joseph1995 Posted 14 February , 2010 Share Posted 14 February , 2010 Hello. I am posting two photographs of my grandfather Joseph Robinson in the hope that someone can identify his uniform and tell me which regiment he served in.He was born in Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland on the 23/10/1896. Like many of his generation he spoke little of his time in the war, to the extent that we do not even know which regiment he served in. I have few, if any, facts to help. Though elderley relatives think that he was underage when he joined and saw active service in the Somme, Ginchey and Guillemont and that his duties involved working with horses/mules. It is thought that he had three medals, though thier whereabouts now is unknown! Searches online for his medal card have proved fruitless. The photographs are not verys sharp and I have been unable to identify his cap badge. Any information would be greatly appreciated.Regards Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
museumtom Posted 14 February , 2010 Share Posted 14 February , 2010 I would suggest the Royal irish regiment. Regards. Tom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max7474 Posted 14 February , 2010 Share Posted 14 February , 2010 No more likely the Royal Irish Rifles as the badge was a similiair crown and harp design but wider. Unless he was in the mounted section of the battalion another option would be North Irish Horse or 8th KRI Hussars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
museumtom Posted 14 February , 2010 Share Posted 14 February , 2010 I live and learn. Can you post images of the two badges please? Regards. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max7474 Posted 14 February , 2010 Share Posted 14 February , 2010 Photos enclosed of the 2 infantry bns. The Irish Regt is much narrower at the top half while the badge in the photo looks squarer like the RI Rifles. The RI Regt did recruit in the South rather than the North which is a point in its favour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max7474 Posted 14 February , 2010 Share Posted 14 February , 2010 Compare it to the shape of the one in the photo: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
museumtom Posted 14 February , 2010 Share Posted 14 February , 2010 Thank you Max. I have learned something today. Kind regards. Tom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archangel9 Posted 14 February , 2010 Share Posted 14 February , 2010 Mike, If he is Royal Irish Rifles then you have 6 possibles - http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...mp;mediaarray=* This assumes he used his correct name when enlisting. If you have Ancestry access then you might be able to eliminate some of these. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph1995 Posted 14 February , 2010 Author Share Posted 14 February , 2010 Many thanks to you all for replying so quickly, the breadth and depth of knowledge on this site is amazing. I have searched the National Archive several times and come up with nothing! Now within a couple of hours I am given several leads. One other detail on the photograph I forgot to mention, it is such poor quality, in the middle of his left forearm there is a ^ shaped insignia, does this indicate rank or length of service or something else. Once again many thanks to you all. Regards Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony paley Posted 14 February , 2010 Share Posted 14 February , 2010 Mike, The chevron on the left forearm is a long service and good conduct stripe. Although the photograph is not too clear I have a badge collection and checking the shape I would rule out the Royal Irish, 8th Kings Royal Irish Hussars,and North Irish Horse. If I were a betting man I would go for the Royal Irish Rifles, the shape is correct for that. There are several experts on the Irish units on the site. I say that because it appears that he is in an Infantry Regiment but the bandolier worn over the shoulder plus breeches with spurs suggests he is mounted. As already stated the R.Irish recruited in the South, mainly Wexford Kilkenny and Carlow. Bray area woiuld be Leinster Regt. or Dublin Fusiliers. R.I.Rifles were recruited in the north however there were many exceptions. Incidentally I have a lot of family in Bray. Tony P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph1995 Posted 15 February , 2010 Author Share Posted 15 February , 2010 Mike, If he is Royal Irish Rifles then you have 6 possibles - http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...mp;mediaarray=* This assumes he used his correct name when enlisting. If you have Ancestry access then you might be able to eliminate some of these. John Many Thanks John. I have downloaded the medal cards and I think I can now narrow it down to three,maybe just two, if I can decode the abbreviation "el" or "cl" in the "Action Taken" section of the card.Not sure how to match the remaining cards to my grandfather, but thanks again for your help.Kind Regards Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 15 February , 2010 Share Posted 15 February , 2010 Bray - not far from Dublin? Piles of Dubliners in the Royal Irish Rifles regular battalions. And, please do not take this wrong way ... what denomination was he? It would serve to rule a possibility out of my mind. Des Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph1995 Posted 16 February , 2010 Author Share Posted 16 February , 2010 Bray - not far from Dublin? Piles of Dubliners in the Royal Irish Rifles regular battalions. And, please do not take this wrong way ... what denomination was he? It would serve to rule a possibility out of my mind. Des Thank you Des, and no offence taken at all, I should imagine religion had a more important bearing back then.He was Roman Catholic. Bray is just a few miles south down the coast from Dublin.I would welcome your thoughts. Regards Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 16 February , 2010 Share Posted 16 February , 2010 It simply serves to rule out a possible source of information .. the Presbyterian Church in Ireland 'rolls of honour' are on-line can can sometimes send someone another step of the way. As I said above, the Royal Irish Rifles (regulars) always had a healthy Dublin area membership. I note that family history states he saw action at Ginchy G'Mont etc ... this would seem (at face value) to tie him in with the Rifles battalion which served with the 16th (irish) Division. I will bow to wiser heads on the uniform front but I would say he was involved with the battalion transport .. this was not a cushy number since anything which was worth transporting in this fashion was worth shelling! Suggest mutlipile googling for 16th Irish Division to see what you come up with about their history etc. The long LOng Trail website is very good for timelines of this kind of thing. Best wishes, pity I couldn't help more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 16 February , 2010 Share Posted 16 February , 2010 For comparison purposes. Another Royal irish Rifleman (David Wright KIA with 12th Btn. 1917) is very similar outfit to your man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBrockway Posted 17 February , 2010 Share Posted 17 February , 2010 ... As already stated the R.Irish recruited in the South, mainly Wexford Kilkenny and Carlow. Bray area woiuld be Leinster Regt. or Dublin Fusiliers. R.I.Rifles were recruited in the north however there were many exceptions .... Tony P Pals, I've been meaning to post this handy map as I thought it'd be generally useful for Pals interested in Irish regiments, and this Topic has reminded me to get on with it! ... As Desmond, Tony P and others have said though: there were many exceptions to these allocated territories - particularly with the Royal Irish Rifles, so caveat emptor! Cheers, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph1995 Posted 17 February , 2010 Author Share Posted 17 February , 2010 For comparison purposes. Another Royal irish Rifleman (David Wright KIA with 12th Btn. 1917) is very similar outfit to your man. Des thank you very much, the photograph is brilliant. Regarding your post prior to this one when you say a pity you could not help more, I would beg to differ, every piece of information helps me.Once again thanks for your time and the information.Kind Regards Mike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBrockway Posted 17 February , 2010 Share Posted 17 February , 2010 Mike, If you reply using the Add Reply or Fast Reply buttons, then the other person's post will not appear in your new reply. Repeating large pictures unecessarily eats the Forum's space on the servers and increases the running costs Cheers, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph1995 Posted 17 February , 2010 Author Share Posted 17 February , 2010 Thanks for the advice Mark, I am starting to have "senior moments" !!!!! Regards Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph1995 Posted 28 September , 2012 Author Share Posted 28 September , 2012 Hi Members of the Forum were very kind back in 2010 when I posted a photograph of my grandfather in the hope that someone could identify the regiment he served in. I have now received another photograph with Joseph Robinson standing alongside his brother William, both from Bray,County Wicklow. I have also been told that they probably enlisted in what is now Northern Ireland, though at different times. To me their cap badges look different, any information would be greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 30 September , 2012 Share Posted 30 September , 2012 Hi Members of the Forum were very kind back in 2010 when I posted a photograph of my grandfather in the hope that someone could identify the regiment he served in. I have now received another photograph with Joseph Robinson standing alongside his brother William, both from Bray,County Wicklow. I have also been told that they probably enlisted in what is now Northern Ireland, though at different times. To me their cap badges look different, any information would be greatly appreciated. The soldier on the left is North Irish Horse and the soldier on the right is Royal Dublin Fusiliers and probably from a service battalion. The Royal Irish Rifles were formed in 1881 from one regiment that recruited in the South and one regiment that recruited in the North. These traditions were continued by the new regiment until 1922 and the formation of the Irish Free State. In WW1 a great many of the regiments soldiers were Roman Catholics, including those recruited from the North. The majority of the officers, however were from the protestant ascendancy and Church of Ireland. This was not seen as unusual at that time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Taylor Posted 1 October , 2012 Share Posted 1 October , 2012 The badge on the left is definitely R Irish Rifles and he was probably part of the horse transport section. I have doubts that the other is the R Dublin Fusiliers although it looks very like it in the smaller photo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 1 October , 2012 Share Posted 1 October , 2012 Here are the Royal Irish Rifles and North Irish Horse badges for comparison. Looking at the larger format photo again I agree with the last poster that the badge is that of the Royal Irish Rifles, at that time a regiment that recruited in both the North and the South, as had its forebears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph1995 Posted 2 October , 2012 Author Share Posted 2 October , 2012 The badge on the left is definitely R Irish Rifles and he was probably part of the horse transport section. I have doubts that the other is the R Dublin Fusiliers although it looks very like it in the smaller photo. Many thanks, horse transport section would tie- in with some of the information we have, Kind regards Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph1995 Posted 2 October , 2012 Author Share Posted 2 October , 2012 Here are the Royal Irish Rifles and North Irish Horse badges for comparison. Looking at the larger format photo again I agree with the last poster that the badge is that of the Royal Irish Rifles, at that time a regiment that recruited in both the North and the South, as had its forebears. Thanks for the images of the cap badges,it looks very much like its the Royal Irish Rifles.Kind regards Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now