Research A Soldier

tac foley · 12-11-2018 6:41pm

DVR is his military occupation, and, in this case, also his rank. He was a driver of a miltary vehicle of some kind, the equivalent of Private soldier in the R.A. - Royal Artillery. If he had been a Gunner, he would have been called Gunner McCarthy.

Private soldiers were known by different titles in different military organisations -

Royal Engineers - Sappers.

Light Infantry - Rifleman.

Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers - Craftsman [not in WW1, though, the organisation per se did not exist.]

Royal Corps of Signals - Signalman.

Infantry - Private.

Fusiliers, a type of infantryman - Fusilier.

Cavalry, who fought FROM horseback - Trooper, or, in the case of Dragoons, who were mounted infantry who fought after getting OFF their horses, Private.

Royal Corps of Transport - Driver, like your relative.

Royal Marines, who are actually part of the Royal Navy and NOT Army - Marine.

I'm sure the more able here will be able to put you in the way of more information, but as he was not a fatal casualty you may well be disappointed. The Royal Artillery in WW1 was a HUGE organisation, and unless you can tie him down to a regiment and its associated regimental history you'll be very lucky to find out any more.

Good luck.

Ponster · 13-11-2018 2:21pm

DVR can also mean Driver in the sense of someone who was responsible for the horses that moved the pieces of artillery into position.

I had a search for his number in Ancestry archives but nothing came up except for his medal card and that he moved into the labour corps after the RA. A common occurrence for those who wanted the work.

Do you have a town or county for J McCarthy?

tac foley · 13-11-2018 2:55pm

As I understood it all entrants to the Royal Regiment, be it RGA/RFA/RHA joined as 'Gunners', however if they were tasked in training/at their Battery to 'drive' the Gun and Limber horses, they were then titled as 'Drivers' - responsible for two horses. The ranks were at the same level.

SkilledDVR · 13-11-2018 6:11pm

Thanks guys!

That sheet is a nice find! Where did you find it and what year was it published?

After speaking to a relative I now know that James worked with Horses during the war (it was phrased as looked after horses), I know that he was shot in the leg during the war and was in poor health for the rest of his life after returning.

He lived in Cappoquin, Co. Waterford.

SkilledDVR · 13-11-2018 6:13pm

SkilledDVR wrote: »

Thanks guys!

That sheet is a nice find! Where did you find it and what year was it published?

After speaking to a relative I now know that James worked with Horses during the war (it was phrased as looked after horses), I know that he was shot in the leg during the war and was in poor health for the rest of his life after returning.

He lived in Cappoquin, Co. Waterford.

I know that he also received a pension, would tracking this pension, if possible, give anymore clues?

tac foley · 14-11-2018 10:11am

Would his pension have continued after The Truce or later independence?

SkilledDVR · 14-11-2018 6:32pm

tac foley wrote: »

Would his pension have continued after The Truce or later independence?

I thought, maybe on a presumption that he would have got the pension for the remainder of his life? I wish I had more details, he passed away almost 20 years before I was born as have my father's generation so there is no one really to ask

tac foley · 14-11-2018 7:41pm

Just thinking - like my own dad, he would have been a citizen of the United Kingdom when he was born, so he would have undoubtedly met all the criteria for overseas payment of pension.

Ponster · 15-11-2018 1:08pm

SkilledDVR wrote: »

Thanks guys!

That sheet is a nice find! Where did you find it and what year was it published?

It's from the WWI Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920 available on Ancestry. Here's the full version, dated 1920

I also found his pension records index on Ancestry which points to a link on Fold3, something that I don't have access to. You can sign up there yourself or you can join one of the various Facebook groups that may just do such a look-up for you.

https://i.imgur.com/E3RFGXX.png

jos28 · 11-08-2019 1:52pm

Apologies in advance for being cheeky but I don't have an Ancestry subscription at the moment. I'm helping a friend trace her Grandfather and would be very grateful for an Ancestry look up. He is William Weldon, born Wood Quay Dublin around 1892. She thinks he may have been in the Dublin Fusiliers.
Many thanks

Ponster · 12-08-2019 10:06am

jos28 wrote: »

Apologies in advance for being cheeky but I don't have an Ancestry subscription at the moment. I'm helping a friend trace her Grandfather and would be very grateful for an Ancestry look up. He is William Weldon, born Wood Quay Dublin around 1892. She thinks he may have been in the Dublin Fusiliers.
Many thanks

Do you have him in the 1901 census or how parents names? Often this will help identify him if his records are available.

