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Here is my only award from Switzerland; I picked it up randomly in the Spring Dublin collector’s fair. Still don’t know much about it and I am sure it is not something valuable anyway.
Thomas Roberts resting place in Aisne
most likely Thomas fell during this attack what is shown on the scetch below (6th battalion war diary)
Thomas Roberts (1890 – 08.10.1918)
Private
Royal Dublin Fusiliers/ Wiltshire RegimentBritish War Medal named to “14357 Pte. T.Roberts R.DUB.FUS”
He was entitled to:
– 1914-15 Star (Roll B/4B Page 209)
– Victory Medal (Roll B/101 B5 Page 350)
– British War Medal (Roll B/101 B5 Page 350)Thomas Roberts was born in Shepton Mallett, Somerset on the 1890 as son of Charles and Mary Roberts. He had one sister Martha and two brothers Fred and Charles.
Thomas was married to Elsie Roberts, of Trebanog, Rhondda, Wales (1/4).After the break out of the Great War on the 28th July 1914, many men enlisted to the Army for a war-time service only. Regarding Thomas first regimental number, it is impossible to say when exactly he entered for a service, but surely he was one of the many New Army recruits around end of 1914, early 1915.
Private Roberts attested to the Wiltshire Regiment and his service number was 13022. He enlisted from Porth, Wales recruitment depot or via recruitment officer (3).
After a short service with Wiltshire Regiment, he was transferred to the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, 6th (Service) Battalion what was part of 30th Brigade in 10th (Irish) Division. His new regimental number was 14357 (2/3).Private Roberts new Battalion set sail for Gallipoli, as part of the new Mediterranean Expeditionary Force under General Sir Ian Hamilton (9).
6th Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers were embarked at Devonport on the 7am on Saturday 10th July 1915 (1) and sailed on the H.M.T. Alaunia, a ship commanded by Captain Sir Arthur Henry Rostron (7), who was in charge of the RMS Carpathia when she rescued Titanic survivors.
As a part of the 10th (Irish) Division, Battalion were sent to Gallipoli via Mytilene where they took part Allies new attack against the Turkish troops on Suvla Bay what is 25 miles north of Cape Helles. (2/8/9).
Private Roberts landed on Suvla Bay at 5 am on the 7th August 1915 (1/2). They experienced a very bitter action when the battalion moved forward to positions near Chocolate Hill, also because complications with the supplies as drinking water and ammunition.
All together 569 Royal Dublin Fusiliers (as well 7th Battalion) lost their lives in Gallipoli, before the Allies withdrew from there in January 1916 (9).On the 29th September 1915 Lieutenant General Sir Bryan Mahon arranged to move the 10th (Irish) Division from Gallipoli. 91 officers and 2,363 other ranks, including the 6th and 7th Dublin Fusiliers, sailed to Salonika.
The difficult weather and diseases caused many casualties. On the 3rd October 1915, the 6th Battalion RDF with other Divisions was at the front line and was ordered to take the village of Jenikoj. After short success, they took heavy casualties caused by their own artillery fire and Bulgarians counterattack. Also Conflicting orders made the situation more difficult and caused extra casualties. In the end 131 men from 6th Battalion were killed, wounded or missing (9).On the 9th September 1917, the 6th Battalion as a part of 10th Division were sent to Alexandria for service in Palestine (8/9). They arrived via Egypt in Ismalia on the 12th September 1917. Battalion was attached to the XX Army Corps, that was commanded by General Philip Chetwode (10). During this campaign, 6th Battalion engaged in Third Battle of Gaza (27th October – 7th November 1917) where the who 10th Division captured the Hareira Redoubt on the 7th November. Also they took part in the capture of Jerusalem and in defensive battles against Turkish counterattacks (9/10). All together these operations on the Holy Land were more successful then previous ones on 1915 and 1916.
The next move took place on the 27th April 1918, when the Battalion was removed from 10th Irish Division and sent on the 3rd July 1918 to Taranto, Italy. From there battalion was transferred by train to France and on the 21st July 1918 attached to the 197th Brigade, 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division.
On the 10th September 1918 they transferred to the 198th Brigade in the same Division.
It is impossible to say which battles and engagements Private Roberts took part. Regarding his MIC and 1914-1915 Star medal role, he surely landed on Sulva Bay on the 7th August 1915 as a soldier from 6th Battalion of Royal Dublin Fusiliers. He hasn’t been mentioned on the Irish Times, etc publication, so most likely he was lucky enough to not get wounded seriously during his service in Gallipoli and Balkans.
Unfortunately his luck ran out exactly one month before Armistice with Germany when he got killed in action on the 8th October 1918 during the battle of Cambrai. At this point he held a rank Lance Corporal and he was 28 years old.
