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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Cpl. Jeremiah "Jerry" Delaney, SPTS/1431, 23rd Royal Fusiliers


wbremner

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I am researching Jerry Delaney, the professional boxer who enlisted with 23rd Royal Fusiliers (First Sportsman's) Battalion in 1914 and was killed at Delville Wood in July 1916.

Does anyone have any records, photos, articles, letters, etc that they would be prepared to share? Especially about his service during the war, but also interested in before he enlisted.

I have access to the usual records on Ancestry such as MIC and SDGW, and I have uploaded some additional information to Find-A-Grave.

Any help appreciated.

Thanks.

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There is a picture of listed South Wales Echo 10/2/15

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Thanks ... by any chance do you have a link?

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Fraid not. It was just in a list. If you google his name and add boxer its on the second or third page. I did not keep a reference as it was only an unlinked list. May be try a search for South Wales Echo?

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  • 2 years later...

Do you know that he was awarded the Military Medal ?

First landed in France with 33 Division on 16.11.1915,his unit being a part of 99 Infantry Brigade. Within a few days the Brigade was transferred to 2 Division and fought in the Somme battle at Delville Wood (15 July to 3 Sep).Killed on 27 July.

You can read about the unit's contribution to the Battle in it's War Diary, either on Ancestry UK or as a download from the National Archives database:

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7352010

Edited by sotonmate
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Thanks Lads for the links and info.

 

Regards Gerry

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Are these cap badges the same, ie both  Royal Fusiliers. Is the one on the right Welsh Fusiliers  

The first soldier is Jerry Delaney and the other is Joe Jagger.

I have found Jerry's MIC and other info. But I can't find Joe(joseph) Jagger

I would appreciate any obs

 

Gerry

150305_-_SG11-7_-_Delaney.jpg

Edited by Don
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Hi Gerry,

 

You can find Joseph John Jagger in Ancestry under service number 487 (listed as Royal Welsh Fusiliers), or 57020 (as Labour Corps). His SPTS number is 487 in the Nominal Roll of the 23rd Royal Fusiliers, which is a bit odd given that his MIC and Award Roll entries do not make mention of his time in the Sportsman's battalion, and he would have been assigned that number sequentially on enlistment (or transfer) to the Sportsman's. I wonder if it is an oversight, in that perhaps he did serve with the RWF beforehand (hence the cap badge) but his records do not accurately reflect that 487 actually refers to the Sportsman's. In the Labour Corps award rolls he is listed as being in the 23rd RWF, so I suspect there was an early clerical mistake which proliferated in later records. Some more research may reveal the full facts. Based on his MIC, it looks like Jagger did go out to France with the rest of 23RF on 16th Nov 1915.

 

BTW, in the photo you provided, Delaney's sparring partner is identified on the rear as "Harry Hooper, the Fulham Boxer". This is very probably Harry John Hooper, who is listed in the 23RF nominal roll as SPTS/204. Interestingly, there is another Hooper, William, SPTS/209, also a boxer (fought under the name "Dick Brown"), probably a brother of HJ, as mentioned in this article in the Sportsman's Gazette

 

Thanks for sharing,

 

William

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Hi William, much obliged for the info on Jagger. I came across him in ancestry, but dismissed him because there was no SPTS connection.

The photo hung for years in a small second hand book shop in Dublin. The shop is hidden down a passageway, with a sign only visible to those in the know. Following this little corridor, plastered with flyers and posters, will lead you to the most perfect little bookshop that Dublin has to offer.

 I frequent it a lot. I always wondered who the chaps were and recently I asked the owner if I could borrow them and do some research. When the owner finds odd photos he pins them on the wall.

I hope he will frame them with a bit of the research that the members here kindly got for me

Many thanks again

Gerry    

I enclose another photo  of 2nd Sport Battalion

R Lewis and Sgt Adams  

Lewis and Sgt Adams.pdf

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Hi Gerry,

 

That bookshop sounds fascinating! Just the kind of place to while away a wet afternoon in January.

 

I have attached a nice article about Delaney, from the Winnipeg Free Press, dated April 1918, which is definitely worth reading.

 

And this postcard is by the soldier-artist Fergus Mackain , who served with Delaney in the 23rd RF, and fought in the same Battle of Delville Wood where Delaney was killed. I like to think that this card honors Delaney, with the stable belt taking the place of the Lonsdale belt that Delaney would surely have won if not for the war.

 

TL-OR06-Ga-600.jpg

 

Thanks for sharing the picture of Lewis and Adams. I have that same picture but the quality is not as fine.

 

Best,

 

William

180410 - Winnipeg Free Press April 10, 1918.jpg

180410 (a) - Winnipeg Free Press April 10, 1918.jpg

180410 (b) - Winnipeg Free Press April 10, 1918.jpg

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Hi William,

Those are jems and I enjoyed reading them.Thank you very much.

Yes the book shop is called 'the little secret book shop and it's a hidden jem in its self.I have got a lot of my WW1 there over the years.

Regards

Gerry

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