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Remembered Today:

Trying to trace my Grandads war record


Guest Gorby928

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Hi All

I could really do with some help,I have been trying to trace my grandads war record(service history) and I seem to of hit a dead end? I will list all the info I have below.

Name- John Dillon(also known as Jack)

Leinster Regiment,10th Irish Division.

Enlisted in Co Offaly Eire

Verbal History.

First tour of duty Gallopili

then possibly Bulgaria (Greece).

Iraq (Basra)

Somer valley.

Bank of the Suez canal.

then had an accident in Palestine,fell down a ravine was missing but found by sappers and bought back to Plymouth.

Sent to convalese on the Isle of Wight.

Transferred to Military police(Redcaps) but didnt like it so volunteered for France and sent to the Somme.

Hospitalised in France until the end of the war 1918.

We have a service Number off one of his medals 5339 private.

I searched on the national archives with this info and all I can find is a medical card which I think is his(not sure) ref: WO 372/6/30104

after that I cant find anything I dont know what I am doing wrong?

Thanks.

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Gorby

The family lore may well be very wide of the mark.

There is a MIC that fits the bill - Leinsters 5339 and then transfer to the Labour Corps 651784. The entitlement is to the duo so entry into a theatre of war is from January 1916 onwards which rather rules out Gallipoli.

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Gorby

Have a look at the LLT site - the family account (removing the embellishments) of service broadly fits the 6th Battalion:

Formed at Dublin in August 1914 as part of K1 and came under command of 29th Brigade in 10th (Irish) Division. Moved to Fermoy, quickly on to the Curragh and by October was at Birr but back to the Curragh in February 1915.
May 1915 : moved to Basingstoke.
9 July 1915: embarked at Liverpool and sailed to Gallipoli via Mudros. Landed Anzac Cove 5 August 1915.
29 September 1915 : moved via Mudros to Salonika.
14 September 1917 : moved to Egypt for service in Palestine.
May 1918 : left the Division and sailed from Port Said, arriving Marseilles 1 June.

23 July 1918 : came briefly under command of 14th (Light) Division and then 34th Division.
20 July 1918 : placed under command of 198th Brigade in 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division.
12 September 1918 : disbanded at Abancourt.

The Labour Corps number was issued around September/October 1918 so the MIC details would fit with the disbandment of the Battalion.

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However, the wartime history of the 6th Battalion of the Leinster Regiment does seem to fit part of your verbal history. So maybe it is only the Military Police bit that is wrong. You can find more about the various battalions of the Leinster Regiment, and the Labour Corps, on the Long, Long Trail parent website for this forum.

The majority of records for WW1 soldiers do not survive so it may be that there is no other information specifically about your grandad beyond the medal (not medical!) card. There seems to be an active regimental association for the Leinster Regiment which might have some information.

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The Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians) Battalions of the Regular Army

1st Battalion

August 1914 : in Fyzabad, India. Returned to England, landing Plymouth on 16 November 1914.

Moved to Winchester and came under orders of 82nd Brigade in 27th Division.

20 December 1914 : landed at Le Havre.

Moved to Salonika, arriving 12 December 1915.

2 November 1916 : transferred to 29th Brigade in 10th (Irish) Division.

14 september 1917 : Division moved to Egypt for service in Palestine.

Possibly sent in a draft?

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The Ancestry UK Medal Cards show:

1. J Dillon 9339 2 East Lancashire Regiment and 7178529 Leinster Regiment and with a date into war of 6 Nov 1914.

2. J Tilling (aka J Dillon formerly 9339 East Lancs) and 40359 Leinsters.

Does your 5339 medal also show Leinsters ?

The above 2 cards refer to a soldier who served beyond 1921 and I would say that he has service records with the Army Personnel Centere in Glasgow:

http://www.veterans-uk.info/service_records/service_records.html

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9339 Dillon - medal roll shows

2nd. E. Lan. R. 9339 Pte 6th. E. Lan. R. 9339 1st. Gn. Bn. Manch. R. 45862 E. Lan. R. 9339

Craig

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  • 1 year later...

Hi guys

I know its been a long time but I just wanted to say thank you for all your help and information still not got a lot further due to work and family commitments but trying to pick it up again,thanks once again.

gorby928

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