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News > Dukie News > Finding the forgotten boy soldiers of Phoenix Park, Dublin

Finding the forgotten boy soldiers of Phoenix Park, Dublin

For the first time, a detailed Roll of Honour has been written by three Dukies of the Old Boys of our long-closed sister school, the Royal Hibernian Military School, who died in the First World War
4 Nov 2021
Written by Andy Benns
Dukie News
An excerpt from the newly published book, 'Fear God Honour The King'
An excerpt from the newly published book, 'Fear God Honour The King'

At the height of the first lockdown, three Old Boys (Chris Tomlinson 1969-76, Rick Watt 1978-84 & Andy Benns 1992-99) decided to answer a question - who exactly were the names on the First World War memorial tablets in the School Chapel and how many were missing? Around 18 months later, that question has been extended to our long-closed sister school in Dublin and to Dukies who died in other conflicts, in particular the Second World War. There are commonly said to have been 247 (or 248 depending on source) Dukies to have died in the First World War, but there were only 231 named on the original memorial tablets in the School Chapel, with 82 Hibs on the Royal Hibernian Military School memorial in Phoenix Park, Dublin. First to be published is the Roll of Honour of the fallen Hibs, 'Fear God Honour The King', which includes details of the 121 'Lost Boys' missing from their memorial, as well as the 82 already named and now identified in full for the first time. Further books on the Dukie war dead will follow in the next couple of months, with the authors having found nearly 100 names missing from the First World War and an increasing number missed from the Second World War memorial.

The authors are taking no money from book sales and the hope is that sufficient capital can be raised to put towards a new commemoration of the 'Lost Boys' of both schools in some form at DOYRMS.

'Fear God Honour The King' is now available to purchase directly from the authors, priced at £20 including P&P (international orders by agreement). Order now via Paypal.Me/andybenns/20 and include your name and postal address in the comments (you do not need a PayPal account to send the money via the link).

 

 

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