Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry in Ireland

[Tom Wales]

I am trying to trace the wartime career of a Northumberland man who was in the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. No luck so far with personal records . However I am told that he served in Ireland. I see from the Long Long Trail that the 1st (Reserve) Garrison Battalion KOYLI were in Dublin from 1918 until? As they were formed in Newcastle upon Tyne this could fit. Does anybody know if they were the only KOYLI serving in Ireland after 1914? Also what were their activities in Ireland? My man had left the Army by September 1920.

[aglastonbury]

Tom,

Do you have a service/regimental number?

When I was doing my family tree, all my relatives details were available from GWGC records so I had some information to work with. I contacted the regimental museum & from is number they there able to give me a location & time frame for where he enlisted & a time frame for his transfer to another regiment from his next number.

So ask the museum is the best bit of advice I can give. The more information you can give them the better otherwise it will mean a detailed search through their archives. I've not looked but museums usually offer a archive search for a fee or you can usually make an appointment and see the archivist and look yourself.

HERE is the link to the KOYLI museum in Doncaster. It's well worth getting into touch withthem and asking.

All the best in your search & keep us all posted,

Alex

[connaughtranger]

2/KOYLI had spent 10 months in Dublin before the outbreak of war; there it remained mobilising until the 14th August 1914, on which date it sailed from North Wall, arriving at Le Havre on 16th

Martin

[Old Owl]

I am trying to trace the wartime career of a Northumberland man who was in the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. No luck so far with personal records . However I am told that he served in Ireland. I see from the Long Long Trail that the 1st (Reserve) Garrison Battalion KOYLI were in Dublin from 1918 until? As they were formed in Newcastle upon Tyne this could fit. Does anybody know if they were the only KOYLI serving in Ireland after 1914? Also what were their activities in Ireland? My man had left the Army by September 1920.

Hi Tom,

From: Locations by R.W.Gould, the only KOYLI battalion which served in Ireland near to the period you enquire about was the 2nd Bn. They served there from Dec.1920 to Dec.1921, so your man would have left the army by then?

It is of course possible that he enlisted with the Auxiliaries after leaving the army and served with them.

Robert

[Tom Wales]

Thanks a lot for your input . Do you happen to know if R W Gould covered the reserve battalions as well as the regular battalions? The reason I am asking is because the Long Long Trail mentions the 1st (Reserve) Garrison Battalion as being in Dublin in 1918. I was taking that source on face value but now I am a little unsure if I understand it properly

Thanks

Tom

[Old Owl]

Hi Tom,

Gould does mention Garrison Bns under many units but not Reserve Bns.Under the KOYLI he only mentions the 2nd Garrison Bn as entering F/F in July 1916 and the 15th Garrison Bn as being formed from the 10th Garrison Guard Bn. This Bn only served in France and Flanders from May 1918.Perhaps some contact with the Regimental Museum may clear things up? I have also checked the history and I can find no mention of Ireland in relation to any battalion in 1918.

Robert

[Guest John_Levesley]

My grandfather and two of his older brothers all served with the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry in Ireland late in WW1. They were based at Ballykinler Co Down. My Uncle Jack, the eldest of the three, was a bugler and I believe a sergeant. He had been wounded at Passchendaele and I understood was sent to the Garrison Battalion in Ireland as he was not yet fit to return to active service. His younger brother Bert was also a bugler (both played with Pitsmoor brass band in Sheffield) and I'm told he had appalling eye sight so went straight to the Garrison Battalion. My grandfather, Ted, born in 1900 and the youngest of five brothers joined his brothers at Ballykinler. I believe all three were discharged at about the same time not long after the war finished. Ted returned to Sheffield, the others moved to Cheshire.

I believe all three joined up via the Leeds Depot not Newcastle. Their Battalion seems to have been a true garrison unit available for service across what was then still a united Ireland. Jack, Bert and their companies certainly went to Dublin on duty, not an easy time as Ireland was pretty explosive at the time

cheers

JL

[jwp2007]

just came across this thread while searching for some info on a young chap i have been researching, he enlisted age 18 in july 1918 and all his documents show him as 4th reserve battalion koyli, cipstone camp is mentioned and also a camp in county down (see pic) as others in this thread have said , i cant find any references to the 4th reserves being in ireland so a curious one !, he is still listed as 4th koyli when he was discharged from ripon camp in 1919.

john.

Edit: looks like the location could be ballykinler camp. co.down, this was a british army camp used as an internment camp in 1919.