Ulster Division/Royal Engineers - 64423 William Whiteside?

[Noor]

Hi all,

Can someone is able to confirm that the Sapper William Whiteside, 64423 was serving with the Ulster Division Royal Engineers? Medal roll also shows that there was David Whiteside with one digit different service number - 64422. I presume they were brothers?

Any info would be great.

Kind Regards,

Timo

[Terry_Reeves]

Norr

Yes he was. He served with 150 Field Company RE.

Attested Belfast Old Town Hall 1.3.15

Bricklayer - address Glemore Post Office

Married 1903 - 3 Children

Absent from Reveille 4.4.15 to 6.4.15 - 7 days CB (Antrim)

4.4.17 Granted Good conduct badge

2.12.16 - 12.12.16 UK leave

31.12.17 - 18.1.18 UK leave

Z Reserve 24.3.19.

Home address on demob give as Ballanoor

TR

[Noor]

Thank you! I just wanted to be sure about the Ulster Division part.

Thanks again!

[Terry_Reeves]

Norr

David Whiteside also a bricklayer of Conmore st Belast enlisted on the same date at the town hall and both were trade tested on 1.3.15 at Courtney and Co, 23 Distillery St Belfast. David was a member of 121 Feield Company.

This doesn't make them brothers of course.

TR

[rob elliott]

Timo,

The William 64423 and David 64424 do not appear to be related [at first].

David Royal Engineers was the father of at least 3 sons who served

David Jnr 2nd RIR killed in action

George 2nd Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers

William Royal Marine Light Infantry

There is also a Robert MT ASC

All at the address 58 Cranmore Street [note spelling] off the Shankill Rd.

David had five children living in 1911, no Robert, but a Thomas. Robert may have been David snr's brother.

Now interestingly William who served in the RMLI was a bricklayer, as was David snr but can't be the William who served in the RE's as he was married in 1903 when David's son William was a child.

David and his wife are County Armagh born as were the elder children, the rest Belfast. All were Presbyterian.

David snr signed the Ulster Covenant at Shankill rd Mission, with address as 71 Cranmore st. There is also a William signed it from here. The son would have then been 16.

William 64423 is also an Armagh man, he gave address as Glennane [not Glemore] post office.

Now David, initially joined the 150th Co as did William then later was transferred to 121st. Possibly to distribute bricklayers??

But what I think confirms there is a connection of some sort, brothers or cousins is William gives his address as Glennane Post Office and David was married in Mount Norris Presbyterian Church, about half mile from Glennane.

Bit of a coincidence two bricklayers, born Armagh, join same day, attested by same guy, with consecutive numbers, but one lives Belfast and the other Armagh. No!!!

The enlistment date for many Ulster Division RE's especially the 150th [when the 3rd field companies were formed and added to the 36th Division] was march 1915. They then split the earlier formed 121st and mixed some men with new 150th men to spread across the field companies by trade.

So many men had joined other Regiments in Sept/Oct 1914 but were poached by the RE's in Feb/March 15. There will be virtually no record of these first few months service with infantry regiments except the odd family stories and unexplained photos of the men in different uniforms. Have seen this a number of times for 150th men.

William and David were enlisted by a man from the RAMC, is this what they first enlisted into?

Rob

[Murrough]

Good detective work.