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Remembered Today:

Pte. John Flynn


P. J. Clarke

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Pte. John Flynn (I don't have his reg. number or regiment) fought with the Connaught Rangers in WW1. His obituary from 1949 reads: "He was in the Signal Corps. He was shot through the mouth and his tongue was lacerated nearly in half. He was brought to a Bulgarian hospital in Sofia where his tongue was sewed up by a Bulgarian surgeon. At the hospital he met the Queen of Bulgaria who was a fluent English speaker and complimented him on his bravery. He saw service in many parts of the British Empire includiing India, South Africa, Canada, the West Indian Islands, Serbia and Bulgaria. His father was also in the Connaught Rangers, as was his six brothers. All returned home safely". A photo of the brothers appeared in the Daily Sketch. Would any one of your knowledegable contributors have any info on John, even his number. I do know that there are seven John Flynns in the Medal Index Cards. Thanking everybody for past services. P. J. Clarke.

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Given the bulgarian link he could well have been with the 5th Connaught Rangers in Salonika

On this basis I would think he is more likely either the first man or third man

Pte John Flynn No. 294 Balkans 21-7-15

Pte John Flynn No. 4975 Balkans 16 8 15 – later with Royal Irish Rifles

Pte John Flynn No. 5173 13-9-15 balkans discharged subsequently and awarded Silwer War Badge

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  • 3 years later...

Hi folks, did anyone ever locate the photo of the six brothers from the daily sketch. My wife is in the process of building the Flynn family tree and this photo would be a great addition. Any help you coul give me to locate it would. E greatly appreciated. Thanks

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Hi, I would also be interested in the pic of the Flynn brothers, do you know when the image was published in the Sketch? I know of somebody who may be able to help but he needs an approx date of publication.

Regards,

Murrough.

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  • 5 months later...

Hi buddies: Away on a tangent this last while. The Flynn photo was taken at the start of the war and appeared around early 1915 in the Daily Slketch. PJC.

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 8 years later...

Hi,

Here is a crappy photo of the 7 brothers (my grandfathers half-brothers). Any info you all have would be welcome as I am trying to put something together for my mother.

I have some photos of Christopher in PoW camp Giessen and Meschede I think.

anthony

 

 

seven brothers.jpeg

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  • 2 weeks later...

As far as I can work out Chris was 9859, Thomas 7761, Martin 6360, Patrick 6833, William 8119, John 294. Chris, PAtrick and William sent cards showing their numbers so these are dead certs. The others are derived from their birth / enrolments years, medal forms and the fact that they all returned and hence do not show "died" on medal forms. 

Here are some photos. Chris was in Giessen , Limburg and Meschede camps from what we see on the cards. 

 

Chris Giessen.jpeg

Chris photo front.jpeg

Chris photo rear.jpeg

Giessen camp Irish altar Chris Flynn.jpeg

Giessen irish altar rear 4 Chris Flynn.jpeg

Other brothers

 

Bernard Photo Front.jpeg

Brothers Mandalay.jpeg

Patrick Flynn London.jpeg

Patrick India.jpeg

WhatsApp Image 2021-09-06 at 11.34.42 (2).jpeg

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The three identifiable regiments in the photos are Connaught Rangers (Bernard), King’s (Liverpool) Regiment (as an assistant physical training instructor - APTI), and Cameronian’s (Scottish Rifles), the latter being the photo taken at Mandalay.

Edited by FROGSMILE
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On 09/08/2009 at 19:28, P. J. Clarke said:

Pte. John Flynn (I don't have his reg. number or regiment) fought with the Connaught Rangers in WW1. His obituary from 1949 reads: "He was in the Signal Corps. He was shot through the mouth and his tongue was lacerated nearly in half.

 

On 09/08/2009 at 20:13, MartinWills said:

Given the bulgarian link he could well have been with the 5th Connaught Rangers in Salonika

On this basis I would think he is more likely either the first man or third man

Pte John Flynn No. 294 Balkans 21-7-15

John FLYNN, 294, Connaught Rangers claimed a disability pension for a GSW Face [Pension Ledger Index Card - WFA/Fold3]

This might perhaps be him - born: 1877 - he gave his address as: Hill St, Ballina, Co Mayo

Other Pension Index Cards give his widow as: Bridget.  Her address was: CRO Dublin - Date of these cards appears to be: 11.7.1939

Does this help anyone?  =  Is he the John FLYNN of the OP?