He is buried on the Guizancourt Farm Cemetry, Gouy (Aisne), among with 150 comrades, who fell early October 1918.
Sources:
(1) Royal Dublin Fusiliers – a forgotten regiment
http://www.dublin-fusiliers.com/battali … s-7th.html(2) British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920
http://search.ancestry.co.uk(3) UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919
http://search.ancestry.co.uk(4) 1891/1901 England Census
http://search.ancestry.co.uk(5) Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC)
http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_det … lty=588140(6) Army Service Numbers 1881-1918; Wilshire Regiment
http://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/ … 20Regiment(7) Arthur Roston – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Rostron(8) Royal Dublin Fusiliers – A Long, Long Trail, The British Army of 1914-1918
http://www.1914-1918.net/dubs.htm(9) Irish Battalions – RDF Major Battles
http://www.greatwar.ie/ire_batmb.html(10) XX Corps (United Kingdom) – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_XX_Corps
Thiepval memorial
Plate with his name on the left-top courner
Scetch from Thomas last day fighting area from battalion’s war diary
Thomas McKenna (1889 – 28.02.1917)
Private
1st/8th Battalion, Royal Dublin FusiliersBritish War Medal – 23148 Pte T McKenna, Royal Dublin Fusiliers
Thomas was entitled:
Victory Medal (Roll B/101.B.9 Page 651)
British War Medal (Roll B/101.B.9 Page 651)Thomas was born as a son of John and Catherine McKenna in 1889 on Kingscourt, Co. Cavan. His family were Agricultural Labourers and they were Roman Catholics. Thomas had as well three younger brothers; Patrick, John and Michael (11).
When the Great War started, New Army battalions (often referred to as Kitchener’s Army) were formed, where man can sign up for three years or the duration of the war (whichever was the longer) (4).
Thomas enlisted from Hamilton and was posted as a private to the Royal Dublin Fusiliers 8th Battalion, what was formed in September 1914 and was part of 48th Brigade in 16th (Irish) Division (6/9/10).
Regarding his service number 23148, he enlisted around winter/spring 1915 (3).They received basic training mainly in Buttevant and Ballyhooley, after what battalion was moved to England in September 1915 to Blackdown near Aldershot in Surrey for 16th (Irish) Division final training (1/4).
8th Battalion landed to the port of Le Havre on the 20th December 1915. However, looks like Thomas entered to France later on in 1916, because he wasn’t entitled for 1914-1915 Star what was issued to the soldiers in the British Expeditionary Force who served in any theatre of the War on the 5th August 1914 to 31st December 1915 (2/12).
Most likely he got his first battle experience still with the 8th Battalion, who engaged in the horrific Battle of Hulluch 27th – 29th April 1916 (1/5/9).
Some moment after March 1916, Private Thomas McKenna was transferred to the 1st Battalion of Royal Dublin Fusiliers who arrived to the France from Egypt and was part of 86th Brigade, 29th Division, what was concentrated in the area east of Pont Remy between 15th and 29th March (4).
But because both battalions took part of the Battle of Somme (1st July–18th November 1916), most likely Thomas eye witnessed some of the moments in the Royal Dublin Fusiliers hardest history (4/5):
First Day of the Somme on the 1st July 1st Battalion
Capture of Ginchy on the 9th September 8th BattalionUnfortunately his service records haven’t survived and also there aren’t notes about his wounds in the Irish publications at this period, so it is hard to find out extra details about Thomas’ service.
End of the February 1917 1st Battalion had rest in the Bronfay and Hardecourt camp.
War Diary states that on the 28th February 1917, Battalion attacked east of Sailly-Sailisel at 5:25 a “Potsdam trench” what they took after own artillery fire. Next objective was “Weimar” and “Palz trench” where they start reaching but their own artillery barrage and enemy machine gun fire caused many casualties. Also they found “Weimar trench” full of water. Lead of Captain Bagley men reached front of the wires of “Palz trench” but Germans machine gun fire caused more casualties. Also fusiliers run out of grenades at this time and they was forced to pull back to the “Potsdam trench”.At this day Private Thomas McKenna met his ultimate faith and got killed in action. Hid body never found (6/7/8).
Thomas is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, memorial reference Pier and Face 16 C.
There is all together 377 Royal Dublin Fusiliers buried/commemorated in this memorial (1). Also he is commemorated in the War Memorial in the Bridge Street, Banbridge, Co. Down (8).
