chuck Posted 28 December , 2009 Share Posted 28 December , 2009 my finances are such these days... i can't afford ancestry.com or any other pay for info site.. any help i would appreciate.. so far i have this info: next of kin Mary Jane McCall or Donachie (wife) and 4 children May, Margaret, Kathleen and James. Address was 22 Hathaway Street - West Lynn - Mass. Usa. There are several pages of records including Attestation, medical and service records and Discharge. Also the allowance he made out to his wife to be paid by the British Consul in Boston. He got £1-1s-6d separation pay and made an allotment of 3s -6d making One Pound and Five shillings to be paid to Mary Jane!! Charles was classed as a Colonial! He originally joined the Territorial Army (City of Dundee Reserve Battalion Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)) transferred to ASC (Army Service Corps - Horse Transport). He appears to have been discharged "enlisted irregularly"!! service number was 124762, theatre of war was France, and date of entry (think this means when he enlisted was 29/10/1915). The second one was service number 418527 (T)7168. he was born Dundee, Scotland 1869?... also fought in 2nd Boer War which might account for 2 service numbers..... again any help is greatly appreciated Chuck Donachie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dycer Posted 28 December , 2009 Share Posted 28 December , 2009 Chuck, There are Members of the Forum,who live in Dundee and take a particular interest in its Black Watch Battalion. It may be worth amending the Title of your enquiry to include-Dundee and Black Watch-to catch their attention. George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotonmate Posted 28 December , 2009 Share Posted 28 December , 2009 Chuck Welcome to the Forum ! You seem to have some records,which is a bonus ! The puzzle for me is based on what the Medal Index Cards say for the name and numbers you quote ! There are two MICs: 1. Charles DONACHIE,Pioneer 124762 Royal Engineers. First landed in War Theatre (France) on 29.10.1915. Entitled to three campaign medals:1914-15 Star.British War medal.Victory Medal. Also issued with a Silver War Badge due to discharge on 11.8.1916,caused either by wounds or sickness. 2. Charles DONACHIE. Sapper T7168 and 418527 Royal Engineers. Into war theatre after 31 Dec 1915 as he has no entitlement to 1914-15 Star. Issued with British War and Victory Medals. No other copmments on MIC so assume he was demobilised at war's end. The second number,418527 is a 1917 re-numbering of the Territorial Force Engineers and is from a block issued to the Lowland Division Signal Company RE. If these cards are for the same guy he got two sets of medals ! Unlikely,or a mistake by the Administrators ! Can you say what papers you have got your info from ? Sotonmate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotonmate Posted 28 December , 2009 Share Posted 28 December , 2009 Chuck There are more questions than answers here ! If they are the same guy and he was discharged as "enlisting irregularly",then why,you say he was born around 1869, so he not under-age as some soldiers were discharged for ! The first MIC says he landed in 1915. The second MIC was for post 1915 and the RE number puts him in 52nd Lowland Division,which was in the Middle East until April 1918. If he landed in France in 1915 he wasn't with the 52nd as they were at Gallipoli then. So,do you think he could be the owner of both MICs,discharged in 1916 as unfit,became well enough again to re-join and the second batch of bits are also his ? Can yopu post any pics of the docs ? Sotonmate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dundeesown Posted 28 December , 2009 Share Posted 28 December , 2009 Hi Chuck,Welcome to the Forum, Can I ask how you came by the numbers 124762,418527 & T7168.? I can see from his pension records that he was from 160 Hilltown and his number on that was T.4/092494 A.S.C,with no mention on his papers of service with the Black Watch,(I had a look at the muster for the D.R.B.R.H and he wasn`t on that). I am going to see if he is on the A.V.L for the Hilltown. you never know he may be on it. all the best Gary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roughdiamond Posted 30 December , 2009 Share Posted 30 December , 2009 my finances are such these days... i can't afford ancestry.com or any other pay for info site.. any help i would appreciate.. so far i have this info: next of kin Mary Jane McCall or Donachie (wife) and 4 children May, Margaret, Kathleen and James. Chuck Edited: yep as shown by Dundee's own married 11/04/1898, I had looked for James Donachie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dundeesown Posted 30 December , 2009 Share Posted 30 December , 2009 From his Records. Gary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck Posted 1 March , 2010 Author Share Posted 1 March , 2010 Chuck, There are Members of the Forum,who live in Dundee and take a particular interest in its Black Watch Battalion. It may be worth amending the Title of your enquiry to include-Dundee and Black Watch-to catch their attention. George thank you i will... been off for a lil bit kind of gave up hope... thank you again... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck Posted 1 March , 2010 Author Share Posted 1 March , 2010 Chuck Welcome to the Forum ! You seem to have some records,which is a bonus ! The puzzle for me is based on what the Medal Index Cards say for the name and numbers you quote ! There are two MICs: 1. Charles DONACHIE,Pioneer 124762 Royal Engineers. First landed in War Theatre (France) on 29.10.1915. Entitled to three campaign medals:1914-15 Star.British War medal.Victory Medal. Also issued with a Silver War Badge due to discharge on 11.8.1916,caused either by wounds or sickness. 