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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: Arranroots on Friday 19 August 05 09:31 BST (UK)
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I have read the links above and find them quite bewildering!
I wonder if anyone can point me in the right direction to find two of my in-law ancestors, please?
John Thomas PRITCHARD (1895 - 1971)
Possibly joined the South Wales Borderers during WWI, before transfer to the Northumberland Fusiliers. Served in India. Don't know anything about his service, but was likely a conscripted soldier. Family remembers that he had a certificate and an embroidery (where are they now??) commemorating his service. He came from Hay on Wye and returned there after the war.
Patrick Joseph RYAN (abt 1876 - 1922)
Joined the Army as a volunteer, we believe, from Ireland. Was a cavalryman, mentioned in dispatches according to family story, which also says that his parents bought him out of the Army twice! I cannot find him prior to 1901, but possibly he is a soldier in the Channel Islands on the 1901 census. We believe he came from Waterford and his father's name was Denis. He settled in Neath.
Any help, however small, to trace the service records or likely regiments of these men would be very gratefully received.
kind regards, Arranroots ;)
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hiya arranroots,i could only find one man in the cavalry.
patrick.j ryan
pte 1230 king edwards horse,then pte in the lancashire fusiliers No40593,then back to the king edwards as corporal 1230,then commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant with the royal munster fusiliers.mack
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Hello again Manmack!
Thank you for your efforts - I really wasn't hopeful!
Do you have any dates with this information please? Where did it come from?
And what can I do with it now I have it? I need to try to assertain whether it is my man or not - how would I do that?
sorry about all the questions! ::)
Arranroots ;)
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arranroots,sorry about the late reply,i used to be on call out but now ime based on site at work,so i cant get to my PC very often,i get my info from various sources,mainly from the 3000 ref books on military that i have,this ref was from the MIC cards,the other man,j.t pritchard is going to be difficult,there are about 6 who could match him??dont download the MIC card for pat ryan just yet because it may not be him,i will dig around a bit more tomorow for you,[day off ;D]mack
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Mack you are a hero! I will personally make you a medal if you can help me sort this out!
As you can see I need your guidance, as this is all a new area. I went back and had a look for soldiers called Patrick RYAN in the censuses (I had done it before) but all I find is one in the Irish regiment in Essex 1891. I don't know where any of these units would have been??
I also don't know what MIC cards are? I also couldn't find a reference on the internet to King Edward's Horse - does it go under another name?
Many, many thanks
Arranroots ;)
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Speaking to rellies, the family story is that Patrick RYAN fought in Afghanistan and was mentioned in despatches.
Two more questions: would the units mack has identified have been in Afghanistan? And would the MID be published where I might find it?
Thanks for your interest,
Arranroots ;)
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Hi Girlfriend!!
check out this website - for background ...!
we might just add it to our Book Club - it's that good!! :P :P
http://www.angloafghanwar.info/robertsFuneral.html
Have a great day
Annie ::) ::)
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Hey Annie!
I had a look at this site on Matty's thread (but thanks to you anyway!). Can't say I am much good at all this army stuff - give me an aeroplane any day!
I think I need it in words of one syllable!
It is an unfortunate set of circumstances where all the family papers from both sides of my in-laws family went astray, but I would like to try and find out. We received Patrick RYANs death cert yesterday, but no mention of any military service on it. Despite surviving whatever his role was, he died quite young, leaving a widow and large family - the youngest only one year old.
Whatever we find out is too late for his son, who died last year, but I would like to be able to tell his remaining family...
Arranroots ;)
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Hi Mum!
Maybe this will help you with their movements
http://www.1914-1918.net/CAVALRY/kingedwards.htm
Annie ::)
http://www.lancs-fusiliers.co.uk/
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Thank you dutiful daughter! ;D
By WWI my guy was sleeping in his own bed however - married in Neath, Glamorgan 1912.
Does this rule out his being in KEH? Was the unit only formed in 1914, or is it still possible PJR was in the unit earlier?
(See how hopeless I am??)
A ;)
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Annie - many thanks for posting the link to that site - marvellous and a good selection of linked sites as well expecially http://www.soldiersofthequeen.com/ ;D
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Mack's the one that can tell you about dates and stuff !!
but he could have been a career soldier - he could have got married in 1912 and still gone to war! but you'll find that out on his Medal card - give Mack a few days to sort them out - he's a good guy - he can find out things that nobody else can....!!
here's another site for background
http://www.irishwolfhounds.org/RMF.htm
Annie ::) ::)
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Hi Nigel!
I'm getting a "high"- from all these great sites aren't you??
I love that one - the gramaphone is great!!
Thanks
Annie :P :P
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Annie
Had another word with Mother in law at the weekend and she says Patrick RYAN's widow always said that he died of a broken heart after having to leave the Army!
I would really like to sort this one out.
A ;)
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Hello All!
I guess this one is in the "Too Hard" Pile then??
(Trying to be patient, while feeling frustrated that I can't seem to discover anything myself - finally have to admit I need help!!!!!)
Annie knew this quite some time ago! ;D ;D
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arranroots,you may be lucky and find him in the india general service medal rolls 1854-1895,he was to young to fight in the afghan war but there were skirmishes all the time on the afghan/indian border,i think he was probably serving in india before 1901,thats why you cant find him,sorry ime late replying ime tied up at work,regards mack
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Hello Mack!
