London Irish Details required

[dfaulder]

[Consolidation of specific query from other threads 1, 2, hoping for specific assistance]

From SDGW / CWGC I have the following

Name: James Motherwell

Residence: Wealdstone, Middlesex

Death Date: 18 Nov 1917

Enlistment Location: Chelsea, Middlesex

Rank: Private

Regiment: Dorsetshire Regiment

Battalion: 1/4th Battalion.

Number: 202542

Type of Casualty: Died (of Cholera)

Theatre of War: Mesopotamia (Baghdad)

No service record has been found, but there is a suggestion (via a dodgy transcript of SDGW on Ancestry and gentle pointing out of an erroneous interpretation by me - see other thread), that he might have previously been No. 1875, London Regiment.

>><<

Unfortunately I don't have a source but a brief check of all the #1875 London MICs indicates that he couldn't have enlisted in the following battalions (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 13, 16, 19, 21, 22, 23, 25) which still leaves (3, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 24, 28).

The key may be working out which battalion signed on recruits at Chelsea, as such a relatively low number is probably a pre-war enlistment (1913-14). I know 18th (London Irish) were headquartered at Duke of York's Headquarters, Chelsea so that may be the answer.

>><<

Matthew,

Thanks, given that he was Scots-Irish (Born in Ireland - not yet sure exactly where, of parents born in Scotland), and I have been puzzled by his "choice" of the Dorsetshires, your last sentence looks as if it is a good place to start. (His nephews were associated with the Royal Irish Rifles - he appears in this thread at posting 21).

Given that his service file does not appear to have survived, I presumably have to hope that there will be battalion or regimental based documentation. Any suggestions; Kew, London Irish Rifles Museum? And any document title or name for which I should be searching?

Thanks

David

David,

You could try the Regimental Museum to see if they have a nominal roll:

London Irish Rifles Museum

Connaught House,

Flodden Road, Camberwell,

London,

SE5 9LL.

I'd imagine that there may be a few experts on the regiment lurking around who might have some input if you make a separate post.

Another tack may be to see who had regimental numbers around his in the Dorsetshire regiment and see if they transferred similarly from a London Bn- if a couple of them were fatalities and their former regiment is listed on "Soldiers Died" then you may have your answer. If you identify his London Bn then looking for men around #1875 will give you a better idea of his likely enlistment date.

Best regards,

Matthew

I don't have access to SDGW (I don't really want to count Ancestry!) - and I think Geoff's search engine still off-line, so I suspect that I have to go and look at actual documents.

Any short cuts or further hints would be welcomed - Kew is 300 miles away and only occasionally visited!

Thanks

David

[squirrel]

Best bet would be to write to the London Irish Museum IMHO.

I have checked the CWGC list of casualties associated with the 18th Londons and he does not appear on that record.

[dfaulder]

Best bet would be to write to the London Irish Museum IMHO.

I have checked the CWGC list of casualties associated with the 18th Londons and he does not appear on that record.

I have written to the Museum. Thanks for checking; out of interest, how did you check the CWGC list of casualties associated with the 18th Londons without Geoff's search engine - or had you prepared a separate index?

David

[squirrel]

I have a CWGC listing of all the WW1 18th Londons casualties and associated casualties by name and by cemetery.

Responses from the Regimental Museum are not always very prompt as there are only a couple of volunteers that look after it. Also, their records are far from complete.