Admin Michelle Young Posted 30 March Admin Share Posted 30 March Do you know if he was commissioned from the ranks? If so, this could be his medal index card copyright ©️ Ancestry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 30 March Admin Share Posted 30 March His CWGC details here https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/172280/james-ryan/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
museumtom Posted 30 March Share Posted 30 March Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marswexford Posted 30 March Share Posted 30 March Thank you Museumtom The pic looks like a stamp. Where did you come across this... It looks quite old. When I found the letter from James I had to find out more about him. "In the heel of the hunt" one contact led to another. One of his grand nieces had a map and a memory card which she so kindly entrusted to me to copy. So very grateful that she did. The memory card copy was enlarged very successfully. It seems to me that the Lieut Ryan mentioned on page 233 must surely be our 2nd Lieut James Ryan. Kind regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jervis Posted 31 March Share Posted 31 March On 30/03/2024 at 09:30, Marswexford said: Dear Jervis It was so exciting to read those 2 pages which you posted from the Leinster Regimental History. I believe that Lieut Ryan mentioned toward the end of the page, may be my grandfather's first cousin, 2nd Lieut James Ryan who died in Jan 1918. Would you be able to tell me how I might verify that connection please? Is it still possible to get a copy of the Leinster Regimental History? Kind regards Marie Hi Marie, Welcome to the forum. I could not find another Lieutenant Ryan serving in the Leinster, so it seems likely this one mentioned is your ancestor. The regimental history records he was also wounded in an earlier incident in Feb 1917. (I got my copy of the Leinster Regimental history online from Easons at a more modestly priced €45. ) It is also worth noting, that the Captain Dench mentioned in the attack alongside Ryan - is the father of Dame Judi Dench. Jervis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marswexford Posted 31 March Share Posted 31 March Hi Jervis Thank you so much for your reply and for checking if he was the only Lieut Ryan. I couldn't find another James Ryan either, but felt sure that it must be him. It is good to have that collaborated. I know from a letter written by one of my grand uncles to his brother that James was injured a few times. I believe that he was part of a "100 group reconnaissance party" or something like that. My memory is very vague but he may have been injured there. I will look for the book at Easons. His letter to my grandfather was hidden in an old envelope. It was lucky that it wasn't thrown away. It is on the Europeana website. His last word after his signature was "Sadness"! Thank you again. Marie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marswexford Posted 31 March Share Posted 31 March Jervis would you be able to identify the battle that he referred to as "the last Show"? The letter was written on the 26th August, 1917. He was just back from leave in Ireland. He said that most of his men "were scrapped in the last show"! I haven't identified that battle yet, but based on the date of the letter it may have been the "3rd Battle of Ypres". I don't know what other battles were fought that year. It seems that it was a prolonged battle and I couldn't determine an actual end date and if there were a series of battles. I would be very grateful for any information that could help determine what the "last show" was please!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 31 March Admin Share Posted 31 March 3rd Ypres began on 31/07/17 so could well be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marswexford Posted 31 March Share Posted 31 March Hi Michelle The battle of Ypres confuses me because it seems to be one long never ending battle. So he must be referring to the 31st July 3rd battle. The letter is only one month later. It makes sense. He was clearly still "raw" from the experience. Thank you Michelle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 31 March Admin Share Posted 31 March 3rd Ypres was made up of a lot of different actions. The war diary, which I believe you have, will show you what engagements they were involved in. The show ma6 be the battle of Langemark, 16-18August, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jervis Posted 31 March Share Posted 31 March (edited) Yes, I agree is was third Ypres. The 7th Leinster were part of the 16th Irish division which took part in the attack and incurred substantial casualties. The 7/Leinsters were in the front line several times in August 1917, but I suspect he is referring to early August (2nd - 5th) when the battalion was in action near Frezenberg Redoubt. Edited 31 March by Jervis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marswexford Posted 31 March Share Posted 31 March I just found this article below in The Irish Times. It would appear that the battle began on the 16th which had been postponed from the 14th due to the weather. https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/death-misery-and-mud-the-irish-debacle-at-langemarck-1.3091821 Log in to see this item in other languages Unfortunately, the item media as provided to Europeana can not be displayed at the moment. Please try to download the media or view the item on the providing institution's website. CC BY-SA(opens in new window) SHARE DOWNLOAD James Ryan of Raheen, Ferns, Co. Wexford 2nd Lieutenant, Leinster Regiment James Ryan was born about 1887, the son of James Ryan and Catherine Roche of