Irish WW1 despatch rider - help with piecing together the story

[belfasthenry]

My maternal grandfather served, we understand, as a motorcyclist (presumably RE Signals despatch rider) right at the end of WW1.  The only document I can find is his "attestation" in Belfast (though he himself lived in Londonderry) dated 30/4/1918.  We have in our family some photographs of him in what is probably (from the look of the house in the second one) France or maybe Belgium; in one he's on a motorcycle (which I think I have identified as a Triumph Model H) and in another he's at leisure with a couple of his mates.

I'm trying to find out what regiment he was in, in the hopes of then finding from the regiment some details of his service; the "attestation" is hopelessly mangled and most of it is unreadable. 

And would there have been enough time for him to be mobilised in France before the end of the war, when he only signed on at the end of April?

I'm attaching the photographs; they're photos of tiny photos so the quality is poor ...

[km1971]

RE is a regiment. 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

BTW...he would have been conscripted.

Ken

[belfasthenry]

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.

[Nanna52]

If you go further through his papers you will find a clearer page which shows his number as 349701.

Added: he landed in France on the 5th of November 1918 and made enquiries about his medals in 1929.  He left the army in mid to late 1919.

[Nanna52]

After interruption I looked further and the army are disputing his date of landing in France, so he may not have received medals.

[km1971]

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.

Quite right. I missed the fact he joined in Belfast.

Ken

[belfasthenry]

After interruption I looked further

I'm a bit of a novice at this, I'm afraid, and I missed the other papers in the record.  That does clear up quite a lot of my queries, and I thank you.

[vintagesunbeam]

I would add one minor point - he is photographed with the despatch rider's blue and white brassard on his arm. So far as I know this was only worn by despatch riders while serving in France - beginning in 1914 the French required BEF despatch riders, who would have been riding independently of the troops to which they were attached, to identify themselves as Allied soldiers by wearing this brassard. In other words, the photograph proves that he landed in France.
By the way, 6 months delay between attestation and reaching France doesn't seem hasty - in August 1914 some of the first despatch riders landed in France only a week or so after they were attested.