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Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland
  Youth Section

Brother Robert Quigg, V.C.

August 2006

Robert Quigg was born on 28th February 1885 in the townland of Ardihannon in the Parish of Billy, near the Giants Causeway Co. Antrim. In his early years, he was no different from any other young teenager and after leaving school, worked on local farms and on the Macnaghten Estate.

Robert was a prominent member of Aird L.O.L. 1195 and played in the flute band. He was also a member of the William Johnston Memorial R.B.P. 559.

In 1912 with the calls for Home Rule, the Ulster Crisis deepened, which led to the formation of the Ulster Volunteer Force. As the European crisis and war between Britain and Germany became imminent, a halt was called to the Ulster Volunteer Force's preparation in Ulster. Robert volunteered for active service and enlisted with the 12th Battalion of the Royal Irish Rifles, Mid Antrim Volunteers, in September 1914.

Prior to the major offensive, their unit had been placed in a French village of Hamel on the north bank of the River Ancre. Then on the 1st July, the Mid-Antrim Volunteers were ordered to advance through the defences towards the heavily defended German lines. In doing so, they met with fierce resistance from heavy machine-gun and shellfire. The final evening assault left many hundreds of the 12th Battalion lying dead and wounded in "No Man's Land".

In the early hours of the next morning, it was reported that Robert's Platoon Commander, Harry Macnaghten, heir to the Macnaghten Estate, was missing. Robert volunteered to go out into "No Man's Land" to try and locate him. On seven occasions he went out to search for the missing officer without success. On each occasion he came under heavy machine-gun fire but managed to return with a wounded college. The last man he dragged in on a waterproof sheet from within a few yards of the German position.

Robert received his Victoria Cross from King George V on January 8th 1917 at York Cottage, Sandringham, where Queen Mary was also in attendance. On his return to Bushmills, the people of the town and district were out in force to welcome him home, including the Macnaghten household. Lady Macnaghten presented him with a gold watch in recognition of his bravery in attempting to find and rescue her son Lieutenant Harry Macnaghten.

Robert reached the rank of Sergeant before retiring from the army in 1926 after he was badly injured in an accident. He died on 14th May 1955 at Ballycastle, Co. Antrim and was buried in Billy Parish Churchyard with full military honours.

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