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General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: holbrookm on Thursday 28 June 18 09:30 BST (UK)
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Hi - can anyone help me with my research into the attached photos, found in a house in Brislington, Bristol, England?
I believe the photo is of George Charles Bowles, born in Bristol on 13th November 1893, son of Edward Henry & Susan Bowles, and the wooden plaque (24cm diameter) is of The Royal Irish Regiment.
Please can anyone explain why George would be in The Royal Irish Regiment if he was from Bristol, as I can’t find any other links with Ireland in his family tree.
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Presumably you are talking about WW1, a time when Ireland was part of the UK. Men would be sent to whatever unit was most in need of manpower, they were often moved between Regiments as required,so there is nothing strange about a Bristol man being in an Irish Regiment.
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There is a medal record for a G Bowles, corporal, (your man has the two stripes), who transferred at some time to the Royal Engineers. His shoulder titles are not clear but are short as would be RE, Royal Irish titles were curved and said Royal Irish.
He also has 2 wound stripes which may suggest a photo later in the war thus after transfer to the RE as they weren't worn until late 1916.
Unfortunately it looks as if his service record was among the 60% or so destroyed in bombing in WW2.
MaxD
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Hi - Thank you both for your quick replies.
That all makes sense, as I have now found his details in the WW1 Service and Medal Award Rolls, and see that George was noted to be a motor mechanic in The 1939 England Register.
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When the 36th Ulster Division had so many loses on 1st of July 1916 at the Somme, many English soldiers ended up in that Division.
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Thank you for this very helpful suggestion - I can now see how the limited information that I had all fits together.