Lt Nolan RPD Black Watch(RHR)

[ARMAGH]

looking for more information on this officer who was KIA

NOLAN , RPD ( M & R [ Militia & 3rd Reserve Bn]: 3rd Bn : 2nd Lieutenant on 15 May 1907 ; To Reserve Bn 1908 ; Lieutenant 2 April 1910; To 1st Bn on 21 Sept 1914 : KILLED IN ACTION 3 NOV 1914

Joe

[Verrico2009]

The only additional information I can glean from his MIC is that he was Reginald Drummond, "Extract from Routine Orders" (stamp obscures some of this) , "Staff Room", "Disembarkation returns - roll shows 17.9.14" and he was entitled to the Star with clasp. His widow applied for his medals.

If you have a personal interest, this site has a photo of him available to purchase: http://www.lulu.com/product/media-download/nolan-r-p-d-lt-1st-black-watch-photo/713356

[headgardener]

If you have a personal interest, this site has a photo of him available to purchase: http://www.lulu.com/...ch-photo/713356

The photo available on this site is from the Stonyhurst Roll of Honour; it's a minor public school, so that's another source of info for you. If you write to the archivist at Stoneyhurst there's s good chance that they'll have more info than just this photo, and they'll probably be able to supply you with a better copy of this and possibly other photos.

[IPT]

So is he Raymond or Reginald?

1914 Star.

Lieutenant R. P. D. Nolan, Royal Highlanders.

Raymond Philip Drummond Nolan, the eldest son of Mr Philip Nolan of the Indian Civil Service, was born on 1st July 1883 in India. As a boy of 12, he accompanied his father on a tiger shoot and succeeded in killing a full-grown tiger with his miniature rifle, a unique exploit that was recorded in several well-known works on Indian big game shooting. Raymond was educated at Beaumont, Stoneyhurst (the 1901 Census records him as a 17 year old boarder there) and New College, Oxford, where he got his double half-blue, and was called to the Bar, Inner Temple, in 1908.

He joined the Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) in May 1907, and in April 1910 was promoted to Lieutenant in the 3rd Battalion. In 1912, he succeeded his uncle, Lieutenant-Colonel J. P. Nolan, MP, in the Balinderry Estate in County Galway and, on 27th November the following year, married Kathleen O'Connor, the eldest daughter of Mr C. A. O'Connor, Master of the Rolls in Ireland. A son was born to them on 7th September 1914.

Just 10 days after the birth of his son, Raymond left for France, where he joined the 1st Black Watch. The Battalion had spent September fighting on the Marne and had lost eight officers and 48 other ranks, either killed in action or died of wounds. In the middle of October, they moved up to the Ypres Salient. In the next two weeks, seven more officers and 100 other ranks were killed attempting to advance or repel the frequent German attacks.

On November 2nd, the Germans attacked down the Menin road towards Ypres. The 1st Black Watch was called upon to halt the enemy advance. It was here that Lieutenant Nolan gave his life for his country. To quote from the Regimental History: "On the 2nd the British line on the Menin road was again broken. The Battalion played a very considerable part in restoring the line by a brilliant counter-attack, in which A Company under Captain V. M. Fortune, B Company under Lieutenant J. L. Rennie and C Company under Captain H. Amery took part. These companies, which thus stopped the forward German movement on the Menin road and helped to fill the gap, were only 120 strong and were reduced to 75 in the course of the attack. Lieutenant Nolan was killed, Captain Amery so severely wounded that he died some months afterwards, and Lieutenant Rennie was also wounded." (Captain Amery was a long-serving officer who had served in the Sudan Campaign at the end of the 19th century. He was fluent in Arabic, Persian and German. He died back in England and is buried in Kensal Green All Souls' Cemetery.)

A letter written by one of Raymond Nolan's brother officers is quoted in the Stoneyhurst War Record: "Two companies of the Black Watch were ordered to counter-attack as the Germans had broken through on the right of the Brigade, and had apparently occupied some houses in the village of Veldhoek, about three miles east of Ypres. The attack was eventually made by two platoons of 'A' Company and 'C' Company.

"They got within about 150 yards of the houses, but could get no further owing to machine gun and rifle fire. The German advance was, however, also stopped. In trying to make a further advance, the Captain of 'C' Company - Capt. Amery - was hit in three places, and Lieut. Nolan in five places, by machine gun fire. He was killed instantaneously. After dark he was brought in and buried near the Dressing Station, which was a farm on the road running N. and S. just west of the village of Veldhoek, and the spot is marked with a cross with his name upon it.