:-) M

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On 09/08/2009 at 20:13, MartinWills said:

Pte John Flynn No. 4975 Balkans 16 8 15 – later with Royal Irish Rifles

Disability Pension Index Card at WFA/Fold3

John Flynn, Connaught Rangers 4975, Royal Irish Regt 20441

Address: 24 Hood Street, Ancoats, Manchester

???

:-) M

Edit: Now ruled out as the John FLYNN of the OP

Edited by Matlock1418
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On 09/08/2009 at 20:13, MartinWills said:

Pte John Flynn No. 5173 13-9-15 balkans discharged subsequently and awarded Silwer War Badge

Disability Pension Ledger Index Cards at WFA/Fold3 and Widow's Pension Index Card [23.12.25]

John Flynn, Connaught Rangers 4/5173

Born: 1875. Discharged: 9.6.16. Disability: Bronchitis.  Address: 84 Morville St, Ladywood, Birmingham.  Died: 12-12-25. Widow: Louisa Jane.

???

:-) M

Edit: Now ruled out as the John FLYNN of the OP

Edited by Matlock1418
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On 09/08/2009 at 20:29, mhifle said:

There is also Private John Flynn 5/228 5th Battalion Connaught Rangers, later no. 18088 Private John Flynn Royal Irish Regiment.

Pension Ledger Index Card at WFA/Fold3

John FLYNN, Royal Irish Regiment, 18088

Born: 1893.  Discharged 13.3.19. Disability: GSW Rt Hand, Chest, Buttock & Elbow.  Addresses: Mail Coach Rd, Sligo / 75 Blackburn St, Glasgow. Widow: Annie

???

:-) M

Edit: Now ruled out as the John FLYNN of the OP

Edited by Matlock1418
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3 hours ago, Matlock1418 said:

 

John FLYNN, 294, Connaught Rangers claimed a disability pension for a GSW Face [Pension Ledger Index Card - WFA/Fold3]

This might perhaps be him - born: 1877 - he gave his address as: Hill St, Ballina, Co Mayo

Other Pension Index Cards give his widow as: Bridget.  Her address was: CRO Dublin - Date of these cards appears to be: 11.7.1939

Does this help anyone?  =  Is he the John FLYNN of the OP?

:-) M

I can confirm Hill St., Ballina as being the correct address.  1877 is correct year of birth. Excuse my ignorance as I am new to this amazing world, but how do you access the Pension data?

thank you so much,

anthony

Edited by Anthony466
added year of birth
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12 hours ago, FROGSMILE said:

The three identifiable regiments in the photos are Connaught Rangers (Bernard), King’s (Liverpool) Regiment (as an assistant physical training instructor - APTI), and Cameronian’s (Scottish Rifles), the latter being the photo taken at Mandalay.

I believe all the brothers were Connaught Rangers, at least initially, which would make sense as their father William (born 1851 died 1925) was also a CR for 20 odd years. I do not have his army number.

thank you

anthony

Edited by Anthony466
added info
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1 hour ago, Anthony466 said:

I believe all the brothers were Connaught Rangers, at least initially, which would make sense as their father William (born 1851 died 1925) was also a CR for 20 odd years. I do not have his army number.

thank you

anthony

The Cameronian’s photo looks pre war to me.  I will check later to see which battalion was in Burma, which was an outstation for the British Army garrison of India.  The King’s Liverpool Regiment photo is later, which would chime with service after the Connaught Rangers were disbanded in 1922.  It again relates to an Indian garrison given the white Wolseley helmet being fitted with a pagri.  Other tropical stations were authorised for the helmet but not the pagri.

Edited by FROGSMILE
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3 hours ago, Anthony466 said:

I can confirm Hill St., Ballina as being the correct address.  1877 is correct year of birth.

