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Army Veterinary Corps WW1

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  • 07-03-2012 11:58pm
    #1
    Fatbiker
    Registered Users Posts: 138 ✭✭


    Hi. Just discovered this forum.

    My grandfather was from Ballinasloe and served in France as a vet or horse wrangler. His medal record indicates he was sgt in 'AVC'. Is there any way I can research his service? There are family stories that I would like to check out. Is there a regimental archive anywhere I could contact? Unfortunately, his service medals were given away to a relative a few years ago. Happily, he survived the war.

    Any help appreciated.

    Fat biker


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    #2
    Victor
    Registered Users Posts: 78,312 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    You should be able to access some of his military records. There is a contact address in Britain, but I don't know it off hand.


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    #3
    arnhem44
    Registered Users Posts: 1,368 ✭✭✭arnhem44


    Only one third of records survive for British WW1 soldiers,most having been lost due to the blitz on London during WW2.The National Archives at Kew in London hold the records but they are online also and can be checked on Ancestry,worth having a look.


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    #4
    R.Dub.Fusilier
    Closed Accounts Posts: 588 ✭✭✭R.Dub.Fusilier


    Fatbiker wrote: »
    Hi. Just discovered this forum.

    My grandfather was from Ballinasloe and served in France as a vet or horse wrangler. His medal record indicates he was sgt in 'AVC'. Is there any way I can research his service? There are family stories that I would like to check out. Is there a regimental archive anywhere I could contact? Unfortunately, his service medals were given away to a relative a few years ago. Happily, he survived the war.

    Any help appreciated.

    Fat biker

    if you put up his name and army number if you have it , myself or someone else will have a look on ancestry.uk for you . the least you will get is his medal index card.


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    #5
    johnny_doyle
    Registered Users Posts: 1,021 ✭✭✭johnny_doyle


    4 members of the Army Veterinary Corps from Ireland died in WW1 according to Ireland's Memorial Records (but this is not totally accurate). 2 died on the 10/10/1918, one at "Home", one on the RMS Leinster.

    The RDS in Ballsbridge was used as an Army Remount depot through WW1 and I believe that this was connected to the railway that went to Kingstown ie for loading onto ships travelling to Wales/England.

    There are 4 pension records on Ancestry for Veterinary Corps personnel from Ireland (Curley, Eccles, Kidd, Taylor). No service records that I can see.

    A search of Soldiers Died in the Great War for Ballinasloe brings up 47 casualties who were born, lived or enlisted in Ballinasloe.

    If you type the following search term in Google

    ballinasloe site:cwgc.org

    it will pull up references to Ballinasloe on the CWGC website.

    One officer killed during the Bloody Sunday operation was formerly in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps. Killed in error.


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    #6
    Victor
    Registered Users Posts: 78,312 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    johnny_doyle wrote: »
    The RDS in Ballsbridge was used as an Army Remount depot through WW1 and I believe that this was connected to the railway that went to Kingstown ie for loading onto ships travelling to Wales/England.
    While there was a cattle siding (I'm sure horses could use it also) for the RDS on the current Sweepstakes / AIB site, I suspect an RDS-Kingstown trip wouldn't have happened.

    HOrses would have been walked / ridden the distance and soldiers would have boarded a train at Lansdowne Road or indeed walked themselves.


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    #7
    Fatbiker
    Registered Users Posts: 138 ✭✭Fatbiker


    R.Dub.Fusilier wrote: »
    if you put up his name and army number if you have it , myself or someone else will have a look on ancestry.uk for you . the least you will get is his medal index card.
    Thank you. Would it be ok to pm you the details? I have them on work pc and can't access boards there. Thanks. FB


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    #8
    R.Dub.Fusilier
    Closed Accounts Posts: 588 ✭✭✭R.Dub.Fusilier


    Fatbiker wrote: »
    Thank you. Would it be ok to pm you the details? I have them on work pc and can't access boards there. Thanks. FB

    no bother. PM would be fine.


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    #9
    johnny_doyle
    Registered Users Posts: 1,021 ✭✭✭johnny_doyle


    Victor wrote: »
    While there was a cattle siding (I'm sure horses could use it also) for the RDS on the current Sweepstakes / AIB site, I suspect an RDS-Kingstown trip wouldn't have happened.

    HOrses would have been walked / ridden the distance and soldiers would have boarded a train at Lansdowne Road or indeed walked themselves.

    it is a supposition on my part that the horses would/could have travelled by train. One of the RDS archivists has told me they have no photos of the army remount unit operating there at the time but may have some info in their reports. I'll be popping in to take a look on my next trip to Dublin.

    The first Tank Corps casualty in Ireland was killed on this siding in 1917 whilst unloading a tank from a train.


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    #10
    Fatbiker
    Registered Users Posts: 138 ✭✭Fatbiker


    R.Dub.Fusilier wrote: »
    no bother. PM would be fine.
    Could you possibly pm me your email so I can email you the pdf of the medal record? I am juggling the work pc with the wife's ipad at home. Many thanks, Ken


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    #11
    johnny_doyle
    Registered Users Posts: 1,021 ✭✭✭johnny_doyle


    Ken, what did your man do before/after the war?


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    #12
    Cardinal Richelieu
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,407 ✭✭✭Cardinal Richelieu


    Lusk, North Co Dublin was the Main Army Remount Depot(No.1) in Ireland for many years up until it was burnt down during the War of Independence.

    http://www.fingal-independent.ie/local-notes/night-the-lusk-ira-men-torched-remount-farm-782745.html

    http://www.fingal-independent.ie/lifestyle/features/when-lusk-supplied-horses-for-british-army-788114.html

    Military Archives site has 29 maps/drawings relating to the search word remount, 28 concern Lusk and 1 the RDS site.

    http://www.militaryarchives.ie/collections/online-collections/maps-plans-drawings-collection/history

    UK WW1 Remount Recruitment Poster
    http://www.vads.ac.uk/large.php?uid=27981


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    #13
    Fatbiker
    Registered Users Posts: 138 ✭✭Fatbiker


    johnny_doyle wrote: »
    Ken, what did your man do before/after the war?
    Sorry Johnny, forgot your post in haste to try emailing R.Dub...my grandfather was hackney driver and undertaker in Ballinasloe. FB


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    #14
    johnny_doyle
    Registered Users Posts: 1,021 ✭✭✭johnny_doyle


    typed in Remount and up came 29 docs re Lusk and 1 re the RDS. Interesting stuff.


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    #15
    johnny_doyle
    Registered Users Posts: 1,021 ✭✭✭johnny_doyle


    Fatbiker wrote: »
    Sorry Johnny, forgot your post in haste to try emailing R.Dub...my grandfather was hackney driver and undertaker in Ballinasloe. FB

    no prob.

    Sounds like he would have had good experience with horses then.


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    #16
    Fatbiker
    Registered Users Posts: 138 ✭✭Fatbiker


    johnny_doyle wrote: »
    no prob.

    Sounds like he would have had good experience with horses then.
    Yeah. We have a picture of his horsedrawn hearse that could have come straight from a Dracula movie. There is a book by Fr. Declan Kelly about Ballinasloe that has more pics etc...not relevant here I guess:D


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