"His loss was deeply regretted by all of us, as he had proved himself a capable leader, and we were all very fond of him."In the ensuing years, the ravages of war succeeded in obliterating the location of Lieutenant Nolan's grave and he is now commemorated on the Menin Gate, his name alongside those of so many of his fellow officers and men who died fighting in the Ypres Salient.

http://medalblog.blo.../1914-star.html

[ARMAGH]

The photo available on this site is from the Stonyhurst Roll of Honour; it's a minor public school, so that's another source of info for you. If you write to the archivist at Stoneyhurst there's s good chance that they'll have more info than just this photo, and they'll probably be able to supply you with a better copy of this and possibly other photos.

Many Thanks, will look up Stonyhurst School.

Joe

[ARMAGH]

So is he Raymond or Reginald?

1914 Star.

Lieutenant R. P. D. Nolan, Royal Highlanders.

Raymond Philip Drummond Nolan, the eldest son of Mr Philip Nolan of the Indian Civil Service, was born on 1st July 1883 in India. As a boy of 12, he accompanied his father on a tiger shoot and succeeded in killing a full-grown tiger with his miniature rifle, a unique exploit that was recorded in several well-known works on Indian big game shooting. Raymond was educated at Beaumont, Stoneyhurst (the 1901 Census records him as a 17 year old boarder there) and New College, Oxford, where he got his double half-blue, and was called to the Bar, Inner Temple, in 1908.

He joined the Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) in May 1907, and in April 1910 was promoted to Lieutenant in the 3rd Battalion. In 1912, he succeeded his uncle, Lieutenant-Colonel J. P. Nolan, MP, in the Balinderry Estate in County Galway and, on 27th November the following year, married Kathleen O'Connor, the eldest daughter of Mr C. A. O'Connor, Master of the Rolls in Ireland. A son was born to them on 7th September 1914.

Just 10 days after the birth of his son, Raymond left for France, where he joined the 1st Black Watch. The Battalion had spent September fighting on the Marne and had lost eight officers and 48 other ranks, either killed in action or died of wounds. In the middle of October, they moved up to the Ypres Salient. In the next two weeks, seven more officers and 100 other ranks were killed attempting to advance or repel the frequent German attacks.

On November 2nd, the Germans attacked down the Menin road towards Ypres. The 1st Black Watch was called upon to halt the enemy advance. It was here that Lieutenant Nolan gave his life for his country. To quote from the Regimental History: "On the 2nd the British line on the Menin road was again broken. The Battalion played a very considerable part in restoring the line by a brilliant counter-attack, in which A Company under Captain V. M. Fortune, B Company under Lieutenant J. L. Rennie and C Company under Captain H. Amery took part. These companies, which thus stopped the forward German movement on the Menin road and helped to fill the gap, were only 120 strong and were reduced to 75 in the course of the attack. Lieutenant Nolan was killed, Captain Amery so severely wounded that he died some months afterwards, and Lieutenant Rennie was also wounded." (Captain Amery was a long-serving officer who had served in the Sudan Campaign at the end of the 19th century. He was fluent in Arabic, Persian and German. He died back in England and is buried in Kensal Green All Souls' Cemetery.)

A letter written by one of Raymond Nolan's brother officers is quoted in the Stoneyhurst War Record: "Two companies of the Black Watch were ordered to counter-attack as the Germans had broken through on the right of the Brigade, and had apparently occupied some houses in the village of Veldhoek, about three miles east of Ypres. The attack was eventually made by two platoons of 'A' Company and 'C' Company.

"They got within about 150 yards of the houses, but could get no further owing to machine gun and rifle fire. The German advance was, however, also stopped. In trying to make a further advance, the Captain of 'C' Company - Capt. Amery - was hit in three places, and Lieut. Nolan in five places, by machine gun fire. He was killed instantaneously. After dark he was brought in and buried near the Dressing Station, which was a farm on the road running N. and S. just west of the village of Veldhoek, and the spot is marked with a cross with his name upon it.

"His loss was deeply regretted by all of us, as he had proved himself a capable leader, and we were all very fond of him."In the ensuing years, the ravages of war succeeded in obliterating the location of Lieutenant Nolan's grave and he is now commemorated on the Menin Gate, his name alongside those of so many of his fellow officers and men who died fighting in the Ypres Salient.

http://medalblog.blo.../1914-star.html

Many Thanks, for all the information and the photos.

Joe