WW1 Royal Irish Regiment & WO 364 records

[jim1]

There were 3 intakes of men from the 3rd. Batt. Feb./March 1916 totalling 105 men.
I agree he probably went overseas with the 6th. but if he didn't he was certainly there March 1916.

[Fernz]

Thanks again, Jim1. I think you’re right, that he would have been with the 6th Bn when they were first mobilised (embarked for France December 1915).

Also, apologies for being unclear about the dates. 
Sept/Oct 1916 relates to his letter home, which was published in his local paper; he wasn’t injured in that battle.
Sept 1917 was when he was discharged, because of gunshot wound/s to the forearm: 19 September 1917 was the discharge date. (The SWB roll doesn't give a date for the wound/s.)

In your experience of reading service records, how long a time is there between being wounded (in this case, ‘just’ the forearm) and being discharged? 

[jim1]

Although only a wound to the arm the time to his discharge can be measured in months.
Hospitalised & then convalescence/rehabilitation before being re-assessed/re-classified.
You could be looking as far back as March.

Having read the diary for that period there was a major raid carried out by the 6th. on the German held Petit-Bois salient.
There were a number of casualties including 66 wounded.
There was also a minor raid the following month with a small number of wounded.
Although he could have been wounded on any day as shelling & sniping was a constant danger this is where he was at the time. They were in this sector until early June when they went into Div. reserve.
Petit-Bois is South of Ypres & North of Armentieres.
The map: 28 S.W. (Wytschaete) Ref : N.24.
http://maps.nls.uk/view/101464681
Blue represents the British trench system & red German.

As an aside the C.O. of the 6th. makes reference to the "big push in the South" & the detonation of 19 mines.
This was the battle of Messines Ridge where the largest man made explosion occurred.
It was said Lloyd George heard it in Downing St.

[Fernz]

Thanks heaps for all that info, Jim1. It’s so kind of you to go to all that trouble – and it’s much appreciated 

[Marksmurff]

I found not much on irish regiments but there is a museam in northern ireland holds a lot of records of republic ireland soldiers but if you find the person you are looking for they charge £28 to find his service record and give you  a copy if you have any medals or no who has his service number is on the back

[Fernz]

Thanks, Marksmurff. He wasn't a soldier of the Irish republic, though - his service pre-dated the Free Irish State. Do you have the name of the museum that holds the Irish republic records?   

[Marksmurff]

The Web site is royal - irish. Com it's change since I was last on it so they have up dated it .and I take your point there was no republic of ireland I was just trying to explain that they have the records from the south of ireland service records

[Fernz]

Thanks very much, Marksmurff - what a great find   In terms of regiments that fought in WW1, it seems to have mostly Royal Irish Rifles and Royal Irish Fusiliers at the moment. I searched for the 12 soldiers I have from the Royal Irish Regiment and they weren't there. But the website says it'll eventually include soldiers from the RIR. So I'll keep an eye on it   

[Fernz]

An update re WO 364 … I’ve heard back from TNA (a few weeks ago; sorry I’ve been slow to post this). TNA has confirmed that “the files contained within WO 364 are those that were deemed surplus by the Ministry of Pensions in the Second World War” and so the records for a soldier whose pension was still being paid in the late ‘40s and ‘50s won’t be in WO 364. Thank you, Ken, for originally suggesting that this was the case