WW1 medal card

Newstreet

My great grandfather's war record would appear to have been destroyed in the blitz. However, his medal card exists. His arrival in France on the 17th August 1915 places him in the 2nd battalion Irish Guards.

What is the best resource for the 2nd battalion Irish Guards in WW1? How much of their history can I attribute to him without the existence of his own war record? I am assuming he fought in the Battle of Loos, and then the Somme. But then what? When men went to the trenches, how long did they stay there? Months? Years? How soon might he have got home?

His age in 1915 was 39 years. Was that the upper age range for men going to war? I am trying to piece together his war story out of practically nothing. He died in 1946.

The Chieftain

Newstreet wrote: »

My great grandfather's war record would appear to have been destroyed in the blitz. However, his medal card exists. His arrival in France on the 17th August 1915 places him in the 2nd battalion Irish Guards.

What is the best resource for the 2nd battalion Irish Guards in WW1? How much of their history can I attribute to him without the existence of his own war record? I am assuming he fought in the Battle of Loos, and then the Somme. But then what? When men went to the trenches, how long did they stay there? Months? Years? How soon might he have got home?

His age in 1915 was 39 years. Was that the upper age range for men going to war? I am trying to piece together his war story out of practically nothing. He died in 1946.

The author Rudyard Kipling wrote a history of the "Irish Guards" in the Great War. My dim recollection of once reading it in a hospital bed in the Mater, in Dublin, aged 13, is that it is an old-style regimental history. More importantly to you, I think it only covered the first battalion.

As for age limit, the pre-war age limit to enlist in the British army was 38, but you could serve until, well, until you were no longer able. During the war the age limit for enlistment was of course raised - they were conscripting men up to 50 or 51 by the end of the war.

Waitsian

My attempts to link websites are failing so I'll say this - try a website at Irishguards.org.uk

Waitsian

Also try Infantry regiments at Army.mod.uk for the Guards history.

Waitsian

Rudyard Kipling published 2 volumes, one on each of the 2 battalions. I've also just checked the online catalogue for the NA at Kew and they have the WW1 diaries for the 2nd batt, IGs.

Telelib.com has that Vol 2 online. Check under Kipling in the Authors section.

Waitsian

Having just carried out a general search online using the terms 'Irish Guards 2nd Battalion WW1' I discovered innumerable message boards and forums pertaining to same. Good luck in your research.

Newstreet

Many thanks for all that. I'll have a look.

Kalimah

Hello Newstreet
I was just browsing through the forum and came across your post. My grandfather ( born 1894) enlisted in the Irish Guards on the 10/10/1914 and was posted overseas with the 2nd battalion on the same date as your great grandfather on 17/08/1914. I had heard family stories through the years saying that he had been in the Battle of the Somme in 1916 and had been wounded in the leg and subsequently transferred to work in a munitions factory. I had no idea how much ,if any, of this was accurate so I had a researcher go through the records for me. At that time, which was 2006, a lot of this was not online so getting someone else to do the legwork in England was a necessity.

What I got back was amazing, My grandfather had not been in the Somme as I thought, but was wounded in the Battle of Loos sometime between the 27th and the 29th of September 2015. He was transferred back to a casualty station and then back to Britain on the 3rd of October 2015. After a couple of months he was sent to a munitions factory as I had been told and then discharged from the army in December 1918.

I got copies of everything from enlistment papers to medal rolls and details of wounds and several promotions. He was promoted to corporal and then lance sergeant later on. The amusing thing about this is that he was a small man, only five feet seven, so he must have had a certain air of authority about him! He went on to marry, have eight children, 25 odd grandchildren and died in his own bed in 1980 aged 86.

I wonder might it be worthwhile to ask a professional researcher for advice? The guy I got was excellent and works solely on military archives I believe. If you want his name let me know.

By the way In case you didn’t know, Rudyard Kipling’s son John was killed in the same action in Loos. He was only 18 or so at the time. I always wonder did my grandfather know him. It was a very sad story. Rudyard Kipling spent years trying to find what had become of his son. He wrote a lovely poem called My Boy Jack to remember his son. You can find it online as well as a recent newspaper article on how Jack’s body was found.

I hope you can piece together a bit more info on your great grandfather. I was so glad I had done the research.

Waitsian

Kalimah wrote:

I wonder might it be worthwhile to ask a professional researcher for advice? The guy I got was excellent and works solely on military archives I believe. If you want his name let me know.

Can you PM me that name please Kalimah? Thanks.

Kalimah

PM sent mod9maple. Let me know if you don't get it. My PC was acting up a bit earlier.

Waitsian

I got your messages, much appreciated.