Thanks for your trouble, I thought it was a lost cause & you were too polite to say! ;D
Can I access the India medals? How? Happy to do the legwork if I know where to look!
Thanks again.
Arranroots ;)
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arranroots,i never give up,some info i can find very quickly and other info is sometimes tricky,but i always keep searching,mack
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sorry i forgot,the medal rolls are at the n/a,BUT,check if one of the gang has a copy on the great war forum,many of us on there have an interest in other wars,it may save you some legwork if they have,good luck,mack
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arranroots,have a word with graham stewart on the great war forum,he has a data base of about 30,000 northumberland fusiliers,and hes a very nice helpful bloke,mack
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Ok Mack
Thank you very much - this guy has been a mystery for nearly 100 years, so a little longer won't make much difference!
Will give it a go this week (when i haven't got visitors)
kind regards, Arranroots ;)
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Well, I finally plucked up courage to venture onto the GWF!!
I also PMed Graham, so will keep you informed of developments (here's hoping!)
A ;)
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Hi, there is a P. J. Ryan that appears repeatedly in the London Gazette. He was in the Royal inniskillen Fusiliers and i have found he was awarded the distinguished conduct medal in 1918 and was wounded at some point . He retired due to his wounds in 1919. Could this be him.
Kev.
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Hi Kev
Thanks for your interest. I hesitate to say "no", but my belief is that his army career ended before his marriage in 1912. Put it this way - he had a lot of children (six) before dying in 1922!
My problem is, I don't know how to prove or disprove any suggestions made! What I need is a record that has a next of kin that I recognise, or a place or date of birth or something. How would you go about tracing the chap you found, do you think?
A ;)
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Well i looked and he was Patrick J Ryan, so hes a maybe, the regiment was formed in Ireland and they went to Suffolk to train, he was injured in 1918 and went home, was very much a hero.
If his career ended in 1912 then you would need to find as Mack said either the Indian medal rolls or even the Queens and kings south africa medal rolls for the boer war.
Hopefully someone can come up with something on the GWF.
Kev. ;D
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Well it would be fun to claim a hero! :D
His son served in WWII and never talked about it or claimed his medals.
Fingers crossed for the GWF then, I have only heard from Liverpool Annie so far! (Hi again Annie!!)
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Every time I see it going down the page - I'll bring it to the top!! :P :P :P
OK??
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Do you ever stop Annie :P :P
;D
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Hee hee
that's my girl!! ;D ;D
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Kev
I tried to find PJ Ryan in the London Gazette, but it keeps telling me the PDF pages are not available.
Can you point me to a short-cut if I ask very niecely* (please?)
Arranroots ;)
*That was a typo, but I liked it, so I left it!! ;D ;D
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Hiya, did you put in the full stops. The major* problem with the search engine is you have to put exactly what is in the gazette or it doesn't pick it up. you even have to include spaces.
So its p. j. ryan
Kev.
* nice pun ;D
If you still can't get it i can post the link.
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Thanks Kev - I will try that! It was picking up every RYAN and was a lot to plough through, Some of the pages still don't load, but I think I got the gist of it!
;)
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Hi,
That Afghan War site is interesting, my hubby goes to Afghanistan in a few weeks for 4 months!!
I also found out recently that an ancestor of mine was in the Afghan War, though I haven't been able to find out much info yet. I shall trawl through the suggested links.
Anna :)
PS. Annie - I have just read your replies to Seamike (Russian story) you have been working hard this weekend!!
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Anna: tell your hubby lots of luck in Afghanistan.
If he finds any PRITCHARDs or RYANS , they may be mine!!
A ;)
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Hi Arranroots,
Many thanks :)
Anna
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Hi Arranroots
Did you find out the info. you needed yet??
I posted this link on another message, if you can find out what bat/reg they were in (maybe you know already but I haven't read all of the messages) you can search this site for places/countries/dates etc.
http://www.regiments.org/regiments/index.htm
Anna :)
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Hi Anna
Maybe it is me, but I find these sites v confusing! They seem to take you round in circles as you click the links.
Thanks for posting it - i had already had a look at it, but although it tells me what the various regiments were up to at any given time, I still don't know that my guys were with them!
I posted on the GWF for Patrick, but not much joy there either. Perhaps I should post specifically for the Indian Medal Rolls?
I downloaded the medal card for another soldier I am researching* & it doesn't seem they have much personal info, so maybe attestation papers would be of more use? If I know where to find them!
* I thought this chap would be mine as he died and his record (on SDGW) said where he enlisted. Shame they have to die to be traceable!
You have reminded me to check the GWF to see if anyone has replied, but don't hold your breath!
Arranroots ;)
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Hi Arranroots,
Have you searched the Times Archive (online)?
Anna :)
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Hello again
I don't have access to the Times, so I haven't done that yet. Is it pay-per-view? What might I find?
A ;)
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I have to find the link!!
No it's free (but there is a hitch!) all I will say is that I entered my Dutch address and it worked ;)
I shall search for the link
Anna
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Found it
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,86255.0.html
Anna :)
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Yes, i remember this thread now you mention it.
Thanks for the info. I will check out my local library to see if the same thing applies.
Arranroots ;)
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Ha!! :D
I'm lucky - If it didn't work I could always use my sister's library card, she lives in that county! What are family for ;D
Anna :)