Dalton, Emmet, 1898-1978

(James) Emmet Dalton was born on March 4, 1898 in Fall River, Massachusetts, to Irish-American parents James Francis and Katharine Lee (Riley) Dalton. The family moved back to Ireland when he was two, and he was raised Catholic in North Dublin. In 1913, Dalton joined the nationalist militia, the Irish Volunteers, and then joined the British Army in 1915 for the duration of World War I.

Dalton joined the 7th Battalion of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers (RDF) as a 2nd Lieutenant. By 1916, he was attached to the 9th Battalion, RDF, 16th Division under Major-General William Hickie, which contained many Irish nationalist recruits. In September 1916, Dalton fought during the Battle of Ginchy, in which over 4,000 Irishmen were killed or wounded. Dalton was awarded the Military Cross for his conduct in the battle. Later he was transferred and sent to Greece, then Palestine, where he commanded a company and supervised a sniper school. In 1918, Dalton was redeployed again to France and promoted to captain.

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