Source:
(1) Royal Dublin Fusiliers – a forgotten regiment
http://www.dublin-fusiliers.com/(2) British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920
http://search.ancestry.co.uk(3) Army Service Numbers 1881-1918
http://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/(4) The Long, Long Trail – The British Army of 1914-1918 – for family historians
http://www.1914-1918.net(5) Royal Dublin Fusiliers – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Dublin_Fusiliers(6) UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919
http://search.ancestry.co.uk(7) Commonwealth War Graves Commission
http://www.cwgc.org(8) Irish War Memorials
http://www.irishwarmemorials.ie(9) Ireland Unknown Soldiers, The 16th (Irish) Division in the Great War
by Terence Denman(10) 16th (Irish) Division – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/16th_(Irish)_Division(11) National Archives: Census of Ireland 1901/1911
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie(12) British Campaign Medals, 1914-2005 (Shire Library)
by Peter Duckers
William Whitehouse
Private, 24349
7th Battalion, Royal Dublin FusiliersWilliam Whitehouse was entitled:
Victory Medal (Roll B/101 B9 Page 712)
British War Medal (Roll B/101 B9 Page 712)
1914-15 Star (Roll B/10B Page 419)Unfortunately it is impossible to trace William on the Census records but there is a small chance that he was a Cork man.
He enlisted around end of September/early October 1915 as a private (23948 joined in 17th September and 24557 joined in 11th November 1915) (1/8).
After only a month training, Private Whitehouse found himself already in Egypt, where he landed at 20th November 1915. Because that, he was entitled as well 1914-15 Star, what was issued to the soldiers in the British Expeditionary Force who served in any theatre of the War on the 5th August 1914 to 31st December 1915 (1/3/9).Probably Private William Whitehouse was one of the many raw reinforcements, what was sent in after Gallipoli, where all together 569 Royal Dublin Fusiliers (6th and 7th Battalion) lost their lives (9). What made the situation even harder was the lack of supplies; as an example, 7th Battalion was still dressed in the shorts without any winter clothing. As a result, many men suffered frostbites, dysentery (6/9).
When William entered to the front line in 20th November 1915, 7th Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers was part of 30th Brigade, 10th (Irish) Division and they were on the front line between Kosturino and Lake Doiran.
Following year they have many engagements with the Bulgarian army, however, during the summer their main enemy was mosquitoes and malaria (6).
On the 3rd October, during the “Struma Offensive”, 7th and 6th Battalions Royal Dublin Fusiliers captured village of Jenikoi but it was costly to the unit with the total of 128 men killed, wounded or missing (4/5/6).Following year, in August 1917 the 7th Battalion, along with the rest of the 10th (Irish) Division, were ordered to concentrate in Salonika in preparation for moving from the Balkans. In September they arrived in Egypt and then commenced their participation in the Palestine campaign.
The campaign was better success then the previous campaigns. Battalion took part in the Third Battle of Gaza (27th October – 7th November 1917). Also the capture of Jerusalem and later on defense from Ottoman counter-attack (4/5/9/12).
Early 1918 Thomas unit they mainly held their gained positions. In March 10th (Irish) Division attacked enemy position in Jilijilia area what was again success.Because heavy casualties in the Western Front in Spring 1918, ten battalions from 10th (Irish) Division were moved to France, including 7th Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers. They leave from Alexandria on the 23rd May 1918 on board the P&O ship Kaiser-I-Hind and arriving in Marseilles 1st June 1918 (2/4/5/6).
Battalion got a week next to the sea at Rouxmensnil, near Dieppe to rest and on the 6th June 1918 the Battalion was reduced to a cadre and men absorbed with the 2nd Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers. Four days later the soldiers returned to England and were absorbed into 11th Royal Irish Fusiliers.
11th Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers was reorganized and on the 28th June 1918 moved to Akdershot, as a part of 48th Brigade in 16th (Irish) Division. Late in July 1918 they landed again in France and already coming month, on the 29th August, absorbed with the 5th Battalion (2).Private William Whitehouse was sent to Army Reserve “Z” after 1918 December, what means that he returned to civilian life but with an obligation to return if called upon. The “Z” Reserve was abolished on 31st March 1920 (1/2/3).
There aren’t many notes available about him but because he was sent to Army Reserve “Z”, it is possible to guess that he first at all survived the war and came out of it good enough shape for a future service, if necessary.
Sources:
(1) British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920
(2) The Long, Long Trail – The British Army of 1914-1918 – for family historians
http://www.1914-1918.net(3) WO329, RDF, British Army Medal Roles, Infantry Record Office, Dublin
(4) 10th (Irish) Division – Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10th_(Irish)_Division(5) 10th (Irish) Division – The Long, Long Trail, 1914-1918
http://www.1914-1918.net/10div.htm(6) Royal Dublin Fusiliers – a forgotten regiment
http://www.dublin-fusiliers.com/(7) Irish Battalions – RDF Major Battles
http://www.greatwar.ie/ire_batmb.html(8) Family Tree, Genealogy and Census Records – Ancestry.co.uk
http://www.ancestry.co.uk/(9) The Pals at Suvla Bay
By Henry Hanna, K.C.
