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Remembered Today:

3rd Batallion Connaught Rangers


Cuchullin

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Hello Everyone

I am In the process of researching my Grandfather Pte Patrick O'Neill 8363 Connaught Rangers. I vaguely recall seeing Ist Batallion on his Victory Medal, When I found his M.I.C on the Ancestry site it gave his enlistment date as 17/12/1904 and under Corps is what looks like 3rd Batallion - is there any way of confirming this ? Also where would he have done his training and how long for? I would be grateful for any assistance.

Regards and Thank You in advance.

JJ.

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Do medals have battalion on them? My Grandfathers do not nor his siblings!

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JJ,

His enlistment date is on the Silver War Badge roll and you are correct -

Enlisted 17/12/1904. Discharged 13/6/1916 due to wounds.

The Battalion would not have been on his medals. As stated above he went to the 1st Bn in a draft from the 3rd on 7/11/1914.

John

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I think he was a former regular soldier that went from the 3rd Bn to the 1st Bn as a called up Army Reservist rather than actually having joined the 3rd Bn Special Reserve.

Checking Paul's website for Connaught Rangers' regular battalion numbers: 8135 joined in Feb 1904. 8450 joined Jan 1905. Patrick, 8363 17/12/1904 fits the sequence.

http://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/connaught-rangers-1st-2nd-battalions.html

I've also noticed that the 3rd Bn was only up to number 5271 on 12th January 1915 and the 4th Bn was only up to number 5802 by 18th September 1915.

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I think he was a former regular soldier that went from the 3rd Bn to the 1st Bn as a called up Army Reservist rather than actually having joined the 3rd Bn Special Reserve.

Yes agreed.

Where was your Grandfather from? There is at least one possible on the census of 1911 with 1st Bn in India. This man was 30 in 1911 and from Abbeyleix.

John

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Hi Everyone,

Thanks to all those who replied to my query re my Grandfather Pte Patrick O'Neill Connaught Rangers 8363 ( Dublin 1884-1939).

Regards

JJ.

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JJ,

There is another Patrick O'Neill on the 1911 census with 1st Bn. Single, 29 and from Dublin. The age is wrong but that kind of clerical error is common so this could be your man.

John

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