Excellent, thank you for your confirmation = John FLYNN, 294, Connaught Rangers

Glad to have found him.  Thought I was probably onto a good lead so pitched him up first [but also put the other three down for interest and perhaps to help rule out]

This is his main Disability Pension Ledger Index Card which helped out here [There are a few other cards with some ancillary info including his widow's details] - this is the front, there is a bit of further financial info on the rear

2043705978_FLYNNJ.294(1).png.ae089b990b10b63a69f3ca1f3518e473.png

Image courtesy of WFA/Fold3

As you can see they only give basic info [most of the main award files were deliberately destroyed a long time ago once their used had ended - couldn't find John Flynn in the few retained 'PIN 26' files at the National Archives].  Basic they may be but they have proved very useful in unlocking many cases.

3 hours ago, Anthony466 said:

Excuse my ignorance as I am new to this amazing world, but how do you access the Pension data?

We all started there ;-) = Welcome!

The Western Front Association saved from destruction a few years ago c.6m+ pension index cards [for men claiming a disability and widows & other dependents claiming pensions and allowances] and Fold 3 have digitised them and put them on line. 

They can also add an extra insight into the post-war lives of ex-servicemen - through cards for claims for Military Service (Civil Liability) grants, typically used to help set up men in small businesses.

John Flynn actually is one who has such a MS(CL) card - just one side here [the other has the Hill St, Ballina address and his regimental details] 

989046732_FLYNNJ.294(2).png.2893c0b61839f15b9b8e63b763fa2dd7.png

Image courtesy of WFA/Fold3

Would be interesting to know if John and his wife, Bridget, made a success of this grocery venture.

The maximum MS(CL) grant was £104 pounds but few seem to have asked for/got that much.  From looking at the several dozen examples I have collected it is noticeable that men from Irish regiments / Ireland seem to have made pretty good use of this scheme [perhaps part of the political situation of the late 1910s early 1920s in Ireland???]

Returning to your question about access = Access to these cards is through a paid subscription to WFA https://www.westernfrontassociation.com/ancestry-pension-records [UK £29 pa - with its other benefits] and/or Fold3 [annually rather more but with their other offerings as part of Ancestry - sometimes accessible through a short membership or free trial period.]

:-) M

Edited by Matlock1418
PIN 26
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It’s been puzzling me that the photo in Mandalay, which I initially thought to be Cameronian’s (Scottish Rifles) because of the dark chevrons and cutaway fronted jackets does not show black buttons.  During WW1 there was occasionally a shortage of the GS black buttons so that brass were sometimes issued as an expedient, but that did not usually apply in earlier, peace time.  The jacket shown is of Indian issue with distinctive pleats above the chest pocket for the carriage of some 'ready ammunition', even when personal equipment is not on the person, and I enclose a picture showing how a Cameronian appeared in the same pattern jacket.  I’ve checked the movements of the Connaught Rangers (regardless of the Scottish cutaway front) and can confirm that neither battalion served in Burma at that time.  This implies that it’s another Scottish regiment entirely, but as to which is unclear at the moment.  It also suggests that the dark coloured stripes in the original photo are in fact the red that were worn on khaki drill uniform until after 1902.

F924080F-82B6-49C5-A942-4E6626B9C2D0.jpeg

D9CBDA20-BDB6-4FC8-8CA0-B6857A83F0B1.jpeg

0AEA4A36-0788-4519-AA45-3B44A5A14EFC.jpeg

Edited by FROGSMILE
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This may be John Flynn's family in 1911 Census. Wife Bridget seems to have been a Corcoran before marriage as MiLaw is there...

Flynn John 34 Male Head of Family R C Church
Flynn Bridget 28 Female Wife R C Church
Flynn Annie Kate 3 Female Daughter R C Church
Flynn Thomas 1 Male Son R C Church
Corcoran Cathrine 70 Female Mother in Law R C Church
Warde Patrick 79 Male Boarder R C Church
URL: http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Mayo/Ballina_Urban/Land_League_Avenue/699874/

George

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If the above is correct then

Name: Joannes Flynn
[John Flynn] 
Marriage Date: 13 Jun 1907
Marriage Place: Kilmoremoy, Mayo, Ireland
Parish as it Appears: Ballina
Father: Flynn
Spouse: Brigida Corcoran

in Ancestry

Ireland, Select Catholic Marriage Registers, 1778-1942 - Ancestry.co.uk

George

 

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