Hi there,
I was wondering if anyone could help me find information about my husbands grandfather MICHAEL FRANCIS O’BRIEN. We know he was in the Royal Dublin Fusiliers and was a clerk. I did find him the 1911 England and Wales census in Stanhope Lines Aldershot, Buller Barracks Area 5, Aldershot, Surrey, England. That confirmed his full name, that he was a clerk and it gave his age as 24, which was a very good help for me to find him (well who I believe to be him) on findmypast.co.uk in their army records.
Where I feel stuck is in the documents provided on that site. There is no mention of him traveling, being a clerk... or doing anything! So I’m not sure if those kind of documents exist?
The information given is:
First name(s) Michael
Last name O Brien
Birth year 1887
Birth parish St Joseph
Birth town Dublin
Birth county Dublin
Birth country Ireland
Service number 5884
Regiment Royal Dublin Fusiliers
Year 1904
Attestation date 18 Mar 1904
Attestation age years 17
Attestation age months. 3
Attestation service number 5884
Attestation corps 5th Roy Dub Fusiliers
Document type Attestation
Series Wo 96 - Militia Service Records 1806-1915
Archive The National Archives
Archive reference WO 96
Box 1235
Box record number 30
Record set British Army Service Records
Category Military, armed forces & conflict
Subcategory Regimental & Service Records
Collections from Great Britain, UK Other
For me to really know that that
is him I’d love to see records of where he’d been with his regiment and what roll he held, ie clerk.
On his assestation page is gives a discription of his appearance, some addresses (which seem to fit with our own knowledge) and other basic information.
On his statement of service page it has 3 stamps which say he was present (1904, 1905 and 1908) and in handwriting it says moved to Roy Irish Riflers in what looks like to be 1907 and nothing else.
On his Military History Sheet it just has a pencil drawn down through it as if he did nothing or went nowhere in the army. At the bottom it gives his next of kin.
I’ve tried tracking him down in that regiment (Royal Irish Riflers) but I can’t find him. There is a lad of the same age, but everything else is off. So I’m now at a roadblock and not sure where to look next!
Any help with this would be really appreciated