John Nolan

[ancestrychasers]

Hi I'm new to this looking for any information on John Nolan b 1871 Preston Lancashire and served in the 2nd South Lancashire Regiment as a colour sergeant in Buttevant Co Cork. I have the 1911 Irish census, but cannot find any other information on him serving in the First World War

[gortonboy]

hi,,what exactly are you looking for?...are you just trying to find out if he served in WW1?   

[gortonboy]

he was discharged in 1911,,,after completing his 2nd period of engagement,,,but may well have joined up again at the outbreak of war.

[ancestrychasers]

I was wondering if he served in the war as he would have been about 43 years old in 1914. Where did you find his discharge papers

[gortonboy]

his service papers are on Findmypast,,,and very interesting they are too,,,he was mentioned in dispatches by both Lord Roberts and Lord Kitchener during his service in the Boer War. the records also give full next of kin,,,and even his death cert ..

[ancestrychasers]

Hi thanks for all your help. I subscribe to Findmypast and looked through the military information but couldn'f find anything on him.

[ancestrychasers]

Hi found it thanks a lot.

[gortonboy]

looks like he was a good football player,this snippett might also help explain why he was mentioned in dispatches 

The people on the Spion Kop on the British side were a Lancashire brigade which contained a number of Lancashire companies, including a couple of companies of the South Lancashire regiment which was actually based at Fulwood Barracks when they mobilised for the Boer War,” he says.

“Immediately before they mobilised they won the Army Cup for football in the 1898-1899 season, which was just months before they went.

“This team actually trained with professionals from Preston and Blackburn before they won that cup. They went into it really rather seriously.”

That victorious team, which won the cup at Aldershot on April 3, 1899, was captained by Colour Sgt John Nolan, a Prestonian. He was on Spion Kop and his detachment was surrounded by the Boers who called for him to surrender.

But he refused, saying surrender would be “over my dead body”.

The Battle of Spion Kop took place on January 23-24, 1900, and involved some 30,000 British troops fighting against 8,000 Boers.

[gortonboy]

blimey,,,this guy has even got a play with him being portrayed in it  running at the moment in Liverpool,,,,

http://theplacewherewestandspionkop.wordpress.com/