Raheen, Tombrack, Ferns, Co. Wexford Ireland. He was a 2nd Lieutenant with the 47th Infantry Brigade, part of the 16th Division of the British Expeditionary Force and later with the 7th Leinster Regiment at Rouen, France. A poignant letter from James to his cousin John Breen, dated 26 August 1917, has survived in which he expresses his feelings at being back on the battlefield after a short period on leave in Ireland: “I am back in France in the thick of the old scrap again. It did seem rough after a few priceless days at home when I got back to this old place with its graveyards and desolation. Most my chaps got scrapped in the last show. We are now in comparative quiet to what it has been. Ireland looked well while I was at home. There is no country feeling the effect of this old war here than Ireland. This is a quare [sic] old war. Nearly all the chaps who came out with me are long since gone out of mess. ‘On Fame's eternal camping-ground/ Their silent tents are spread/ And Glory guards, with solemn round/ The bivouac of the dead.’” James managed to survive the battlefield but was killed in a railway accident on his way to rejoin his base depot at Calais on 13 January 1918. After the train stopped at Serqueux station, James was found seriously injured on the tracks. He died a short while later and is buried at St Sever Military Cemetery, Rouen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marswexford Posted 31 March Share Posted 31 March 32 minutes ago, Jervis said: Yes, I agree is was third Ypres. The 7th Leinster were part of the 16th Irish division which took part in the attack and incurred substantial casualties. The 7/Leinsters were in the front line several times in August 1917, but I suspect he is referring to early August (2nd - 5th) when the battalion was in action near Frezenberg Redoubt. Yes that makes sense. He had returned from leave at home when he wrote the letter so probably wasn't there on the 16th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marswexford Posted 31 March Share Posted 31 March I am actually reading "The Storm of Steel" by Ernst Juenger. The 1829 translation by Creighton. Hoffman who also translated Juengers books wasn't very complimentary about Creighton's fluency in German. Read the paragraph detailing his experiences at the battle of Guillemont yesterday. It was horrifically graphic. The paragraph which I am about to begin, in trepidation, is titled "Langemarck"! "Sadness" Just now, Marswexford said: I am actually reading "The Storm of Steel" by Ernst Juenger. The 1829 translation by Creighton. Hoffman who also translated Juengers books wasn't very complimentary about Creighton's fluency in German. Read the paragraph detailing his experiences at the battle of Guillemont yesterday. It was horrifically graphic. The paragraph which I am about to begin, in trepidation, is titled "Langemarck"! "Sadness" Correction 1929 edition Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marswexford Posted 31 March Share Posted 31 March 1 hour ago, Michelle Young said: 3rd Ypres was made up of a lot of different actions. The war diary, which I believe you have, will show you what engagements they were involved in. The show ma6 be the battle of Langemark, 16-18August, Thank you Michelle I have downloaded the war diary. The writing is very difficult to read. I will need to get it up on the laptop and zoom in. Zooming with the mobile isn't successful at all. Thank you so much again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jervis Posted 31 March Share Posted 31 March 48 minutes ago, Marswexford said: I just found this article below in The Irish Times. It would appear that the battle began on the 16th which had been postponed from the 14th due to the weather. https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/death-misery-and-mud-the-irish-debacle-at-langemarck-1.3091821 Log in to see this item in other languages Unfortunately, the item media as provided to Europeana can not be displayed at the moment. Please try to download the media or view the item on the providing institution's website. CC BY-SA(opens in new window) SHARE DOWNLOAD James Ryan of Raheen, Ferns, Co. Wexford 2nd Lieutenant, Leinster Regiment James Ryan was born about 1887, the son of James Ryan and Catherine Roche of Raheen, Tombrack, Ferns, Co. Wexford Ireland. He was a 2nd Lieutenant with the 47th Infantry Brigade, part of the 16th Division of the British Expeditionary Force and later with the 7th Leinster Regiment at Rouen, France. A poignant letter from James to his cousin John Breen, dated 26 August 1917, has survived in which he expresses his feelings at being back on the battlefield after a short period on leave in Ireland: “I am back in France in the thick of the old scrap again. It did seem rough after a few priceless days at home when I got back to this old place with its graveyards and desolation. Most my chaps got scrapped in the last show. We are now in comparative quiet to what it has been. Ireland looked well while I was at home. There is no country feeling the effect of this old war here than Ireland. This is a quare [sic] old war. Nearly all the chaps who came out with me are long since gone out of mess. ‘On Fame's eternal camping-ground/ Their silent tents are spread/ And Glory guards, with solemn round/ The bivouac of the dead.’” James managed to survive the battlefield but was killed in a railway accident on his way to rejoin his base depot at Calais on 13 January 1918. After the train stopped at Serqueux station, James was found seriously injured on the tracks. He died a short while later and is buried at St Sever Military Cemetery, Rouen. Thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now