Friends of the Somme - Mid Ulster Branch  
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3246   Private Francis Tohill
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Dated added: 30/12/2015   Last updated: 01/05/2020
Personal Details
Regiment/Service: 1st Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (British Army)
Date Of Birth: 13/06/1895
Died: 19/05/1917 (Killed in Action)
Age: 21
Summary      
Francis Tohill was born and lived in Magherafelt. He enlisted in Cookstown and served with the 1st Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. He was killed in action during the Battle of Arras on 19 May 1917. He has no known grave and is commemorated on bay 6 on the Arras Memorial.
Further Information
Francis Tohill was the eldest son (tbc) of Peter and Mary Annie Tohill. Peter Tohill married Mary Cargan on 14th September 1891 in the district of Magherafelt.
Surname derivatives: Taughill, Toghill, Tohill, Toughill
Francis Tohill was born on 13th June 1895 in Magherafelt. He was one of either five or six children.
The 1901 census lists Francis as age 5 living with the family at house 8 in Ballyheifer, Magherafelt, County Londonderry. His father was a farmer.
Known family: Peter Tohill, Mary Annie Tohill, Francis Tohill (born 13th June 1895), Annie Jane Tohill (born 12th January 1897), Peter Alphonsus Tohill (born 8th May 1899), James Augustine Tohill (born 27th January 1902), Hugh Alosous Tohill (born 14th April 1904).
The 1911 census lists Francis as age 15 living with the family at house 44 in Queen Street, Magherafelt. His father was a butcher and Francis was a butcher’s assistant.
Francis Tohill enlisted in Cookstown.
Medal card
From the Mid Ulster Mail dated 29th May 1915:
Word has been received that Private Francis Tohill, son of Henry Tohill, Rainey Street; Private Pat Doherty, son of James Doherty. Queen Street; Private John Kearns, Tullyinksay; Private George McLean, Ballynagowan; and Lance Corporal T McGurk, Rosegarland, have been wounded, and are at present in hospital somewhere in France.
Private Francis Tohill was serving with the 1st Battalion of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers when he was killed in action during the Battle of Arras on Saturday 19th May 1917.
In his will he left all to his mother, Mrs P Tohill, who was living at Queen Street Magherafelt.
Last Will and Testament of Private Francis Tohill:
In the event of my death I give the whole of my property and effects to my mother Mrs P Tohill, Queen Street, Magherafelt. County Derry, Ireland.
Private Francis Tohill has no known grave and is commemorated on the Arras Memorial in France. The Arras Memorial is in the Faubourg-d'Amiens Cemetery, in the western part of the town of Arras. It commemorates almost 35,000 servicemen from the United Kingdom, South Africa and New Zealand who died in the Arras sector between the spring of 1916 and 7 August 1918 and have no known grave.
The CWGC records his service number as 3245. Almost all the military references refer to his number being 3246.
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References and Links
No Link Reference Map Doc
1 1901 Census lists 'Toughill' family 1901 census lists Francis as age 5 living with the family at house 8 in Ballyheifer, Magherafelt, Londonderry
2 1911 Census lists Tohill family 1911 census lists Francis as age 15 living with the family at house 44 in Queen Street, Magherafelt, Londonderry
3 Magherafelt War Dead Also listed on Magherafelt War Dead
4 National Archives of Ireland Last Will and Testament of Private Francis Tohill
5 National Archives UK Medal card can be purchased here
Cookstown District's War Dead Acknowledgements 2010-2023