the 1st Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers. He first encountered him at the Battle of Arras in 1917, "The C.O. was Colonel Teacher, a Regular officer, and a magificent specimen of a man; also, so I am told, a fine soldier". At the 3rd Battle of Ypres, Colonel Teacher was his Commanding Officer. He left a memoir of his War experiences.
On 26 September 1917 they took part in the attack on Hill 40 near Zonnebeke in Belgium. This was part of the Battle of Passchendaele. He wrote, "Our CO, that fine soldier, Colonel Teacher, had, we learned, been killed early in the morning's attack. Unlike many commanding officers he had been in the forefront of battle - to the left of our company's front - and his commanding height made him an easy target."
Out of 713 who had gone over the top at 5.50 that morning, there had been 437 casualties. Passchendaele was notorious for the muddy conditions and many bodies were never found. The War Diraies of the RSF, in the Public Record Office in London read, "7.30 am ... At this time Colonel Teacher DSO, was fatally wounded while reorganising the Battalion." Later it reads, "A very great loss was sustained by the Battalion by the death in the early part of the action of Lieut Colonel N.McD.Teacher DSO whilst reorganising the Battalion for the attack on the final objective".
He is buried in Ypres Reservoir Cemetery in Belgium in grave I.F.36. He was aged 39 when he died and is recorded as the husband of Dorothy A Teacher of Newtown Hill, Leixlip, Co.Kildare.
In a nearby graveyard, Poelcapelle, is the body of another Irish soldier. He is Private John Condon of the Royal Irish Regiment. He was the son of John and Mary Condon of Waterford. He died on 24 May 1915, aged 14. He is thought to be the youngest battle casualty of the War.
Stuart Orr
Brentford
West London
