www.voicesofwar.co.uk

Son of William and Georgina Gaffikin, of King's Castle, Ardglass, Co. Down and was born in Belfast in

1886. He was educated at Uppingham school before reading classics at Cambridge. He joined the

Royal Irish Rifles and went out to France. His unite took place in the first day of the Battle of the

Somme. They were in the trenched facing Thiepval, which they expected to be taken, but over the

course of the day they realised this had not been achieved and their position came under several

attacks from German troops. It was a long day of fighting with a huge number of casualties and at

around 9.30pm the news came in that Major Gaffikin had been hit. The unit diary for the day does not

give any further news but he had died of his wounds the same day.

Page: 1 Submission ID: 0