Punjab studio photo of my Great Great Uncle from Ireland

[CaseyB]

[CaseyB]

Hello, new here.   

 

Sorry, I didn't add text before posting the images.   That, we believe, is Anthony McDonough who was born in Ireland in 1872.   I've been told the uniform indicates he was a Royal Inniskilling Fusilier.  Agree?  The photo, as you can see, was taken in Punjab, India.  Some cousins and I are trying to piece together his story.  When, do you think, he was in India?  And what was his role in the military?  Any information is very welcome.  I realize he may have been there before WWI, given his age.  If there is a more appropriate forum in which to ask my questions, I'd be grateful for direction.

 

 Thank you for your help.

Edited 15 January , 2019 by CaseyB

[Steven Broomfield]

Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers for sure.

[Dragoon]

Hello,

100% right with Inniskilling Fusiliers.

Others will be along later with more information regarding uniform service etc later I expect.

 

Chris 

[FROGSMILE]

Superb glass plate photo of a soldier from the 2nd Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, who were in India from 1888 until 1899, when they departed for South Africa.  He wears an India pattern frock and is dressed for walking out with a regimental swagger stick, but unusually has his full dress white helmet fitted with review order spike and badge.  It seems likely to be around 1898, just one year after the Tirah campaign and when the battalion was at Chakrata.  He seems to be wearing the India General Service medal with TIRAH clasp, and it’s probable that it’s display was the purpose of this portrait photo.

 

The battalion had had a long association with India, having been titled before it’s 1881 merger with the 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment, as the 108th (Madras) Regiment of Foot.  Before 1858 it had been the 3rd European (Madras) Regiment of the Honourable East India Company.

 

He is a trained marksman, which gave him a penny extra per diem, and has a single good conduct badge (an inverted cuff stripe) indicating 2-years of blemish free regular service towards pension.  Inserted in the front of his frock (jacket) is a pocket watch whose chain and T-bar fob you can clearly see.

 

You can read about the Tirah campaign/expedition here:

 

1. http://www.inniskillingsmuseum.com/the-tirah-expedition/?doing_wp_cron=1547347047.5170099735260009765625

 

2.  https://wiki.fibis.org/w/Tirah_Campaign

 

3.  http://www.kingscollections.org/servingsoldier/collection/tirah-photographic-journalism-part-1

 

The Victorian Wars Forum would be very interested to see the photo and members there might be able to check him on a medal roll: http://www.victorianwars.com/index.php?sid=8bc7255f952541d343c0420fa4ca2399

 

Edited 15 January , 2019 by FROGSMILE

[ForeignGong]

He looks like he has an India General Service Medal which covered 1852-1895.

So someone with more knowledge than me may be able to look him up.

Peter

[Heid the Ba]

Dalhousie is a hill station where troops spent the summers to escape the heat of the plains, it was in the Punjab then but is in Himachal Pradesh now.  Apologies if you know this.

[Mark1959]

CaseyB 

Did he eventually live in Preston? 

There are a few records for a man with the right name who enlisted 1892 and discharged 1919.

Edit - ignore that think that man was in N Lancs Regiment

Edited 15 January , 2019 by Mark1959

[CaseyB]

Wow!  This is incredible.  Clearly I came to the right place!

Thank you all  for your interest and insights.  I can't wait to share with my cousins.   Anthony has been a mystery to us.

 

Per a family letter, he was back in Ireland and making good money as a plasterer in 1899.  He married in 1910 and died sometime before 1949. Other than the photo, that's about all we know

 

I will, indeed, follow up with the Victorian Wars forum for possibly more information and I will explore the links that were provided. 

 

So grateful for your help. Thank you again.