Wilson Baggaley (1875 – 1942)
Private
9th Battalion, Royal Dublin FusiliersRoyal Dublin Fusiliers 40785
Labour Corps 409245
Lancashire Fusiliers 60789Private Wilson Baggaley was entitled:
Victory Medal (Roll H/1/101/B29 Page 5930)
British War Medal (Roll H/1/101/B29 Page 5930)Wilson was born in Calver parish in Derbyshire on 1874 as a son of Joseph and Fanny Baggaley (2). They lived in Newburgh Terrace, Calver (2).
He entered to the service most likely under Derby scheme and was mobilized around winter/spring 1916 (regimental number 40422 – joined on January 1916). He was listed with the Royal Dublin Fusiliers 9th Battalion as a Private and was sent to France some moment in late 1916 (as reinforcement after Battalion lost 66 men killed in the attack on Ginchy) or early 1917 (3/4/5).
Most likely Wilson saw some action at this time, because 9th Battalion engaged in Battle of Messines and the Flanders Offensive (3rd Battle of Ypres) from 7th June – 10th November 1917 as a part of 48th Brigade, 16th (Irish) Division, where Division suffered over 4,200 casualties (3/4/5).
Maybe because of his age or he got wounded in action, he was transferred to the Labour Corps 882nd or 883rd Company (probably 882) around October 1917. His new service number was 409245. These two companies were for Garrison Guard duties (1). These were armed companies used to guard and escort POWs and storage depots.
In April 1918 882nd Company became part of 4th Provisional Guards Battalion in France. On the 25th May this Battalion was redesigned as the Lancashire Fusiliers 23rd Garrison Battalion (3). Because this move, Wilson received a new service number again, what were 60789 until he was demobilized (1).
Regarding England & Wales, Death Index, Wilson died during Second World War at 1942. He lived at this time in the small market down Bakewell, Derbyshire and he was 68 years of age.Source:
(1) British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920
(2) Family Tree, Genealogy and Census Records – Ancestry.co.uk
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/(3) The Long, Long Trail – The British Army of 1914-1918 – for family historians
http://www.1914-1918.net/(4) 9th Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers
http://www.dublin-fusiliers.com/battali … alion.html(5) 16th (Irish) Division – Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/16th_(Irish)_Division(6) England & Wales, Death Index: 1916-2005
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/(7) Military Labour during the First World War
http://www.labourcorps.co.uk
Thomas Murray
Private
7th (Service) Battalion, Royal Dublin FusiliersRegimental number 15876
Regarding Medal Index Card, Private Murray was entitled to:
– 1914-15 Star (B/7B Page 243)
– British War Medal (B/101 B5 Page 398)
– Victory Medal (B/101 B5 Page 398)Regarding Thomas’ service number and his unit, Thomas Murray enlisted to the army as a New Army recruit around second half of October 1914.
When the Royal Dublin Fusiliers formed new service battalions, they continued with the same numbering series that was in use for the regular 1st and 2nd Battalion. Number 15075 joined on the 1st October and 16339 joined 2nd November 1914 (11/13).After Minister for War, Field Marshal Earl Kitchener called up on 5th August 1914 a New Army then as a part of K1, 7th Royal Dublin Fusiliers, was formed. Each man signed up for new "general service" terms of three years or the duration of the war (whichever the longer) and would agree to being sent to serve anywhere the army needed them (2/4).
The 7th Battalion was formed in August 1914 and was stationed first at the Curragh. On the 2nd February 1915 they moved to the Royal (now Collins) Barracks in Dublin. Battalion trained in trench warfare in the Phoenix Park and musketry training at Dollymount beach (2/7/11).
Private Murray unit were attached to the 30th Brigade in 10th (Irish) Division and moved to Basingstoke, Hampshire on the 1st May 1915 from Dublin. Next three months whole Division underwent training until 27th June 1915, when they were ready for action (7/11).
Thomas and his battalion embarked on the HMT Alaunia at Devonport at about 7am on Saturday 10th July 1915 and sailed to Gallipoli as part of the new Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. H.M.T. Alaunia Captain was Captain Rostron (Royal Naval Reserve). He had been the Captain of the “Carpathia” when it picked up survivors of the Titanic disaster in 1912 (12).
On the way they moral was high, also they had stops in Gibraltar, Malta and Alexandria. 24th July they arrived in Mudros Bay on island of Lemnos where they saw Red Cross boats from Dardanelles full of wounded – hint of what was to come. Next day soldiers arrived Mitylene (2/9).
6th August battalion was boarded on H.M.T. Fauvette for landing in Suvla Bay, where they arrived 4am following morning, under Colonel Geoffrey Downing command.
