Research A Soldier

enfield

KAVANAGH, JAMES. Rank: Gunner. Regiment or Service: Royal Garrison Artillery. Date of Death:15-June-1917. Service No:62783. Born in Birr, King’s County. Enlisted in Liverpool while living in Boston, U. S. A. Died.
King’s County Chronicle, April, 1916.
Gunner James Kavanagh, R. F. A., son of the late Mr James Kavanagh, Pound Street, Birr travelled all the way from America to ‘do his bit, ’ and is now in training in England.
Grave or Memorial Reference: I. D. 23. Cemetery: Feuchy British Cemetery in France.

happygoose

Hoping I can get some assistance in tracking down any information I can get on my grandfathers brother who was killed in WW1...James Gannon...

http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=1581244

Census details from 1911...

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Meath/Dunboyne/Quarryland/713948/

I found the following...

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=2437875&queryType=1&resultcount=27

and this, which confirms that it is my grandfathers brother.

http://www.southirishhorse.com/documents/sih_dead.htm

Is there much else I can find out?

R.Dub.Fusilier

happygoose wrote: »

Hoping I can get some assistance in tracking down any information I can get on my grandfathers brother who was killed in WW1...James Gannon...

Is there much else I can find out?

James landed in france some time in 1916 and as you know later served with the royal irish regiment , it is possable that he was killed in the spring offensive of 1918 also know as the Kaiser Battle. will try find out more later unless someone else does.

happygoose

Many thanks R. Dub.Fusilier...

I've since found out he was killed in that offensive.

I've viewed his medal card, but unfortunately I can't really make out the details.

R.Dub.Fusilier

here is james gannons page from the irish memorial records

johnny_doyle

his medal card shows he was entitled to the Victory MEdal and the British War Medal. The reference re 1743 KR 1912 is King's Regulations paragraph which basically means the medals were not deliverable to the family (at which point they were generally stored for 10 years before being broken up).

The A/101 etc reference tells which medal roll the award is listed on. I think these can be consulted at the National Archives in London but they don't give too much extra info.

A sample medal roll can be seen here

http://www.curragh.info/images/madden/medalroll.jpg

R.Dub.Fusilier

can anyone help with help with Charles Turner MM 3371 Munster Fusiliers mentioned in the london gazette 19th Feb 1917 his KIA details are here- http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=1627063

i have the medal card but need help with the london gazette. thanks

johnny_doyle

Name:Charles Turner
Birth Place:Mountain Ash, Glamorgan
Residence:Mountain Ash
Death Date:28 Jan 1917
Death Location:France & Flanders
Enlistment Location:Mountain Ash
Rank Private
Regiment:Royal Munster Fusiliers
Battalion:1st Battalion
Number:3371
Type of Casualty:Killed in action
Theatre of War:Western European Theatre
Comments:M.M.

His LG entry is here but no information about why he was awarded the MM

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/29953/supplements/1755

2 other 1st RMF soldiers died the same day

http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=454245

http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=454072

R.Dub.Fusilier

thanks a million JD. i tried to get the info myself but couldnt find it . thanks again.

johnny_doyle

the London Gazette archives can be a real pain to use. More luck than judgement most of the time.

He was quite an old chap to be serving on the front line. Do you have any more info about him and his family?

R.Dub.Fusilier

johnny_doyle wrote: »

the London Gazette archives can be a real pain to use. More luck than judgement most of the time.

He was quite an old chap to be serving on the front line. Do you have any more info about him and his family?

i was on the LG site and struggled a bit with it so thats why i had to ask for help.

i dont have any more info than above as yet. 50 is old for a KIA but my guess he was a carer soldier or he was called up from the reserves .

arnhem44

Hi all,I was wondering if someone would be kind enough to look up the following soldiers MIC for me and tell me if the soldiers entry date and possibly the battalion number is on it please.The soldiers details are 1856 Pte T.J.Pheston North Irish Horse.Thanks

johnny_doyle

unusual surname. Only 1 MIC, Thomas J Pheston with 2 numbers 1856, North Irish Horse and 71595 Corps of Hussars.

