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General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: mkftandc on Tuesday 25 November 08 22:06 GMT (UK)
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Hi ,
I have been searching for any service records of my relative . Here is his info -
Patrick McGrath - b. 1889 in Ballyragget , Co. Kilkenny , Ireland
son of John McGrath and ?
Regiment - Royal Irish Regiment - 1st Bn
Serial # 4038
Rank - Lance Serjeant
Status - Died of Wound on 22 Sep 1915 in Corbie , France
Burial - Corbie Communal Cemetery , France
I have his info from the War Graves site but cannot find anything on him except a printed version of the above on Ancestry . Not even a medal Index Card .
Not knowing much about the military - was a Lance Serjeant a commisioned or non commisioned rank ? Ancestry says that their records of the " Burnt Documents " are for non commisioned personnel .
Does anyone have any suggestions of where else to look on the internet . I live in the states so can't visit Kew ?
Would Ireland hold any records of this Regiment ? Any help or suggestions will be appreciated .
Thanks,
Megan
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Hi Megan !
Heres a bit of background to the Royal Irish regiment ...
In World War I, the Royal Irish Regiment raised a total of 10 battalions from the pre-war two regular and two reserve battalions. The additional battalions included two service battalions in Kitchener's First and Second Armies, a battalion formed in 1917 from the dismounted South Irish Horse, a further service battalion and two Garrison Battalions. The regiment won 42 battle honours and one Victoria Cross, but lost 2,780 men as casualties.
The 1st Battalion was in Nasirabad, India in 1914 and embarked at Bombay on 19 Oct 1914, arriving at Devonport, moving to Winchester as part of 82nd Brigade in 27th Division. In December 1914 it went to France and Flanders. In November 1915 it was redeployed to Salonika on the Macedonian front in 30th Brigade of 10th Division. In Sep 1917 it withdrew to Egypt and ended the war in Palestine.
The Royal Irish Regiment's service in World War I was marked by the following battle honours:
France and Flanders: Mons; Le Cateau; Retreat from Mons; Marne 1914; Aisne 1914; La Bassee 1914; Ypres 1915; Gravenstafel; St Julien; Frezenberg; Bellewarde; Somme 1916; Albert 1916; Bazentin; Delville Wood; Guillemont; Ginchy; Messines 1917; Ypres 1917; Plickem; Langemarck 1917; Somme 1918; St Quentin; Rosieres; Arras 1918; hamel; Albert 1918; Drocourt-Queant; Hindenburg Line; Epehy; Canal du Nord; St Quentin Canal; Beaurevoire; Cambrai 1918; Ypres 1918; Courtrai; Pursuit to Mons; France and Flanders 1914-1918.
Macedonia: Struma (1916); Macedonia 1915-1918.
The Dardenelles: Anzac; Suvla; Landing at Suvla; Gallipoli 1915-1916.
Egypt: Egypt 1915-1917.
Palestine: Gaza; Jerusalem; Jordan; Tell 'Asur; Palestine 1917-1918.
Disbandment
In 1922, on the creation of the Irish Free State, in common with five other Irish infantry regiments of the British Army, the Royal Irish Regiment was disbanded.
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Hi Megan,
His Medal card is on Ancestry, Just put Patrick McGrath into the search, scroll down the results and he is about fourteenth from the bottom of the page.
Lance Sergeant is a non commissioned rank, the same as a full Corporal.
Jebber
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Hi
Here is the link to the entry on the Ancestry Medal Roll
http://www.rootschat.com/links/04y0/
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Hi All - ( Lvpool Annie, Carol and Jebber )
Thank you for the quick response . I do not know how I missed his Index Card . Thank you for finding it . I must have been putting in either too much or not enough info .
Hopefully this card will give me an insight to where his service records will be. Hopefully they are on Ancestry also and I am just missing them .
Liverpool Annie - thanks for the info on the Regiments movements . He died early in the war but obviously he was in the France and Flanders campaign .
The only other thing that I have on him is that his death was posted in a NY newspaper because his aunts and uncles were living in Penn Yan , NY . That's a keepsake . No medals or scrolls have survived . They are out there somewhere I just have to find them .
Megan
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As he died of wounds and was buried near the Nos 5 and 21 Casualty Clearing Stations ... it's probable he was involved with the Battle of the Somme
In Memory of
Lance Serjeant P McGRATH
4038, 1st Bn., Royal Irish Regiment
who died
on 22 September 1915
Remembered with honour
CORBIE COMMUNAL CEMETERY
For a 3 pound donation ... you should be able to get a photo of his headstone ... this is a very worthwhile project !
http://www.twgpp.org/information.php?id=1194501
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Liverpool Annie ,
Yes I am going to send the donation . I agree it is very worthwhile and I also think that the website is so valuable to anyone researching their ancestors .
Thanks,
Megan
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Hi Megan
I own some medals to your relative 4038 Patrick McGrath Royal Irish Regiment.
I bought them for my collection simply because I had a friend named Patrick McGrath. I will have to dig them out but his 1914/15 star I have definitely have. I think I have his British War Medal as well missing it's suspender but unfortunately the victory medal is missing.
If these are something you would be interested in please email me on (*)
Thanks
Aaron
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His will is online
http://soldierswills.nationalarchives.ie/reels/sw/McGrathP_E137118.pdf
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His grave stone is on {find a grave) MEMORIAL ID 56143633
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The battalion war diary is at the National Archives for £3.50 at http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7353483 and is also on Ancestry. He is listed in the diary as dying of wounds on 22 Sep after an action at Dompierre about 15 miles from Corbie. The action, although in the area just south of the Somme river was not part of any major engagement. The battalion had arrived in the area on 19th and the only record of someone being sent to hospital is on 20th which may well be when he was actually wounded.
MaxD