2nd Lieutenant L Elvidge 5th Connaught Rangers

[mhifle]

Hi,

I am looking for any information 2nd Lieutenant Laurence Elvidge, 5th Battalion Connaught Rangers

while he was in Dublin during the 1916 Uprising, which units he may have served with.

The attachment is from the Irish Times

Regards Mark

[Nepper]

His MIC says he was attached to theRoyal Inniskilling Fusiliers but doesn't give any dates or more details.

<edit. The 12th Battalion of the R Inns were involved in the fighting during the Easter Uprising

Nigel

[BrendanLee]

It would be very difficult to determine which units he may have served with because officers and other ranks from many regiments who were not officially listed as having served in Dublin during the Rising volunteered for service once they got the news of the outbreak of the fighting. There was one Connaught Ranger, a Cpl. A Meenehan injured. Because the fighting started on Easter Monday which was a bank holiday many officers and ORs were at the races in the Curragh. It is possible Elvidge was at home with his parents in Rathgar which is only about 10 minutes from the city and could have heard the shooting. Because of the War most British regiments posted in Dublin were either reserve or extra reserve. I have put a link below to the list of regiments and corps who served during the Rising, the list was given by General Maxwell in his official report on the Rising.

http://www.irishmedals.org/gpage5.html

[mhifle]

Hi,

Thanks for the help.

I have found him taking part in the Irish Command boxing tournament on the 15 April 1916, if that offers any clues to his prenence in Dublin.

I have also found another Connaught Ranger Officer in Dublin during the uprising, Major Montague Irving Mitchell Campbell who was undergoing a Staff Course at Queenstown

after recovering from wounds and rejoining the 3rd Battalion, was in Dublin when the uprising started.

Regards Mark

[corisande]

Mark

Independent has his battling previously with Lt Tweedy on February 28, 1916

[corisande]

If you look him up in 1901 and 1911 census when he is 3 and 13, it would look as if he took a year off his age to join up.

[mhifle]

It would be very difficult to determine which units he may have served with because officers and other ranks from many regiments who were not officially listed as having served in Dublin during the Rising volunteered for service once they got the news of the outbreak of the fighting. There was one Connaught Ranger, a Cpl. A Meenehan injured. Because the fighting started on Easter Monday which was a bank holiday many officers and ORs were at the races in the Curragh. It is possible Elvidge was at home with his parents in Rathgar which is only about 10 minutes from the city and could have heard the shooting. Because of the War most British regiments posted in Dublin were either reserve or extra reserve. I have put a link below to the list of regiments and corps who served during the Rising, the list was given by General Maxwell in his official report on the Rising.

Hi,

I think Cpl A Meenehan was ex RIC. Here is a list of RIC men who joined the Connaught Rangers from the Irish Times.

There is also a Medal Card for no.174901 Sergeant Anthony Meenehan, Labour Corps which might be the same man?

Regards Mark

Barden Patrick James 62186 Birth Date/Age: 1882 Birthplace: Longford Enlisted: 1906

4660 17.12.15 France KIA 19.2.17 6Bn

Burke Austin 65671 kia 5 sept 1916 6bn 4796 France

Burke Patrick

Burke Thomas N

Mc?Conville Thomas

Curtin Daniel 67144

Flaherty Phillip 62786

Gavican William 66148 6555 Sgt

Gilbane John Joe 64607 6556 Sgt 6bn dow 7 june 1917 france 28

Hardnett Richard

Hudson William or Walter P 66548 6303

Keany Patrick 62933 or 65816

King Michael 64070

Lavender Thomas 60824 4645 17.12.15 France 21 Aug 15 enlisted 6bn

Meenahan Anthony 66661

Meenaghan John 65086 or 65776

McKenna Patrick 62477 or 63019

Murtagh James 62572 4676 17.12.15 France

O’Leary Daniel (65580 26 jan 15 enlisted discharged 10 mar19 xvia 20400?)

Tuohy James 60140, 64246 or 69149

[mhifle]

If you look him up in 1901 and 1911 census when he is 3 and 13, it would look as if he took a year off his age to join up.

