Pte. Edward Sinclair, 9318, 1st Bn Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers

[Gustywinds]

I have been searching my family tree for someone entirely different and came across another casualty who is connected but not actually a blood relative (he was the brother of my grandfather's first wife).

My eye was caught by the wording "killed when the ship he was on was blown up" so I assumed he was a sailor and, being interested in the navy, I  looked further.

Turns out he was with the Inniskillings and was killed at Gallipoli on 1st July 1915. He is on the Helles Memorial and it says he was or had been awarded the DCM.

How do I go about finding out the circumstance of the award and his subsequent death?

  

 

[Matlock1418]

Gusty,

Here is his Edinburgh Gazette entry 13 August 1915 for his DCM https://www.thegazette.co.uk/Edinburgh/issue/12841/page/1246 

The citation reads "For gallant conduct on the 22nd May 1915, south-west of Krithia (Dardanelles), in the re-taking of an abandoned trench with the bayonet and holding it until reinforced."

Matlock1418

 

Edited 25 July , 2016 by Matlock1418
addition

[mancpal]

Gusty,

You could try contacting the Inniskillings Museum  (in Enniskillen) to see if they have anything on him. That's assuming they also house the regimental archive which is not always the case. 

 

Simon

[Gustywinds]

21 minutes ago, mancpal said:

Gusty,

You could try contacting the Inniskillings Museum  (in Enniskillen) to see if they have anything on him. That's assuming they also house the regimental archive which is not always the case. 

 

Simon

 

Tried their website but they want £28 to search and copy!

[mancpal]

Gusty,

I'm assuming that the £28 remains in their possession even if nothing shows up! No wonder your reticent.

Pre internet individual service records were subject to a similar system. Out of the 8 family members I've researched only 2 records survived so had I gone down this route I would have felt painfully out of pocket. Good luck with your search.

 

Simon

 

[Gustywinds]

2 minutes ago, mancpal said:

Gusty,

I'm assuming that the £28 remains in their possession even if nothing shows up! No wonder your reticent.

Pre internet individual service records were subject to a similar system. Out of the 8 family members I've researched only 2 records survived so had I gone down this route I would have felt painfully out of pocket. Good luck with your search.

 

Simon

 

No, It says they have a record but no indication of how much - at least when you pay the National Archive they tell you how many pages they are copying (even if, like one I had,, the reverse pages were blank and it was just showing writing through from the other side!)

 

I am going over to Belfast in September so may take a trip to Enniskillen, I've not been for 40 years or so and its a beautiful town.  

2 hours ago, Matlock1418 said:

Gusty,

Here is his Edinburgh Gazette entry 13 August 1915 for his DCM https://www.thegazette.co.uk/Edinburgh/issue/12841/page/1246 

The citation reads "For gallant conduct on the 22nd May 1915, south-west of Krithia (Dardanelles), in the re-taking of an abandoned trench with the bayonet and holding it until reinforced."

Matlock1418

Many Thanks!

2 hours ago, Matlock1418 said:

 

 

[kenf48]

Appears to be a regular soldier, enlisted Belfast February 1908, terms of service seven years with the colours five on the reserve.  Posted to the 1st Bn at some point, his age might give a clue, the 1st Bn was in India when war declared.  Recalled to the UK, with other units formed the 87th Brigade, 29th Division.  They embarked for Egypt on the 16th March 1915 (his mic shows entered theatre 17.3.15).  They arrived in Malta 24 March and on to Alexandria on the 248th March.  Sailed from Alexandria on the 8th April on the Andania (transport on the 'SS Mercian") Arrived at Lemnos 12 April. and from there embarked for the Peninsula landing on X Beach Cape Helles on the 25th April.  The diary records an enemy night attack on the 1st July and 5 ORs killed.

 

However he may have been evacuated earlier and the ship he was on sunk. I can't help with that.

 

Soldiers effects shows killed in action gratuity paid to his son.  I would expect to see 'lost at sea' or similar if he'd been on a ship.

 

The diary is on Ancestry

http://search.ancestry.co.uk//cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc=drE3&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&indiv=1&db=UKWarDiaries&gss=angs-d&new=1&rank=1&msT=1&_F0007CF4=royal inniskilling fusiliers&MSAV=1&uidh=yi4&pcat=39&fh=4&h=33753&recoff=&ml_rpos=5

 

but has not been digitised at TNA

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7357770

 

Ancestry usually have a 14 day free trial or you can access at your local library.

 

He has no service record on Ancestry or FMP so don't know what records the museum have.

 

Ken

 

 

 

[Gustywinds]

4 minutes ago, kenf48 said:

 

The diary is on Ancestry

http://search.ancestry.co.uk//cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc=drE3&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&indiv=1&db=UKWarDiaries&gss=angs-d&new=1&rank=1&msT=1&_F0007CF4=royal inniskilling fusiliers&MSAV=1&uidh=yi4&pcat=39&fh=4&h=33753&recoff=&ml_rpos=5

 

 

 

Ancestry usually have a 14 day free trial or you can access at your local library.

 

Ken

 

 

 

 

Thanks so much, Ken. I had no idea diaries were on Ancestry - I have a worldwide subscription as I am tracing family in UK, US and Canada

 

 

[kenf48]

He is also on the 1911 Census in the 2nd Bn at Aldershot,

on Ancestry 

http://search.ancestry.co.uk//cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc=drE4&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&gss=angs-c&new=1&rank=1&msT=1&gsfn=edward &gsfn_x=0&gsln=sinclair&gsln_x=0&msbpn__ftp=Belfast, Antrim, Northern Ireland&msbpn=91885&msbpn_PInfo=8-|0|0|3257|1652383|0|0|0|5293|91885|0|0|&gskw=India&cpxt=1&cp=11&MSAV=1&uidh=yi4&pcat=35&h=40560644&db=1911England&indiv=1&ml_rpos=1

 

Assume that's your man b.1890

 

Ken