toto123 Posted 29 March , 2010 Share Posted 29 March , 2010 I met an elderly lady last week whose father was in the RIF (correct abbrevaition?) He was injoured but sent back and lasted the distance and eneterd Berlin in 1920. She said he was injured in The Somme and she has the bullet which i hope to see soon.... Now I don't know how many battalions there were in the RIF. She showed me a history, written by Rudyard Kipling and it had some copious notes scribbled by her father. His name was FORTUNE (surname) and i believe Eugene was his first name.He was a light house keeper in Ireland. He lived till 95. I did rush in to Kew RO but couldn't locate any information..i am not the best at this. Any help appreciated... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 29 March , 2010 Share Posted 29 March , 2010 http://www.1914-1918.net/rifus.htm From Chris Baker's LLT site Are you sure about the Kipling link? I stand to be corrected but I thought he did the Irish Guards in Great War book? He should come up on MICs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyneside Chinaman Posted 29 March , 2010 Share Posted 29 March , 2010 Hello The clue is Kipling he wrote the History of the Irish Guards his son was killed with them. Eugene Fortune was a Private numbered 6843 in the Irish Guards he entered France on 16/8/1915 and was discharged to Class Z Reserve on 16/4/19. His records will be available from the Irish Guards Records office, I think in Wellington Barracks but others will be more acuarte, regards John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 29 March , 2010 Share Posted 29 March , 2010 Medal card of Fortune, Eugene Corps Regiment No Rank Irish Guards 6843 Private Beaten to the draw ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toto123 Posted 29 March , 2010 Author Share Posted 29 March , 2010 http://www.1914-1918.net/rifus.htm From Chris Baker's LLT site Are you sure about the Kipling link? I stand to be corrected but I thought he did the Irish Guards in Great War book? He should come up on MICs I stand corrected..Irish Guards it was. I couldn't take notes and my memory, or lack of it, got the better of me. I think i am beginning yet another 'crusade'......I was certainly suprised to see R Kipling writing such a book.....bit like finding my grandfather's book by HG WELLS which was called 'An Indictment of the Roman Catholic Church'. It opens with the lines...'Why didn't we bomb Rome'.......that of course WW2 and i think he had a point...though i wouldn't have like to have seen the architecture obliterated of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toto123 Posted 29 March , 2010 Author Share Posted 29 March , 2010 Hello The clue is Kipling he wrote the History of the Irish Guards his son was killed with them. Eugene Fortune was a Private numbered 6843 in the Irish Guards he entered France on 16/8/1915 and was discharged to Class Z Reserve on 16/4/19. His records will be available from the Irish Guards Records office, I think in Wellington Barracks but others will be more acuarte, regards John Many thanks John. Does that mean I will not find referense in KEW RO? Are only 'English' records held there. I am intrigued to know if he was there on the first day of The Somme. His daughter doesn't know. Were the Irish Guards a single regiment with one battalion or many..and if so did they have different names? I note your Tyneside connection. My grandad was in 26th Battalion of Tyneside Irish and survived...with damage. Arras 1917 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toto123 Posted 29 March , 2010 Author Share Posted 29 March , 2010 Medal card of Fortune, Eugene Corps Regiment No Rank Irish Guards 6843 Private Beaten to the draw ..... Many thanks! Were they part of a Brigade....Division? On the Somme....first day? he was injured in the shoulder and went back, after recovering. I think he was in communications...hence why he managed to survive. Thank you tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waddell Posted 29 March , 2010 Share Posted 29 March , 2010 ......I was certainly suprised to see R Kipling writing such a book.....bit like finding my grandfather's book by HG WELLS which was called 'An Indictment of the Roman Catholic Church'. Tonya, Kipling's son John served with the Irish Guards and was killed at Loos, hence his interest in the regiment. If you search the forum for John Kipling or My Boy Jack there is plenty of information. It is a sad story. Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toto123 Posted 29 March , 2010 Author Share Posted 29 March , 2010 Tonya, Kipling's son John served with the Irish Guards and was killed at Loos, hence his interest in the regiment. If you search the forum for John Kipling or My Boy Jack there is plenty of information. It is a sad story. Scott I shall do so. Many thanks. There aren't too many happy endings for those that died so indiscriminately. Indeed i am off to Bucquoy on Thursday to see where my great unlce that never was, perished in the quadmire. And i also hope to find out about another member of the Bard here whose great unlce was killed a few days later. Tonight my joints ache from trying to play squash when i'm too old. The idea of getting up tomorrow and facing the mouth of hell on an empty stomach, puts my winging into perspective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 30 March , 2010 Share Posted 30 March , 2010 For actions on the Somme involving Irish Guards, suggest you concentrate on Flers-Courcelette in mid september 1916 and the following actions around Morval. You can read Kipling on-line. I would be interested to see if Eugene Fortune's notes on the side of the book indicate agreement/disagreement with Kipling's official history. Des Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toto123 Posted 30 March , 2010 Author Share Posted 30 March , 2010 For actions on the Somme involving Irish Guards, suggest you concentrate on Flers-Courcelette in mid september 1916 and the following actions around Morval. You can read Kipling on-line. I would be interested to see if Eugene Fortune's notes on the side of the book indicate agreement/disagreement with Kipling's official history. Des So do i assume that the Irish Guards were not involved on day 1 on The Somme? Can you tell me: were all the battallions in The Irish Guards simply know as 1st, 2nd etc or did they have names of their own? Presumably they were attached to a brigade-or invividual battalions were? I need to approach the Regimental HQ to obtain details apparently. I received an email from the Museum today to that effect. Do i assume correctly that no details would be in KEW RO? As for his comments on his book, i only glanced briefly as i wasn't in a postion to spend time. I am hoping to return though-maybe next week. I saw one comment which suggested that he was detailing names of friends who died in certain places. I will look to see if he has commented on the acuracy of the account by RK. Last night i found a DVD on Amazon that was called My Boy Jack, and promptly bought a copy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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