No unit info or date of entry to theatre I'm afraid.

arnhem44

Thanks for that johnny,its very much appreciated.If you can remember did he qualify for a star by any chance?

johnny_doyle

no Star. Just VM and BWM. Do you know where this chap is from?

arnhem44

Hi johnny thanks again for that info.No idea where he's from or anything about him,I did try the Irish census expecting to find something in the northern half of the country but nothing so maybe he was from somewhere in Britain??

johnny_doyle

not seeing any birth record or census entry in the UK records (so far - might be recorded as Preston or something else). I looked at the Irish census records first and drew a blank there. Can I ask where//how you stumbled upon him?

arnhem44

Hi again johnny,I recently acquired his BWM so was wondering if he had been an early recruit in the cavalry regiment or a later one when he may of been one of the recruits making up the cyclist battalion late in the war however with your help it now shows he went into the Corps of Hussars at some stage and went to war after 1915 so must look more into this now also.Sadly his Victory medal was not with the BWM so it must be out there somewhere.

johnny_doyle

the medal roll listed for both awards is CY/119B/802. I'm assuming that CY is cavalry but have to say that I don't know. It could equally be cyclist.

R.Dub.Fusilier

johnny_doyle wrote: »

the medal roll listed for both awards is CY/119B/802. I'm assuming that CY is cavalry but have to say that I don't know. It could equally be cyclist.

A44 and JD here is a couple of pages that might help you out. have found them useful in the past.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/help/abbreviations-unit.asp

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/help/abbreviations-rank.asp

arnhem44

Hi RDF,I've often used the NA abbreviations section and found it most useful.I followed up then with a book by Howard Williamson called A Dictionary Of Great War Abbreviations which I believe the NA sources these abbreviations from which is only a small amount of what is actually known.The book can still be found and varies widely in price,here is a selection for anyone interested and a book that I would highly recommend. http://www.bookfinder.com/search/?ac=sl&st=sl&qi=.jP7MlNTiMa1wQ6rQMKjslS3aDU_4082108418_1:2:163&bq=author%3Dhoward%2520williamson%26title%3Ddictionary%2520of%2520great%2520war%2520abbreviations

Murrayer22

Hi all,
Not sure if you can help me,
Ive recently started to research a Greatuncle of mine named Constantine Murray from Dublin. He was 14 when he signed up with the British Army (told them he was 17). he was killed while fighting in France around 1915/1917. An old family relative told me his full name is enscribed on a memorial somewhere outside Paris. Ive checked all the websites and cant find his name anywhere. Not sure what Batallion or anything he was in, but my dad thinks it was the Irish Riflers ??? Would be really gratefull for any help, as my dad has inherited that great name Constantine and really wants to know more about his uncle.

Thank You

Ponster

This him ?

http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=723390


Name: MURRAY, CONSTANTINE
Initials: C
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Rifleman
Regiment/Service: Royal Irish Rifles
Unit Text: 2nd Bn.
Date of Death: 15/09/1914
Service No: 9749
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Memorial: LA FERTE-SOUS-JOUARRE MEMORIAL



He is entitled to all 3 'standard' WWI medals as his medal card is available also (as as his much destroyed service records).


You say he was 14 when he signed up but I'm afraid that may just be a family story as he joined the army in 1911. And I doubt he would have gotten away with it pre-war when there would have been more attention paid to ages and such? Who knows though? When he signed up in 1911 he told them that he was born in 1893.



Also inclosed are several letters from his father (Robert Murry) who was informed that his son was wounded but nothing more from the army as to his condition for almost a year afterwards. There seems to be some confusion as to when/where he died and it seems that the army decided that he was in fact dead rather than they being 100% sure of the facts.

Murrayer22

Thats him Ponster
Thank you so much. Cant believe you found that so quickly,
Ive been searching for ages.

Thanks Again

Murrayer22

Ponster,
how do I go about checking to see if anyone ever received his medals ??
Where can i see his medal card and Service records???

