Pte Edward Loftus

[babykate]

I need some help uncovering records of an Edward Loftus born in Dublin 2nd Jan 1892.
1911 census has him living in Keady, Co. Armagh working as a Tailor.
he married a Teresa Farrell 19 April 1915 still living in Keady - his occupation at this date was a Solider - address is given as Portobello Barracks - which is in Dublin even though he married in Keady.

He was a private in the Royal Irish Fustr. Service No. 11528 discharge date 12th March 1919.

How can i find out when he joined, where he was based during war and why he was discharged?

Thanks

[babykate]

what does date of Disembarkation 7-8-15 mean would this have been the date he was sent to war?

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/5119/41804_612057_10734-00236?pid=2006137&backurl=https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv%3D1%26dbid%3D5119%26h%3D2006137%26tid%3D%26pid%3D%26usePUB%3Dtrue%26_phsrc%3DtYA18%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=tYA18&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true

[Maiden Stone]

As date was March 1919 I assume he was discharged because of WW1 Armistice.

[MaxD]

7 8 1915 was the date he set foot in a theatre of war, in his case Gallipoli.  "Class Z 21 Mar 1919 was, as Maiden Stone says, his release date to the Class Z reserve from the army after the war.  That was the normal release from the army with men being still "on reserve" while back in civilian life in case the war broke out again.  It was abolished I March 1920.

You are looking at the record of his 1914/1915 Star which his entry to a war theatre in 1915 entitled him/

More in a mo

MaxD

[Maiden Stone]

1911 census has him living in Keady, Co. Armagh working as a Tailor.
he married a Teresa Farrell 19 April 1915 still living in Keady - his occupation at this date was a Solider - address is given as Portobello Barracks - which is in Dublin even though he married in Keady.

I assume that he married in Keady because that was the bride's home town.
1911 census Theresa Keady aged 17, linen weaver, born County Armagh. Lived in Chapel St., Keady, Armagh with her parents.
Edward Loftus, 18, tailor, was a boarder in Main St., Keady.
www.census.nationalarchives.ie

[MaxD]

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/5119/41629_625537_9755-00022?pid=3631846&backurl=https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc%3DMvA3299%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource%26usePUBJs%3Dtrue%26indiv%3D1%26db%3Diwoservicemedalawardrolls%26gsfn%3DEdward%26gsln%3DLoftus%26cp%3D0%26_F00061C3%3Droyal%2520irish%2520fusiliers%26_F000836E%3Dbritish%2520war%2520and%2520victory%26_F8007A65%3D11528%26new%3D1%26rank%3D1%26redir%3Dfalse%26uidh%3D6x5%26gss%3Dangs-d%26pcat%3D39%26fh%3D0%26h%3D3631846%26recoff%3D%26ml_rpos%3D1&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=MvA3299&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true

records his other two medals, the British War and Victory medals.  This gives the extra information that he served first with 5th Battalion with whom he went to Gallipoli.  The battalion later became 5/6th Battalion when the 6th absorbed the 5th so he effectively spent the whole war in the same battalion.  Where they went is on  this page which has a picture of men of the 5th Battalion at Gallipoli:

 https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/princess-victorias-royal-irish-fusiliers/

His service record has not survived the bombing in WW2 but from the battalion info we can say he volunteered some time in the early stages of the war.

The is a medal card which records his 3 medals but it has no further info.  There will be war diaries for most of the battalions service which will almost certainly not mention him by name but if you wanted to see what he was involved in I'll post links if you wish??

MaxD

[MaxD]

Looking at surviving records of men with very near numbers, they all joined in  August /September 1914 right at the beginning of the formation of 5th Battalion so it would be fair to assume he did also.

MaxD

[babykate]

And so what would have been the normal series of events after joining - he got married in April 1915 so i'm assuming that after he was sent to war / qualifying date 7-8-15 he wouldn't have been back home until after the war?

Their first child James was born Oct 1920

[babykate]

yes would be great to see the war diaries to learn more about what he would have experienced.

Thanks