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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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