Cant believe there are letters from his Dad aswell.
Can I get these or even a copy of them ??
Wow, I cant believe you have been able to tell me all that in less than an hour.
Actually still in shock.
Thank you so much for your help

Happy Monday

Murrayer22 wrote: »

Ponster,
how do I go about checking to see if anyone ever received his medals ??
Where can i see his medal card and Service records???

Check these out - the Service record was probably damaged in the Blitz fires of 1940 at Kew.

Murrayer22

Happy Monday wrote: »

Check these out - the Service record was probably damaged in the Blitz fires of 1940 at Kew.

Hey Happy Monday,
It doesnt give any information on those to say if the medals were ever received by anyone on behalf of Constantine. How can I check this out.
Ponster also mentioned letters from his dad to Constantine. Could I get a copy of these from anyone. (the origninal letters would be even better)
Would be grateful if you can guide me in the right direction.

Thanks a lot for your help

Murrayer22

Ponster wrote: »

This him ?

http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=723390


Name: MURRAY, CONSTANTINE
Initials: C
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Rifleman
Regiment/Service: Royal Irish Rifles
Unit Text: 2nd Bn.
Date of Death: 15/09/1914
Service No: 9749
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Memorial: LA FERTE-SOUS-JOUARRE MEMORIAL



He is entitled to all 3 'standard' WWI medals as his medal card is available also (as as his much destroyed service records).


You say he was 14 when he signed up but I'm afraid that may just be a family story as he joined the army in 1911. And I doubt he would have gotten away with it pre-war when there would have been more attention paid to ages and such? Who knows though? When he signed up in 1911 he told them that he was born in 1893.



Also inclosed are several letters from his father (Robert Murry) who was informed that his son was wounded but nothing more from the army as to his condition for almost a year afterwards. There seems to be some confusion as to when/where he died and it seems that the army decided that he was in fact dead rather than they being 100% sure of the facts.

Thanks for all your help Ponster. Just wondering if you could let me kno where I can see a copy of those letters or if anyone has ever collected Constatines Medals.

Ponster

Murrayer22 wrote: »

Thanks for all your help Ponster. Just wondering if you could let me kno where I can see a copy of those letters or if anyone has ever collected Constatines Medals.

I'll send you a Private Message later concerning the letters and such.

It's too late to reclaim the medals now I believe though can always get them made by a third-party company with his reg number, etc...
Some service records have a record if medals have been claimed but I didn't see this in CMs file.

arnhem44

A Battle of Mon's Casualty,looking at his medal index card there shows that he was also awarded a clasp to his 1914 Star,the 1914 Star being a lot more desirable than the 1914-15 Star.Here is the following action that most likely caused his death on the 15th of September 1914

September 15th was a most unlucky day for the Battalion. On Colonel Bird's arrival at daybreak in the front line, his second-in-command, Major Spedding, pointed out to him German trenches in a little hollow 700 yards to their front, and told him that he had ordered "D" Company twenty minutes before to advance to the edge of the wood, about halfway between them, and hold it.
The commanding officer saw no harm in this, but felt a little nervous lest the company, now lost to sight in the trees, should become involved in a premature attack. On the other hand, as "D" Company had not come into action, it was possible the Germans had retired. He accordingly ordered "A" Company to move forward with all possible caution on its right to support it in case of need.
Almost immediately, to his horror, "A" Company began to attack, advancing by rushes upon the enemy trenches, meeting heavy machine-gun fire. What had happened was that the company commander had seen "D" Company on his left advance upon the German trench, and had conceived it to be his duty also to attack to support it. "D" Company did actually capture a section of the German trench, but was driven out by a prompt counter-attack, and the original line was taken up.
In this abortive action 2nd-Lieutenants Swaine and Magennis were killed, Captains Bowen-Colthurst, Durant, and Lieutenants Peebles and Varwell wounded. The total casualties were not far short of 150, chiefly wounded. The ugly day, with ceaseless wet adding to other miseries, ended in alarms, and a rattle of musketry along the front caused by the reports of German attacks which were probably no more than the movements of patrols. It had been disappointing.

His name is also listed on this site as a casaulty
http://royalirishrifles.webs.com/2rir1914.htm