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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: Jack TT on Saturday 15 February 20 15:10 GMT (UK)
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Can anyone advise on Joseph Conway no 6157 Royal Irish Regt. Any information concerning service, medal entitlement etc. would be welcome.
I also have Joseph Conway no 2218 Militia Royal Irish Regt. This one was born in DumaDuma India, I am trying to find out if they are the same person.
The official DOB I have for Joseph is 16 Sept 1881, father is Joseph(B1851app.) former British soldier for 23 years, served in India,South Africa.
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The Anglo Boer War site has an entry for 6157 Joseph Conway:
https://www.angloboerwar.com/unit-information/imperial-units/650-royal-irish-regiment?showall=1
His service record (Findmypast) has his birth in Kilkenny approx. 1879. He served Oct 1897- Mar 1901. He says he was serving in the 5th Battalion (militia) when he joined up. His father was Joseph Conway a pensioner and the address given is Greens Hill
(The other J Conway entry refers to the QSA medal roll but his number is 3252)
The militia man served Jan - Apr 1897, was discharged after 4 months from the 5th Battalion/ He could, if he fibbed about his date of birth and his place of birth and his service in the militia be the same man, you might like to make your mind up about that!
The birth of Joseph A Conway born Dum Dum 1881 is connected with the 34th Foot. (Cumberland, later Border Regiment)
MaxD
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Just to add - they were the same height, similar chest measurements, both had fresh complexion, blue eyes, brown hair.
6157 lists younger brother William, and younger sisters Mary, Ann & Margaret.
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www.angloboarwar.com and wikipedia have info on the formation of the regiment etc but you need to get the record to see movements of your Joseph
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It was the BOER war, Afrikaans for farmer, link in my earlier post.
MaxD
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Thanks for that, I have later records for Joseph, he served in WW1 and then with the Irish free army, he changed his age on numerous occasions, looks like it was to assist with his re-signing.
Later he also stated he was born in Ireland. He is in the discharge book in 1922,. His Irish army record state`s that he was in British army for 16 years. its the Boer war bit that I was trying to make a link with, fathers name is correct as is brothers and sisters.
I have one other prison record from 1910 and in it there is a record of head scar and gunshot wound to the stomach.
I have a photo of the family taken around 1905, Joseph is seated in a military uniform with a ribbon, however i can't identify the uniform or the ribbon, ill try to attach it.
This guy is a great grandfather by the way!
Thanks again for your time everyone.
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Just gone into the Anglo site, 6157 is down as MIA in 1900 then rejoined, source is South Africa field force casualty rolls, does anyone know how to view these please?
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His Boer War medal entitlement was the Queen's South Africa Medal with clasps for Paardeberg and the Relief of Kimberley.
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Newspaper mentions:
March 1901 - previously reported missing, now rejoined (London Daily News 27 March 1901)
June 1900 - reported missing May 21st to 28th (Lancashire Evening Post 08 June 1900)
There are also reports in August 1900 of 6157 Private W Conway of Royal Irish Rifles having been wounded.
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Just gone into the Anglo site, 6157 is down as MIA in 1900 then rejoined, source is South Africa field force casualty rolls, does anyone know how to view these please?
At the National Archives but not digitised:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1193250
Forces War Records appear to have it:
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/collections/87/the-boer-war-casualty-roll-1899-1902/ and he comes up in a search but I do not have a sub.
I haven't looked at the other National Archive documents referred to ni the Forces War Records piece.
MaxD
PS On Amazon for £30 and upwards
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Thanks Shaun,
Can I ask how to get copies of the newspaper entries?
Also did he get the 1901 or 02 clasp? or KSA?
After checking the address and family members, I am confident that this Joseph is the same one that applied to the militia , it seems that he followed his fathers footsteps and amassed quite a bit of military service throughout his life, the 1922 discharge book confirms his address, wife and children. Dublin sent me about 50 pages of his Irish army service record, this cross confirms quite a bit of his WW1 service, numbers , regts etc. I also found out that he married a third time. He seems to have changed his age to suit circumstances and dis not admit to being born in India
As an aside we found his grave last year in Carny cemetery , The Curragh, Ireland. This is an unmarked grave on the edge of the cemetery, the local man in charge of graves from the council,got a plot map with the names and addresses of the interred, quite a surprise.
thank you again for adding another paragraph to this mans life.
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You can find the newspaper casualty reports on British Newspaper Archive or FindMyPast subscription sites. Alternatively, for today (and I think tomorrow) you can get free access to Newspapers.com via this link http://survey.newspapers.com/Default.aspx?link=Ztnfw71PrnVUEZLD9g0GAg%3D%3D&linkid=2159
Other newspaper sources which you might be able to access free of charge via membership of a library or an educational institution: Times Digital Archive, Gale British Library Newspapers.
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Per his army record he was in South Africa from 14 December 1899, returning home on 12 September 1900. He was discharged medically unfit in March 1901.
I don't see him on any other medal rolls.
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Hi Shaun
Got onto newspaper site, a few entries for missing and wounded, could not find the London Daily News entry for Mar 1901, is this the same site?
Regards
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the London Daily News entry for Mar 1901
That one can be found on BNA or FindMyPast. It's on page 3 column 2. By the time that one was published, he'd been back in the UK for 6 months and discharged from the army, so it was a bit late.
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Just an update, not sure if it will get read!!
The latest release of WFA pension records has a card for Joseph, it shows all the numbers mentioned and a few more on one card, so final confirmation, its the same man!