Pride of Knockmore to honour Lisburn war hero

The band have been researching the First World War and were particularly fascinated by Captain Walter Charter Boomer, who served during the war and lived in the area that has now become Knockmore.

Educated at Friends’ School, Captain Boomer was an officer in the 1st Lisburn Battalion of the UVF.

He had enlisted in 11 RIR as a private shortly after it was formed but was commissioned on July 2, 1915 and embarked for France from Bordon Camp as 2nd. Lt. with D Co. 11 RIR in October 1915.

He was awarded the MC in the autumn of 1917 “for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when in command of his Company. When the assaulting troops were falling back he rallied them under very heavy fire, collected parties of other units, and reorganised the defence of the front line”.

Home on sick leave suffering from malaria shortly before his death, he had been given a medical certificate “to be sent to the War Office but so eager was [he] to get back to duty that he did not wait for a reply, which arrived after he had gone up to the line, and exempted him from active service for some time longer”.

He died on October 1, 1918 aged 27 at Becelaere, east of Ypres, while serving as a Captain with 12 RIR.

The band made an appeal for any of Captain Boomer’s relatives to contact them and were delighted when his great nephew, Reni Boomer, who lives on the Belsize Road in Lisburn, asked members of the band to visit him.

“It was amazing to speak to Reni and to see the photograph of Captain Boomer, especially after all the research we had done,” said Ian Gilbert from Pride of Knockmore.

“I would love to go out to France in 2018 to visit his grave and pay our own personal tribute to him.”

Before that, however, the band decided to organise a parade to mark the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War and to honour Captain Boomer, who, Ian said, represents all of the fallen soldiers from Lisburn who deserve to be remembered.

Pride of Knockmore Flute Band and Lisburn Orange Lodge District No 6 will be holding a parade in Lisburn on Saturday November 8.

The parade will assemble at Lisburn Orange Hall at 11am and a service will be held at Lisburn War Memorial at 11.30am.

A First World War exhibition will also be held in Lisburn Orange Hall following the parade from 12.30pm until 6pm.

The exhibition will include a talk by historian Quincy Dougan, as well as Irish War Tunes and Laments on concert flute by Jane Waterson.

There will also be Scottish dancers, music and refreshments.

Everyone will be made very welcome.