Problems started because lack of organization; units were without the maps and orders, drinking water ran short and some moment they ran out of ammunition. But men fought well and in the first day battalion captured Chocolate Hill (called after "Dublin Hill"), what they occupied 8th – 12th August. Following battle for Kizlar Dagh on the 13th – 15th August, until withdrawal 29th September (9).
However, Thomas wasn’t with others on the first day of landing. His Medal Index Card shows that he entered to the theater of war two days later on the 9th August as a reinforcement (1). I located another soldier from 7th Battalion with the same entering date; D Company (Dublin Pals), Pte. Cecil William Murray, 14125 who got killed in action on the 16th August 1915 (13). 7th Battalion D Company paid terrible cost in Gallipoli: of its 239 men who landed, only 79 remained after 8 weeks (9).All together 569 Royal Dublin Fusiliers (6th and 7th Battalion) lost their lives in Gallipoli, before the Allies withdrew from there (12).
On 30th September battalion left from Gallipoli on SS ‘Abbasieh’ to Mudros and from there on Tuesday the 5th October, battalion embarked on the transport vessel H.M.T. Aeneas to Salonika, where they arrived 11th October 1915 (9/12).
After reorganization and rest in the camp, they sent to the Serbian mountains to try to stop Bulgarian advance. Thomas and his unit relieved the French in the Hasanti-Gojceli-Bala-Causli line (9).
Situation in there was very hard to the men again. Whole 7th Battalion was still dressed in shorts with pith helmets without any winter clothing. Meantime the weather was very cold and lots of men suffered frostbites, dysentery and malaria (9).
In November 10th (Irish) Division hold the front line between Kosturino and Lake Doiran.On the 2nd October 1916, the strength of the 7th Battalion was 28 officers and 741 other ranks (12).
In 3rd October 1916 the Dublin Fusiliers took part in the capture of the village of Jenikoi where they suffered heavy casualties, because as well friendly fire from their own artillery. 7th Battalion lost there 128 men killed, wounded or missing in action (12).Following year, in August 1917 the 7th Battalion, along with the rest of the 10th (Irish) Division, were ordered to concentrate in Salonika in preparation for moving from the Balkans. In September they arrived in Egypt and then commenced their participation in the Palestine campaign.
The campaign was better success then the previous campaigns. Battalion took part in the Third Battle of Gaza (27th October – 7th November 1917). Also the capture of Jerusalem and later on defense from Ottoman counter-attack (9/12).
Early 1918 Thomas unit they mainly held their gained positions. In March 10th (Irish) Division attacked enemy position in Jilijilia area what was again success.Meantime Germans launched their Spring Offencive in Western Front what gained many casualties in Allies side. Because that, ten Battalions from 10th (Irish) Division were moved to France, including 7th Battalion Royal Dublin Fusilisers. They leave from Alexandria on the 23rd May 1918 on board the P&O ship Kaiser-I-Hind and arriving in Marseilles 1st June 1918 .
Battalion got a week next to the sea at Rouxmensnil, near Dieppe to rest and on the 6th June 1918 the Battalion was reduced to a cadre and men absorbed with the 2nd Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers. Four days later the cadre returned to England and was absorbed into 11th Royal Irish Fusiliers.
11th Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers was reorganized and on the 28th June 1918 moved to Akdershot, as a part of 48th Brigade in 16th (Irish) Division. Late in July 1918 they landed again in France and already coming month, on the 29th August, absorbed with the 5th Battalion (2).Private Thomas Murray was sent to Army Reserve “Z” after 1918 December, what means that he returned to civilian life but with an obligation to return if called upon. The “Z” Reserve was abolished on 31 March 1920 (1/3).
There aren’t many notes available about him but because he was sent to Army Reserve “Z”, it is possible to guess that he first at all survived the war and came out of it good enough shape for a future service, if necessary.
Sources:
(1) British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920
(2) The Long, Long Trail – The British Army of 1914-1918 – for family historians
http://www.1914-1918.net(3) WO329, RDF, British Army Medal Roles, Infantry Record Office, Dublin
(4) Kitchener’s Army – Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitchener’s_Army(5) 10th (Irish) Division – Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10th_(Irish)_Division(6) 10th (Irish) Division – The Long, Long Trail, 1914-1918
http://www.1914-1918.net/10div.htm(7) 7th Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers
http://www.dublin-fusiliers.com/battali … alion.html(8) Ireland and World War I – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireland_and_World_War_I(9) Irish Battalions – RDF Major Battles
http://www.greatwar.ie/ire_batmb.html(10) Family Tree, Genealogy and Census Records – Ancestry.co.uk
http://www.ancestry.co.uk/(11) The Pals at Suvla Bay
By Henry Hanna, K.C.looking suspension to fix it (
)
3. Large trapezoid bar to the Guards soldier
Man, who owned that set served in the Prussian "Czar Alexander" Guard Grenadier Regiment No. 1.
