RootsChat.Com

RE is a regiment.

Dispatch riders were part of signals, which at that time wasn't independent but part of Royal Engineers, so that's what I think "RE" refers to in this case

If you have his record it will say if he went overseas. Also if you have found a medal card it will confirm he served overseas. Post his name and number if you need help.

Unfortunately the only military record I have for him so far is, as I said, this badly mangled "attestation" record, a kind of signing on.  Even his number isn't clear: 3??701 is the best we can do.  Thomas Watson, born 7 Feb 1896.

BTW...he would have been conscripted.

Not in Ireland.  There was legislation, passed in the teeth of great opposition late in the war, but it was never put into effect.

Witherow, you're plainly an old hand at this so I expect you found ages ago what I've just found, but at http://www.historyfromheadstones.com/index.php?id=931 there's a record of a gravestone inscription for a number of members of the Craig family, some of whom I can place because I've heard talk of them.

Also interesting is that Robert Edwin Lee Craig (d 1977) was married to a Lena Lilias (d 1998), who I'm sure was a Witherow, since it was often said in the family that Uncle Lee and Aunt Lena were cousins, but not of one another.

I have a book that has been staring at me from my shelf every since my father died 10 years ago. Its called The Autobiography of Thomas Witherow 1824 - 1890.

I have a copy too!  My mother provided some of the pictures that are in it.

Thomas was born on 29 May 1824
he married Catherine Milling on 13 April 1859

He had 3 sons two of whom died in infancy
The third was Rev James Milling Witherow
His daughters were
Mrs W Adams
Mrs D Craig,
Mrs A Gilchrist
Mrs Dr Hamilton
Mrs H M Knox
Miss J Witherow

Hope this is of interest to some one.

I've just joined rootschat and I'm like a child who has suddenly opened a box of treasures.

The Mrs D Craig mentioned above (Marie Lilias, known as "May") was my Great-Grandmother on my mother's mother's side.  I remember visiting her as a very small boy, in a great tall house in Portrush, and that she -- to tiny me -- was an ancient and scary apparition all in black.  I probably knew, or know of, some of the others, but mainly by their first names ("Aunt so-and-so") so I'm not sure which is which.  I have a photograph of Oaks Lodge, where David and May Craig lived for a period early in their lives.  It was in Goshaden, and has been demolished.

My grandmother, daughter of Marie Lilias, married Thomas Watson and I have extensive information about that part of the family, but nothing much about either the Witherows (aside from the renowned Thomas), or the Craigs. 

I have some photographs, including some Millings; I didn't know until now who they were and where they fitted.

Glad to read any more, if this thread is still alive.