Hi I'm Keith and just saying Hi to everyone on here, I would like to find out about the Royal marines especially aboard the HMS Dreadnought as my Great Grandfather died on board her in 1916 and also is there any place i could look to find info on the Royal Irish fusiliers. Thanks Keith
Hi Keith, Welcome to the forum. How did your Gt Grandfather die on HMS Dreadnought? During the battle of Jutland it was in port being re-fitted and only fired on the German Navy once when it sank SM U29 and became the only ship to sink a submarine during WW1. It bacame part of the coastal defences until 1918 when it joined the main fleet and then it was scrapped in 1921. What do you need to know about the Royal Irish Fusiliers? Have a look around the forum and join in with the chat, we are a friendly lot here. Cheers Mike [Sniper]
Hi Mike, Thanks for the welcome and the info. My Great Grandfather was Robert Buckley R M Musician, he is said to have died of small pox on board, on the 1st Dec 1916. A friend of mine has asked me if I would help him trace his Grandfather, he was in the Royal Irish Fusiliers during the war but died from mustard gas damage obtained during the war in 1922/23 at Haslar Hospital Gosport in Hampshire and is counted as a war dead, but is not on the cwgc. he knows nothing else except his rank, service no, name and regiment. Kind regards Keith
Hi Keith, I see your Gt Grandfather is buried at EDINBURGH (SEAFIELD) CEMETERY in Scotland. Have you managed to get a photograph of his headstone yet? Thats a really nasty way to die and he would of been kept in isolation as it was very infectious. It wasn't until 1979 that it was finally eradicated after many vaccination programmes all over the world. It had a mortality rate of around 30-35% of those infected so it must of been a serious case that he died of. Have you tried to get the miliary records for your friends grandfather from Kew yet? Do we know what Battalion he served with? I am heading down to Haslar Hospital Cemetery in September and would be happy to see if i can find his grave and get a photo for you. I would of course need the details you have on him so i can try to locate him. Battalions of the regiment served with the 10th Irish Division and 36th (Ulster) Division during World War I. The 1st Battalion fought at Le Cateau, the Marne, the Somme, Arras, Cambrai and Ypres, losing 1,058 dead throughout the War. The 2nd Battalion served on the Western Front, Macedonia and Palestine. In addition to the two regular battalions, a further six were raised during 1914-18. The regiment as a whole won 44 battle honours in the course of the War, suffering 3,181 dead and more than 15,000 wounded. The Germans first used Mustard Gas to any great effect against the British at Ypres in 1917 and later against the French 2nd Army so it was probably then that his grandfather got his dose. Its only fatal in about 1% of cases as it was used more of a an incapacitating agent and gas masks would of been useless against it as it can be absorbed through the skin. Hope this helps Mike
HI Mike Thanks for that info and I didn't know he was buried, Iv'e got a copy of my Great grandfathers memorial plaque with his name on it but not his head stone, where could I get the picture of his head stone from? World War 1 stuff is new to me and I would like to know more, I am knowledgeable of WW2 as my grandfather died in that war on my dad side and I have done a lot of research. I have just found out recently that my grandfather who died in WW2 joined the RA around about 1918/19 and would like to try and find out his service record from that time as he came out in the early 30's and then went back in before the war, would he have the same service number and record? No my friend hasn't been able to get it from Kew yet, and no he doesn't know the Battalion either. He thanks you for the offer but he has already seen his Grandfathers grave, he is buried at Anne Hill Cemetery Gosport, not far down the road from him. His Grandfather was CPL 3802 T. Maguire Royal Irish Fusiliers. Thanks again Keith
Hi Keith, Your right about him having a special memorial plaque, he is buried somewhere in the cemetery and the plaque means that the burial plot is not known. If he had been buried at sea his name would of been on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial in Hampshire. So its not likely he has a headstone. Your grandfather would probably have kept his service number if he mentioned to the recruiting officer when he re-joined and the records would of been put together. The records would be kept by the MOD as it is after 1925, you can get the details of how to get them from http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceFor/Researchers/ If he did not mention he had experience then his WW1 records would be at Kew. The pity about that is that 80% of WW1 records were burned after a direct hit on the National Records Office during the London Blitz in 1940. The Irish Fusiliers main deployments are as follows. 1st Battalion August 1914 : at Shorncliffe. Part of 10th Brigade in 4th Division. Moved to York and on 18 August to Harrow. 23 August 1914 : landed at Boulogne. 3 August 1917 : transferred to 36th (Ulster) Division and on 24 August to 107th Brigade. 8 February 1918 : transferred to 108th Brigade in same Division. 2nd Battalion August 1914 : at Quetta in India. Returned to UK, arriving at Winchester on 20 November 1914, where it came under orders of 82nd Brigade in 27th Division. 19 December 1914 : landed at Le Havre. Moved to Salonika, arriving in early December 1915. 2 November 1916 : transferred to 31st Brigade in 10th (Irish) Division. September 1917 : moved to Egypt for service in Palestine. 7th (Service) Battalion Formed at Armagh in September 1914 as part of K2 and attached to 49th Brigade in 16th (Irish) Division. Moved to Tipperary. Moved to England in September 1915, going to Pirbright. February 1916 : landed in France. 15 October 1916 : amalgamated with 8th Bn to form 7/8th Bn. 10 February 1918 : disbanded in France. 9th (Service) Battalion (County Armagh) Formed in Belfast in September 1914 from the Armagh, Monaghan and Cavan Volunteers. Came under orders of 108th Brigade in 36th (Ulster) Division. Moved in November 1914 to Belfast and on to Newtownards in February 1915. July 1915 : moved to Seaford. October 1915 : landed at Boulogne. 25 September 1917 : absorbed two dismounted squadrons of the North Irish Horse and retitled 9th (North Irish Horse) Bn. 11th (Service) Battalion Formed at Greatham (West Hartlepool) on 1 June 1918. On 18 June, it absorbed the cadre of the 7th Bn, the Royal Dublin Fusiliers. 28 June 1918 : moved to Aldershot and came under orders of 48th Brigade in 16th (Irish) Division. Late in July 1918, landed in France. 29 August 1918 : absorbed by the 5th Bn. All the other battalions were either based here in the U/K or were in other theatres of conflict. Another place you may like to try to get information is the regimental museum, here is the link to their website, Irish Fusilliers Hope this helps and please don't hesitate to ask questions. You may like to head over to our sister site, WW2 Chat. Cheers Mike