It has two Prussian awards and three awards from imperial Russia. Hard to say what awards they can be.
same regiment miter helmet to compare (this picture is from internet and is not mine)
2. Oldenburg Navy officer’s ribbon bars
I obtained two ribbon bars what belonged to the one man. Unfortunately his “youngest” bar, with his full entitlements was sold separately but at least I have picture of that.
Because Orders on his sets, he was surelly an officer. Also he was in the Navy.
A. Looks like this bar was his pre war entitlements and he wear it on the old style large trapezoid bar.
– Order of the Red Eagle
– Oldenburg Friedrich August House Order
– Kaiser Wilhelm I Centenary Medal
B. On this bar he has all his war period entitlements. Also this example is small size trapezoid bar. This bar contains:
– Iron Cross 2nd Class (EK2)
– Oldenburg Friedrich August Cross 2nd Class
– Hamburg Hanseatic Cross
C. His ribbon bar from 20s with the Veteran’s associations award, what "disappeared" after 1934 Honor Cross for Combatants was introduced.
George Robinson (xxxx – 17.10.1918)
Private
2nd/6th Battalion, Royal Dublin FusiliersRegarding Medal Index Card, he was entitled:
– 1914-15 Star (R.Dub.Fus. Roll B/7B Page 310)
– British War Medal (Roll B/101 B2 Page 84)
– Victory Medal (Roll B/101 B2 Page 84)According to an Ancestry notification and an Irish Independent article, George Robinson was born and raised in Dublin (2/8). Unfortunately there are four George Robinson’s from Dublin on the 1901 Irish Census whose age would broadly fit, therefore it is at this point impossible to narrow him down without any extra information.
His service number confirms that George enlisted as a private around 1903 in the Royal Dublin Fusiliers (number 7999 joined on 9th October 1902 and number 8823 joined on 15th September 1903) for a period of 7 year’s full time service with the colours and another 5 on the National Reserve. His regimental number was 8226 (1/3/8).
Probably during this time he also served abroad if he was posted to the 1st Battalion which was based in Crete and Malta. From 1906 they were posted in Egypt. 2nd Battalion was in Buttevant, Cork after the Boer War. They left for Aldershot, England in 1910 and remained there until Great War begun in 1914 (7).After his full-time service with the colours, he was sent to the reserves around 1910.
When the Great War broke out, reservists were called up for service in August and September 1914. It was most likely that one of those called up was George Robinson. After retraining and completing musketry courses in the Royal Dublin Fusiliers depot in Naas at the end of 1914 and first part of 1915, he was attached to the 2nd Battalion (nicknamed ‘The Old Toughs’), Royal Dublin Fusiliers (10). Private Robinson landed in France on 13th July 1915 (1).
At this time his battalion was part of 10th Brigade in 4th Division and was positioned around the town of Le Cateau (5). The 2nd Battalion took heavy casualties previously on the 24th may 1915 during battle of Ypres. The Germans launched a heavy bombardment and the first large scale gas attack against their position at 2:45. By 9:30 the battalion had lost 645 men out of 666, of whom 149 were listed as dead. One of the reasons for the high number of casualties was that they didn’t have any defences against the gas attack (5).
George served in France and Flanders until the summer of 1916. On the 29th July 1916 the Irish Independent notes that Private Robinson got wounded in action (9). Most likely he was sent back home to recover.
When he became fit again for frontline service, George was posted to the 6th Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers (10). At the end of 1916 and early1917 this unit was part of 30th Brigade in 10th (Irish) Division and served in Salonika and from September 1917 was moved to Egypt for service in Palestine (2).
It is impossible to say from what moment Private Robinson was attached to this unit and if he saw any action with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Forces.
On the 27th April 1918 the 6th Battalion left from the 10th (Irish) Division. They sailed to Taranto, Italy from where they were moved to France by train and attached to the 197th Brigade in 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division on the 21st July 1918 (2).
On the 10th September 1917 the Battalion was transferred to 198th Brigade in same the Division.Private George Robinson met his ultimate faith on the first day of the Battle of Selle, a phase of the Final Advance in Picardy (17th – 20th October 1918) (4/6/8). He was killed in action on the 17th October 1918. In the same operation, 57 men of the Battalion were killed, 325 men were wounded and 16 men missing in action (11).
George Robinson is buried in Le Cateau Military Cemetery, Northern France, grave V.F.11 next to 511 other war casualties (8/12).
