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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Alias-Conn Ranger then Cambs


markinbelfast

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Heres one for you!

Name: GRAY, JAMES

Initials: J

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Private

Regiment: ALIAS

Age: 30

Date of Death: 15/04/1915

Service No: 9499

Additional information: See "STEWART," the true family name.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Cemetery: CHOCQUES MILITARY CEMETERY

He lived on the sdgw disc in Kilerea...possibly Kilrea....the medal (i have here) was issued to J Gray...is this the norm...even if they know the man is using an alias they issue them to the alais....the mic makes the whole thing deeper....his mic lists him as

Description Medal card of Gray, James

Corps Regiment No Rank

1st Cambridgeshire Regiment 9499 Private

1st Cambridgeshire Regiment 9499 Private

Date 1914-1920

and not as a Conn Ranger?

over to you!

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Mark

This is very interesting. The 1st Cambs were a TF unit only. No regulars served with them at least at the beginning. Youve probably got to look at fact that he was living in the Cambridgeshire area when he enlisted

All The Best

Chris

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As Chris says, this is strange. The 1st Cambs went to WF on 14-2-15 and were all TF men with numbers below 3000. The first draft was received in July 1915. At the time of Gray's death they were at Ypres. I've been researching this regiment for many years and this Gray doesn't appear in my casualty list for Cambs Rgt. If Gray's Cambs Rgt number was 9499 then he was given that number in early 1917 or very late 1916.

The fact that the CWGC details for James Stewart stated Connaught Rangers would suggest to me that he never served in Cambs Rgt and that the MIC is wrong. Perhaps someone read Connaught Rangers as Cambridgeshire Regiment or even CR to mean Cambridgeshire Rgt? However, I would guess his Connaught Rangers number was indeed 9499, which would be more likely for a Regular.

The only other possible thing could be that Gray/Stewart was only attached to Cambs Rgt (who were in 27th Div at the time), perhaps as a specialist or instructor. Were his Connaughts in the Ypres area at the time? There were Irish units in 27th Div.

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Kilrea is a parish and townland in county derry and is also named as a townland in co armagh. Kil incidentaly means church in irish and many irish placenames are preceded by Kil ie Kilkenny.

Are there other obscured letters in the placename? If so there are other places in Ireland that start with Kilrea and become i.e.Kilreanan.

regards

Dave Roberts

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As Chris says, this is strange. The 1st Cambs went to WF on 14-2-15 and were all TF men with numbers below 3000. The first draft was received in July 1915. At the time of Gray's death they were at Ypres. I've been researching this regiment for many years and this Gray doesn't appear in my casualty list for Cambs Rgt. If Gray's Cambs Rgt number was 9499 then he was given that number in early 1917 or very late 1916.

The fact that the CWGC details for James Stewart stated Connaught Rangers would suggest to me that he never served in Cambs Rgt and that the MIC is wrong. Perhaps someone read Connaught Rangers as Cambridgeshire Regiment or even CR to mean Cambridgeshire Rgt? However, I would guess his Connaught Rangers number was indeed 9499, which would be more likely for a Regular.

The only other possible thing could be that Gray/Stewart was only attached to Cambs Rgt (who were in 27th Div at the time), perhaps as a specialist or instructor. Were his Connaughts in the Ypres area at the time? There were Irish units in 27th Div.

Concur With Cliff on this one!

To have had a Cambridgeshire Regt Number As high as 9499,He would have enlisted much later than 1914.he does not appear on the Cambridgeshire Regiment 1914 ~15 Star Roll { Which I have}

The Cambridgeshire Regiment had only been in France since 14th February 1915 & their First Casualty was a Noble Dewey,who was killed in their first Action on 4th March 1915

With regard to Regulars there is a Suffolk regular who is listed on the 1914~15 Star Roll of the Cambridgeshire' Regiment,A Private John T.Landymore,with the number 7625,{MiC shows Cambridgeshire R & suffolk R,with same Number which is not unusual} Who is recorded on the Roll as serving O/S from January 1915 a Month before the Battalion reached le Harve,I have not got to the bottom of that one yet?Presumably he was serving with the Suffolk R. in France in January & then Attached to the Cambridgeshire Regt [there was a certain amount of Twoing & Froing between these Parent & Child Regiments}Or then again it may just be a Compilers Error!

The Connaught Rangers

1st Bn, Marseilles 26th September 1914,3rd {Lahore} divn.then with 2nd Bn.to Mespot 12.15.

2nd Bn;Boulogne 14.8.14;2nd Dvn then to 3rd {Lahore}Dvn with 1st Bn{amalgamated}

The Service Battalions were not Overseas until after your man's Death

THOMAS GRAY:9499 :3rd{Res} Bn;The Connaught Rangers. ;)

I think I have Solved this one by searching the MiC by NUMBER "9499" only you find THOMAS GRAY 9499 3rd Bn{Res.} Connaught Rangers;I suspect the Cambridgeshire R. J Gray 9499 is either a MiC error but more likely a totally different later enlistee.,of no connection to your Man,who I would hazard used an Alias Christian Name as well as Surname,The Details @ either the CWGC/NA being erronous in respect of his Aliases

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