EDIT: Looking at the medal roll index there seems to only be 1 William Weldon with an Irish regiment (Royal Irish Rifles) but he died in 1914. After spending 5 minutes looking nothing obvious appears for your William.

Edit2: If your William Weldon is the son of Jane and who married Christine Griffin then he was born in 1891 in Upper Bride street and not Wood Quay (though I don't know Dublin and those places may be next to each other).

Edit3: This site allows you to search for soldiers who may have been in the RIR or the Royal Dublin Fusiliers. Unfortunately William does not appear.

spurious · 12-08-2019 11:51am

Ponster wrote: »

Edit2: If your William Weldon is the son of Jane and who married Christine Griffin then he was born in 1891 in Upper Bride street and not Wood Quay (though I don't know Dublin and those places may be next to each other).

I think it's Upper Bridge Street and yes, it is right beside Merchant's Quay which runs into Wood Quay.

spurious · 12-08-2019 1:32pm

If she is sure he served, I wonder did he serve under another name. Many did.

jos28 · 12-08-2019 3:17pm

Thanks a million folks for the responses. I will get some more information from her and hopefully that will help. I never realised that people enlisted under another name. I'd heard of brothers using their older brothers details alright.
Get back to you asap, many thanks

enfield · 13-08-2019 8:07am

If you have his medals his name, rank,, number and unit will be on them, his pension record it will also have this info. Keep a look for any photographs of him as his cap badge will show his regiment.

Ponster · 18-01-2021 6:01pm

Looking for any help with this chap.

This memorial stone lists a 'P Waterhouse' who fought with the 'Canadians' http://homepage.tinet.ie/~tipperaryfame/cahirmem.htm

I have been unable to find any Waterhouses who's first name begins with a 'P' on either Ancestry or any of the free Canadian sites (Canadian Archives) and thought that I'd ask in here before giving up

spurious · 18-01-2021 6:27pm

He is probably from the Waterhouses of Garryroan, Cahir, who were this family:

http://census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Dublin/Killiney/Killiney_Road_Upper/1317584/

moved to their mother Rachel Ffennell's family home.

The initial may be a mistranscription.

**edit checking the Canadian archives, I believe it should be F, for Frederick as it gives his birth place as Killiney.

Hope this link works: https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?op=pdf&app=CEF&id=B10116-S027

If not, search for him here: https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/personnel-records/Pages/personnel-records.aspx

Ponster · 19-01-2021 10:38am

spurious wrote: »

He is probably from the Waterhouses of Garryroan, Cahir, who were this family...

OK. All of that makes sense. Rachel Waterhouse looks to have been Rachel Fennell from the Cahir area before marring and moving to Killiney where historically there seems to only have been one Waterhouse family resident.

I've been through the Waterhouses on the Canadian page and only found Fred as the possible candidate.

So I think that you're right but I hate having to twist something to make the story work if you know what I mean.

Thanks for the work!

enfield · 19-01-2021 12:58pm

Waterhouse , Fred . (Dublin). Rank- Private . Regiment/Service;- Canadian Infantry . Unit;- 8th Battalion . Ser No;- . Date of death;- 23/04/1915 . Age;- 20 . Born;- Dublin . Residence;- Killiney . Death;- Killed in action . Next of kin, etc;- Son of Thomas George and Rachael Josephene Waterhouse. Grave/Memorial;- Panel 24-26-28-30 . Cemetery;- Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium.

Roove_man433 · 20-05-2021 8:54am

Hello.im also related to Thomas Donachie and I'm wondering.he would off fought in the galipoli war but that's all I know about him so I'm wondering how would he off gotten from galipoli to dunkirk.like what happened in between those two events.thank u.if someon can help could they please respond

corner of hells · 30-12-2022 3:17pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117212579#Comment_117212579

Hi , I'm a great grandson of Thomas Donachie who fought in Gallipoli, I'm only seeing your post today.

Research A Soldier

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