Sources:
(1) British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920
http://search.ancestry.co.uk(2) The Long, Long Trail – The British Army of 1914-1918 – for family historians
http://www.1914-1918.net(3) British Army service numbers
http://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com(4) Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC)
http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_det … lty=595092(5) Royal Dublin Fusiliers – a Forgotten Regiment
http://www.dublin-fusiliers.com/(6) History of the Great War – Principal Events Timeline – 1918
http://www.greatwar.co.uk/timeline/ww1- … tm#october(7) Royal Dublin Fusiliers – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Dublin_Fusiliers(8) UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919
http://search.ancestry.co.uk(9) Irish Independent, Saturday, July 29, 1916
(10) BWM and VM Medal Role – Infantry Record Office, Island Bridge, Dublin
(11) 6th Royal Dublin Fusiliers War Diary – October 1918
(12) Cemfranord
http://www.inmemories.com/Cemeteries/lecateaumil.htm
Thanks Frank! And again – some of these text contains English grammar mistakes but I try my best!
William Joseph Dodds (1899-xxxx)
Private
11th Battalion, Royal Dublin FusiliersRoyal Dublin Fusiliers 30413
Army Service Corps M/332797He was entitled to:
Victory Medal (RASC/101. Roll 230 Page 23657)
British War Medal (RASC/101. Roll 230 Page 23657)
Silver War Badge (RASC/4474)William was born in 1886 in Belfast to an Irish family. He married Alice Rose and they had two children William and Samuel. During this time he worked as a general laborer and Dodds’ family lived at 3 Dunlops Place, Cromac, Co.Antrim (7).
When war broke out, William enlisted under the Derby scheme on the 5th December 1915 and he was called up next summer, when he started his service with the 11th (Reserve) Battalion of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers which was formed in Dublin in July 1916 (5/7).
The battalion was absorbed with the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion in May 1918 which was located at Grimbsy as a part of Humber Garrison (4).
Private Dodds next transfer took place on the 4th October 1918 and he was transferred to the Army Service Corps Mechanical Transport unit (3/5). His new service number was M/332797.
William was discharged from the service due to sickness (Kings Regulations 392/ XVI – No longer physically fit for war service.) on the 17th May 1919 and he was granted the Silver War Badge, number B318513 (6).
It is impossible to say when William served overseas and which theater of war. Medal roles do not show him serving with the other Royal Dublin Fusiliers battalion. However, his Victory Medal and British War medal are named to the Royal Dublin Fusiliers.
Source:
(1) Royal Dublin Fusiliers – a forgotten regiment
http://www.dublin-fusiliers.com/battali … s-7th.html(2) British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920
http://search.ancestry.co.uk(3) World War 1 medal abbreviations
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_ … reviations(4) The Long, Long Trail – The British Army of 1914-1918 – for family historians
http://www.1914-1918.net(5) Victoy Medal and British War Medal roll – R.A.S.C.
(6) Silver War Badge roll – R.A.S.C.
(7) Ireland Census 1911
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie
Thomas Hargroves (1886- 1918)
Corporal● Royal Dublin Fusiliers
● Royal Irish RegimentVictory Medal named to “ 25923 CPL T.HARGROVES R. D. FUS.”
Royal Dublin Fusiliers regimental number 25923
Royal Irish Regiment regimental number 18254Thomas Hargroves Medal Index Card provides his first service number as 25923 with the Royal Dublin Fusiliers and second regimental number after transfer to the Royal Irish Regiment (regimental number 18254). His only entitlements listed on the card:
– Victory Medal (Roll 17/10/B6 Page 906).
– British War Medal (Roll 17/10/B6 Page 906)Thomas Hargroves was born in Cappoley, Kilcolmanbane, Queen’s County (now County Laois) as a son of John and Lizzie on the 1886. Their family listed their trade as farmers.
He also had two younger brothers William and John and three younger sisters – Lizzie, Ellen Jane and Mary Anne. They were all Roman Catholic’s.
After finishing school, some time before 1911 Thomas moved to Cork and worked in the Prison Service as a Warden in Prison. He was not married at this time (4).After the war broke out a New Army (often referred to as Kitchener’s Army) battalions where put together in Ireland, where each man would sign up for new "general service" terms of three years or the duration of the war (whichever was the longer) and would agree to serving anywhere the army needed them.
Thomas Hargroves enlisted to 10th battalion at the Royal Dublin Fusiliers from Cork recruitment depot (regimental number 25923) after 11th February 1916, when the 10th Battalion (The “Commercial” Pals) was formed in Dublin (8/10).
By the time the battalion was formed, they were only around 600 men. The Battalion was split into 4 companies, A, B, C, and D and they were first located at Royal Barracks (now Collins Barracks) gathering recruits and starting to train the men.
Easter Rising – Monday 24th April
The rebellion started at noon on Monday 24th April. In Royal Barracks when the fighting started on Monday 24th April. The DMP phoned the Military HQ at Parkgate at 12.10 to say that the Castle was under attack by armed Sinn Feiners. Col Cowan then ordered men from Royal, Richmond and Portobello Barracks to march to the relief of the Castle.