Hi,

Thanks for those details, I wonder what his job was in Dublin at the time, or if he was with the 3rd or 4th Battalion in Kinsale.

This looks like his birth.

Ireland, Civil Registration Births Index, 1864-1958 about Lawrence Elvidge

Name: Lawrence Elvidge

Date of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1897

Registration district: Dublin North

Birth Country: Ireland

Volume: 2

Page: 447

FHL Film Number: 101066

Regards Mark

[mhifle]

Here is his date of birth 29 June 1897

Regards Mark

[corisande]

Memorial to him in Dublin

And here

His grave

Commission 12 Aug 1915

[mhifle]

Hi,

Thanks for those links.

I think the three names listed in the Gazette are those referred to at the bottom of this note by Lieutenant Colonel H F N Jourdain commanding the 5th Battalion at the time, which I came across at the NA.

Headquarters

29th Brigade 9th Sept 1915

I should be much obliged if you could forward the following case. There are officers when the Battalion left England. Eleven Subalterns belonging to this Battalion who were attached to the 3rd Battalion and who were to be sent out as soon as vacancies occurred. Since the 27 August I have been without a Captain and now have only one Subaltern besides ?. I would be much obliged if 2nd Lieut Holmes could be sent out as soon as possible and some more 2nd Lieutenants, and if possible some senior officers (Captains) as at present I have no one except Lieut Martin, who has one years service only. I do not know if any of these officers are on their way to join me, but it becomes increasingly necessary for some officers to be sent out as early as possible, as I have few NCOs and no officers of standing. The names of the officers left behind are:

Lieut V J Tibbs

2nd Lieut A C Holmes

2nd Lieut M Fogarty

2nd Lieut D P J Kelly

2nd Lieut G Mortimer

2nd Lieut M Fogarty

2nd Lieut H L H Richards

2nd Lieut G Robinson

2nd Lieut P J McGlade

2nd Lieut M Fogarty

2nd Lieut D J Cowan

2nd Lieut J A Sheridan

2nd Lieut S Gibbons

Besides these there are three newly appointed latterly whom I have not included in the list above. There is a pressing need of a Major or Captain.

H F N Jourdain Lt Col

9 Sept 1915 O C 5th The Connaught Rangers

Lieutenant Colonel H F N Jourdain was very eager to obtain officers from reserve battalions of the regiment for the 5th Connaught Rangers, rather than officers from the Royal Dublin Fusiliers who he had been sent, noting, ‘The reason that I make this urgent request is that it is above all things necessary to get officers who have known the men with whom they have to deal, which is extremely necessary in an Iirsh Regiment.’ 23 Sept 1915

Regards Mark

[mhifle]

Mark

Independent has his battling previously with Lt Tweedy on February 28, 1916

Hi,

This looks like the no.7136 Sergeant C Leeson 3rd Connaught Rangers who while on leave reported to 2nd Lieutenant J Kearmis, Royal Irish Regiment. Commanding The Telephone Exchange Guard (Crown Alley telephone exchange) in Dublin.25 April 1916 and remained with this unit until 3 May 1916

Regards Mark

[mhifle]

Hi,

I now have a copy of his service record, but there is no mention of his service in Dublin in 1916.

The details I have found are below.

Regards Mark

He was attached to the 1st Battalion, The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and died of wounds received in action (Gassed Drift) 9 Aug 1916 at the 87th Field Ambulance in France.

Born 29 June 1897

Parents married 7 Sept 1880

Father died 21 July 1913

Previous occupation Bank Clerk, income £40 a year.

Mother Mrs Sara Jane Elvidge (57), 35 Victoria Road, Rathgar, Dublin

Sister Mrs Kathleen Strong (36), Missionary, ‘Montrose House’, India

Sister Mrs Dorothy Trotter (26), ‘Netherfield’, Scholes, Huddersfield,Yorkshire

Brother Trooper Arthur E Elvidge (30), British South Africa Police, Bulawayo Camp, Southern Rhodesia

Joined 1st Battalion, The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 20 July 1916