2. Charles DONACHIE. Sapper T7168 and 418527 Royal Engineers. Into war theatre after 31 Dec 1915 as he has no entitlement to 1914-15 Star. Issued with British War and Victory Medals. No other copmments on MIC so assume he was demobilised at war's end. The second number,418527 is a 1917 re-numbering of the Territorial Force Engineers and is from a block issued to the Lowland Division Signal Company RE. If these cards are for the same guy he got two sets of medals ! Unlikely,or a mistake by the Administrators ! Can you say what papers you have got your info from ? Sotonmate i have seen paperwork to the effect he joined the Dundee City BW but was turned down 8 days later... but we know he was gassed in france/belgium with shrapnel wounds.... we have him listd on the SS California returning from Europe in 1916... it'll take me a lil bit to find what i have as i gave up, bit i'll get it in here asap... what info i have came from the ASK site...also from Forces Reunited Site... from Forces Reunited comes: Chuck. Your grandfather Charles James Donachie’s records (some) may be found if you search Ancestry.co.uk and then from the National Archives "British Army World War 1 Pension Records". Just so you know I have located the right person....his next of kin Mary Jane McCall or Donachie (wife) and 4 children May, Margaret, Kathleen and James. Address was 22 Hathaway Street - West Lynn - Mass. Usa. There are several pages of records including Attestation, medical and service records and Discharge. Also the allowance he made out to his wife to be paid by the British Consul in Boston. He got £1-1s-6d separation pay and made an allotment of 3s -6d making One Pound and Five shillings to be paid to Mary Jane!! Charles was classed as a Colonial! He originally joined the Territorial Army (City of Dundee Reserve Battalion Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)) transferred to ASC (Army Service Corps - Horse Transport). He appears to have been discharged "enlisted irregularly"!! The records are quite poor quality, but they are readable, althought the typewriting is badly focused in places. Hope this helps. and have just had a quick look om ancestry. Have found two Charles Donachies who served in the Royal Engineers. The year of birth I think for them both was c1871 (have found this a lot on ancestry, years of birth are not always exact). The first one I found the service number was 124762, theatre of war was France, and date of entry (think this means when he enlisted was 29/10/1915). The second one was service number 418527 (T)7168. If you want me to have another look will be happy to do this, but it wont be before Wednesday as I have an exam coming up from the Ask site: Report this post Reply with quote Re: Looking for info on Great Grandfather by Chris_Baker » Mon Dec 28, 2009 11:56 am Chuck, the two numbers you have quoted are for two different men, who both by coincidence served with the Royal Engineers. Neither man shows a connection with Black Watch or ASC, I am afraid. It seems there are very few surviving service records to men of the right name, but your man is there: Charles Donachie, born 1871, enlisted in Dundee in 1915. Address 160 Hilltown. Married Mary Jane McCall, four children. (She lives at 22 Hattaway Street, West Lynn MA). Served in the ASC but discharged after eight days 'having irregularly enlisted'. There are a few papers and forms but they tell you very little more than that and do not explain the nature of the irregularity. Happy to send them to you - let me have your email address either here or via Private Message. It's possible that he had served before, especially given his age, but the papers give no clues. papers i have received: ahh i can only open them with windows media player.. can't send them.. says though he signed up 5th October 1915... ASC.. discharged ??th October 1915 irregular enlistment... arrived New York Nov 6 1916 listed last address as calling or occupation as d/c solger crossed out and i can't make out what's written over it... last permanent residence was listwed as france/belgium.... i'm sure he's one of these if not both svc #'s... even with the irregular d/c Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck Posted 1 March , 2010 Author Share Posted 1 March , 2010 Chuck There are more questions than answers here ! If they are the same guy and he was discharged as "enlisting irregularly",then why,you say he was born around 1869, so he not under-age as some soldiers were discharged for ! The first MIC says he landed in 1915. The second MIC was for post 1915 and the RE number puts him in 52nd Lowland Division,which was in the Middle East until April 1918. If he landed in France in 1915 he wasn't with the 52nd as they were at Gallipoli then. So,do you think he could be the owner of both MICs,discharged in 1916 as unfit,became well enough again to re-join and the second batch of bits are also his ? Can yopu post any pics of the docs ? Sotonmate i can email it to you.. mine is chuckdonachie @yahoo.com.. it won't let me attach says it's too big i have 6-7 papers all opened by windows media Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotonmate Posted 8 March , 2010 Share Posted 8 March , 2010 Chuck Sorry,I have missed the follow-up on this thread. I have your PM and will do what I can to help. I can probably find the sevice papers anyway. If not I will ask you to send them. Sotonmate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotonmate Posted 11 March , 2010 Share Posted 11 March , 2010 Chuck I see here that you have one of our renowned researchers (Chris Baker) on the case ! I have read the pages anyway and can offer no further help as they take you nowhere forward. No other papers for the same name survive. Sotonmate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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