The 10th Battalion of the Royal Dublin Fusilers was training at the Royal barracks on the Quays. Around noon rifle shots were heard from the city, and on hearing the bugle alarm call, orders were given for troops to be equipped and armed. A party of men from A Company were marched out of the barracks first, following men from B Company, in order to secure positions in the Dublin city.
During the Easter Rising 10th Battalion casualties was as follows: 2 officers killed and 6 wounded, plus 9 Other Ranks killed and 28 wounded.
After those tragic events in Dublin, his battalion was moved to England in August 1916 and was surprisingly attached to the 190th Brigade under Brigadier General W.C.G.Heneker in 63rd (Royal Naval) Division. 19th August 1916 they landed in Le Havre.
They got their first combat experience in the Battle of the Ancre (Launched on 13 November 1916) where they attacked with 24 officers and 469 other ranks, 241 men became casualties.
The next large assault what they took part was the assault on Gavrelle Village on the April 1917.
The War Diary of the 10th Royal Dublin Fusiliers for April 1917 records that the battalion left its billets in Magnicourt in buses at 10am on the morning of 14th April, arriving at Arras at 3.30pm. And then marched on to St Catherine, moving up to the trenches at 6pm, in the "Balleul Gavrelle Sector".
The village of Gavrelle was held by the German 66th Württenburger Fusiliers and was attacked on the 15th April. This attack by the 10th Battalion RDF was unsuccessful suffering casualties of 5 Officers and 80 other ranks. They were relieved in the front trenches by the 4th Bedfords at 6am on the 16th April, and withdrew to the reserve trenches.
They suffered heavy shelling whilst in the Blue, Green and Brown line trenches over the next few days with 2 officers plus 5 other ranks killed on 21st April and a further 12 other ranks killed or wounded on 22nd April. The 10th Battalion was in reserve during the main attack on 23rd and 24th April and did not feature in this fighting.
Next big change to the Battalion took place on the 23rd June 1917, when they were moved to 48th Brigade in 16th (Irish) Division (9).
As a part of the Irish Division, 10th Battalion saw action in the battle of Cambrai 20th November 1917, where the 16th Division, attacking on a three-brigade front, was assigned the task of capturing a 2,000 yard section of the trench network. On the right flank of the Irishmen, 3rd Division’s 9th Brigade was detailed to capture an additional 800 yards.
In the centre, 10th and 2nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers headed the attack of the 48th Brigade. The advance here was so rapid that the Irish found many Germans still wearing gas masks and unable to fight. 10th Dublin Fusiliers captured 170 Germans alone (10).
It is impossible to narrow down, when private Thomas Hargroves got promoted to the rank Corporal or when exactly his transfer to the Royal Irish Regiment took place.
Maybe when the Royal Dublin Fusiliers 10th Battalion was absorbed with the 8th/9th Battalions and finally disbanded in France on the 15th February 1918.
He was transferred to Royal Irish Regiment, 2nd Battalion and his new regimental number was 18254. Most likely this happened when the 10th Battalion was dispanded. At this time the Royal Irish Regiment 2nd Battalion was part of the 49th Brigade, 16th (Irish) Division but was transferred to the 188th Brigade, 63rd (Royal Naval) Division on the 23rd April 1918.
Almost at the end of his war, on the Battle of Albert (21st – 23rd August 1918), a phase of the Second Battles of the Somme, Corporal Thomas Hargroves met his ultimate fate and became one of the many Irish casualties who was Killed in Action at 21st August 1918.
His memorial reference is listed on the Vis-En-Artois Memorial, Panel 5. He was 32 years old. Also Thomas Hargroves is commemorated in a St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral in Co. Cork (12).Source:
(1) The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_det … ty=1743323(2) The Long, Long Trail – The Royal Irish Regiment
http://www.1914-1918.net/rireg.htm(3) The Long, Long Trail – The Royal Dublin Fusiliers
http://www.corkrecords.com/WWIMemorial.htm(4) National Archives: Census of Ireland 1901/1911
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/p … y/1648989/(5) Family Tree, Genealogy and Census Records – Ancestry.co.uk
http://www.ancestry.co.uk/(6) Ireland and World War I – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireland_and_World_War_I(7) The Long, Long Trail, 1914-1918
http://www.1914-1918.net/kitcheners.htm(8) Dublin Fusiliers 10th Battalion history
http://www.dublin-fusiliers.com/battali … alion.html(9) The Irish Brigades, 1685-2006, David Murphy
A Gazetteer of Irish military service, past and present(10) Ireland Unknown Soldiers, Terence Denman
The 16th (Irish) Division in the Great War(11) The British Infantry 1660 – 1945, Frederick Myatt
The Evolution of a fighting force(12) Irish War Memorials
http://www.irishwarmemorials.ie/html/pl … p?show=250
