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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

I need your help again lads and lassies.


museumtom

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Myself and another lad were having a ramble round some buildings in need of repair and I seen this old door with cracked paint and two small poppies with their petals closed because it was raining and I says to meself, 'That would make a nice picture.' And the rest it history.

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Can find what appears to be him in the 1901 and 1911 censuses in and around Portobello Barracks. 

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Dublin/Fitzwilliam/Lennox_Place/1306889/

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Dublin/Rathmines___Rathgar_West/Portobello_Barracks/53074/

No other clues so far. There is a family tree on ancestry but no military details. 

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Have found MIC, Medal Roll and SWB for Gunner 2546 James Waters RFA.  Enlisted 6/7/1908  Discharged 26/7 1915 due to sickness. Pension record on Fold 3. Still looking.

 

Bob.

 

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14 minutes ago, little bob said:

Have found MIC, Medal Roll and SWB for Gunner 2546 James Waters RFA.  Enlisted 6/7/1908  Discharged 26/7 1915 due to sickness. Pension record on Fold 3. Still looking.

 

Bob.

 

Yes I saw him, in the Ancestry Pension records but his year of birth is about 1886, which doesn't tally with the DC.

Although they state 'Deceased', they don't give a date of death. (Although near one of the 'Deceased,' stamps is a date stamp for August 1923).

On the plus side, his mother was Martha, and his wife was Margaret.

 

Neither is he 53118 RFA (Still alive November 1919).

 

Edited by Dai Bach y Sowldiwr
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Good Lord, you guys are on the ball! Fingers crossed that you nail him down. As I remember the married quarters in Portobello Barracks. they were basic, looked more like a slum, but were self contained. Loads of kids, railings, red brick construction in two levels, in blocks. The only way out of these was upwards, and out of the army. Soldiers who lived in these could not afford civvy accommodation, and lived on 'the clippings of tin.' 

Keep up the great work lads and lassies!

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Mark, I think you have nailed it. It must be him in the Census, well spotted.

Bob, a great find, I will do some digging with your info and see what turns up.

Dyfed, fair comment, you could very well be right! But then again.....

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James Waters 2546 RFA was from Sunderland. Born around January 1886 according to Pension Record.

Record is stamped 'Deceased', but undated, and although  'August 1923' is stamped nearby, that could be the date that a pension application was made or some other entry in his record.

 

Free BMD gives this Sunderland death for 1924 which matches his age pretty accurately

From 1919 Qtr 1 to 1924 Qtr.4, there are only 43 James Waters deaths in England & Wales and this one is the only one compatible with a man born 1886, and it's in Sunderland.

 

Deaths Dec 1924   (>99%)
Waters  James  38  Sunderland  10a 651  

 

 

Nowhere in his records is there a reference to the middle name of Thomas, so I don't think the 1919 Dublin death is James Waters 2546 RFA.

 

Edited by Dai Bach y Sowldiwr
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Thank you for that Dyfed. I hate to say it but I reckon you are looking at the wrong lad. Mark posted two Census urls which would fit him I think. Do you agree? I have not found any reference to his second name being Thomas either.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Dublin/Fitzwilliam/Lennox_Place/1306889/

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Dublin/Rathmines___Rathgar_West/Portobello_Barracks/53074/

 

Kind regards.

 Tom.

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1 hour ago, museumtom said:

Thank you for that Dyfed. I hate to say it but I reckon you are looking at the wrong lad.

Hi Tom

Yes, that's exactly what I was trying to prove.

Bob brought up 2546, but I don't think it's him, and nor is it 53118.

The man that Mark posted in the censuses is a very good possibility, but he's not either of the above 2 numbers.

There are 12 James Waterses on the MIC database in the RFA, and another 12 J.Waterses.

I think I've excluded 2 !

 

William Wheeler

Nothing obvious on first scanning - there are a lot of William Wheelers in the Pension Records, but none with an obvious Irish connection, apart from a lad of that name who is a soldier's brother from Co.Wateford- so not him.

Interestingly Ancestry states that the brother is in the 'Roy Minors Fus'.

What's that then? A regiment for underage soldiers?

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Underage soldiers!! good one Dyfed, thank you very much for all the help!

Wheeler is such a hard difficult one, no Irish ones that come near.

Waters is a hard one, sorry Dyfed I only bring in hard ones as otherwise I would have to pass them by. You know the sort of thing, you look for a few hours, banging your head against a stone wall and nothing is working for you, and are ready to give up but you know there is someone in here that might have the answer you seek. I had considered that he might be listed as Watters, but that idea did not bear fruit, mores the pity.

Keep up the good work and thank you again.

 Kind regards.

 Tom.

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Wheeler

Possibly 5878 Royal Irish Fusiliers. WFA Card gives Dob as 26/8/19. Address of claimant - aunt. Mrs M A Sandys, 5 Chapel Lane Dundalk

edit:

Another card give DoD as 24/8/19 and cause as TB  so looks to be him. Indicates W/S - whilst serving. Ancestry has under Whisler

edit:

Another gives his date of discharge as 6/5/19

Edited by Mark1959
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Brilliant Mark that looks like a real hit. Your number gives me

 

William
Last name Wheeler
Service number 5878
Rank Private
Badge number B224712
Enlistment date 10-Dec-1912
Discharge date 06-May-1919
Regiment/unit Royal Irish Fusiliers
Cause of discharge Sickness Para 392 (xvi)
Whether served overseas Yes
Badge date of issue 09-Jul-1919
Record set Silver War Badge Roll 1914-1920
Category Military, armed forces & conflict
Subcategory First World War
Collections from England, Great Britain

 

But I cannot find any records...yet!

Thanks again Mark!

Edited by museumtom
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Silver War Badge record shows 10/12/12 to 6/5/19. Sickness and served overseas. 

1914/15 Star trio, Into theatre 4/12/14. Rolls show 1 and 2 RIF

 

Edited by Mark1959
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Snap!!

Thank you for the MIC I did not have that!

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That is brilliant, thanks lads. Great work altogether! I assume as he does not have an M.I.C, he would not have served during the war?

 

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Bingo, I got it!

Thanks for looking anyway lads and lassies!

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Thank you very much Craig. I was hoping it was Bridget Mary. Such is life.

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Morning Tom,

I see you've sent your liquid sunshine in this direction.

Collins (There's a famous name !) and McLoughlin both proving a bit elusive at the moment.

I'll look again later.

 

(Curiously, an Edward Collins, Pte.RWF is buried in Cardiff, also died the same day- St. Patrick's 1920).

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Thanks Dyfed, We kept a lot of the liquid sunshine for ourselves and are spreading it all round the country as we speak. At this stage most of us have webbed feet!

Kind regards.

 Tom.

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