WHAT BRITISH ARMY REGIMENTS / UNITS WERE LOCATED IN ATHLONE, WESTMEATH; DURING 1917 TO 1923

[Christopher Nixon]

I AM TRYING TO FIND MY FATHERS REGIMENT / UNIT WHICH WAS BASED IN ATHLONE DURING 1918 

- 1923. I HAVE NO SERVICE NUMBER OR REGIMENT INFORMATION. ALL I HAVE IS THAT HE WAS A SGT

, AND WAS A DRIVER.  HE WAS BORN IN WOLSTANTON , STAFFS; J. J .NIXON, 23/10/1894. HE JOINED UP IN 1914.

HE MARRIED A LOCAL GIRL, KATHLEEN HARNETT, ON 23/12/1930 IN ATHLONE.

MY SON AND I HAVE BEEN ON VARIOUS SITES TO TRY AND FIND HIM BUT TO NO AVAIL.  

HE WAS INJURED ( FACIAL INJURIES , RIGHT HAND SIDE)  AND INVALIDED OUT. HOWEVER,

EITHER REJOINED, OR WAS CALLED UP AGAIN. ANY CLUES WILL BE GRATEFULLY RECEIVED.

I WILL FOLLOW UP ON THE VARIOUS FAMILY HISTORY SITES IF ANY INFORMATION IS PROVIDED.

THANKYOU.

 

[tullybrone]

Hi,

 

If he was in the Royal Field Artillery are you aware that there was a RFA Depot in Athlone?

 

Steve

 

PS

 

IIRC If he was serving there as late as 1923 then he would, by that time, be serving with Irish Free State Forces. However if he was with the British Army at that time his service papers may still be with the U.K.  MOD - see this link

 

https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records/apply-for-someone-elses-records

[alf mcm]

Christopher,

  Welcome to the forum.

  Findmypast has the 1922 Irish Army Census. There is no John Nixon mentioned. There is only a William Nixon, serving in Louth. It would seem John was defenitely in the British Army, and your best bet is to use the link shown in Steve's post.

 

Regards,

 

Alf McM

[Christopher Nixon]

tullybrone and alf mcm.

Thankyou for your replies. After exhausting our  searches in the various forums, we decided to place a note on here to see if there was any response. We did take note of the first

thing you make plain. First go to the Long, Long Trail under "Soldiers" and read all available material.   

The main problem we found was that not knowing a service number, and regiment, we were making assumptions as to placing him in the RFA.  

This became quite burdensome from the large number of J Nixon's thrown up in the WW1 lists and the complexity of the RFA. However, after browsing for quite a few hours around this site I realised that you cannot search on assumptions alone. Therefore, we have changed our tac. The only hint from the family is that " he would visit my mothers home, and drop off various items of rations". So we are searching through the RASC; this may or may not put up anything but never mind. The link, that "tullybrone" placed above is in progress.( submitted at the beginning of January this year. One other family myth is he re-enlisted under another name! This all started with my son researching the family tree in 2009, my father is the needle in the haystack problem. Once again, many thanks to you both for your search.

Chris Nixon.  

[alf mcm]

Christopher,

  Your father may be mentioned in an Absent Voters Roll for wherever he was living when he enlisted. Not all rolls have survived or are on line.

  It may be worthwhile contacting Midlands Ancestors, https://midland-ancestors.uk/about/  who will be able to give you advice on local resources, such as contemporary newspapers.

 

Regards,

 

Alf McM

[Christopher Nixon]

alf mcm.

Thankyou. I will try this route to see if there is anything available.

 

Chris Nixon.

[Jervis]

The Marriage record:

 

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1931/09021/5264218.pdf

 

 

[Christopher Nixon]

Jervis.

Many thanks for the link to the marriage record.

the only information I have uncovered about him is off the 1939 register. plus two electoral rolls. these place him in the village of Bircotes Notts.

There is a void in the time-line from reading a school attendance entry in Tunstall, to an electoral roll of Bircotes prior to the marriage.

alf mcm.

Have chatted to the "Midland ancestors" and they have nothing to assist me with. The only Absent Voters List was for 1919, and they did not add the svc number or regiment to it.

There was a push for paper during one of the wars; the previous absent voters lists were pulped or why!

 

  

[Neill Gilhooley]

I looked in just because 65th Division were across much of Ireland 1917/1918, 196 Brigade across the midlands. A search for Athlone does place RFA high in the probable list including the Garrison Hospital, but also yeomanry from West Somerset/Surrey/County of London.

 @corisande may be able to offer advice.

[corisande]

On 10/03/2019 at 13:12, Christopher Nixon said:

The main problem we found was that not knowing a service number, and regiment, we were making assumptions as to placing him in the RFA.  

 

9 minutes ago, Neill Gilhooley said:

@corisande may be able to offer advice.

 

Afraid I cannot really add much. Athlone was a major British Army base and had many regiments and specialist units passing through. Without anything concrete, there is nothing I can input, sorry

 

 

[Jervis]

If you know his approximate address at the Wars end,  you could trawl all the John Nixon’s in the Pension Ledgers to find your man or narrow the search to likely candidates. 

 

[Christopher Nixon]

Neill Gilhooley.

corisande.

Jervis.

Thankyou very much for your information. I will keep you informed as to my findings.

Kindest regards,

Christopher Nixon.

My son has just contacted me to say that my father was still showing as residing at 9 Upper Mount Street in the 1919 Electoral Register, as an absent voter. 

[MaureenE]

If he was part of the Royal Artillery, which from the comments above sounds a possibility,  and he served after the war in the RA, there may be record in the findmypast database 

https://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-Records/royal-artillery-attestations-1883-1942

Royal Artillery Attestations 1883-1942

Note the title is somewhat misleading. The records only commence after the war when the new renumbering system was introduced

 

Cheers

Maureen

[Christopher Nixon]

Maureene.

Initial searches proved fruitless , however still searching within your suggestion, and around it.

We are trying several different approaches so will inform yourself and the other gentlemen of what we find.

Kindest regards,

Christopher Nixon.

[Christopher Nixon]

Just to keep you informed of our searches for my fathers activity during WW1. We have received documentation from the MOD enquiry. However, the documentation is not for the person we applied for. It is for a soldier with a different christian name, birth date, and place of birth. The information given is quite plentiful, but for  "4445638, JOSEPH JAMES NIXON, THE DURHAM LIGHT INFANTRY"; born 3rd July 1899, in the parish of Allendale, Hexam, Northumberland. He previously served as "63568, Cpl, in the Lancashire Fusiliers", being discharged on the 21st March 1920. (22 pages). So our search is continuing. As there is nothing appearing at all for my father apart from Marriage in 1930;  an electoral address for 1928 in Bircotes, Notts. Plus an electoral roll entry for his task as an ARP during ww2, in Bircotes, Notts. Then to find any hints at all, we will have to await the outcome of the 1921 Census. There just is no information apart from a Tunstall school entry of 1901. The gap in-between is quite large, Thankyou once again for your hints and tips.

 Kindest regards,

Christopher T Nixon.   

[Christopher Nixon]

After changing tack in the search for information on my fathers activity during ww1, we have come across  a John Nixon, Wheeler S/Sgt, Reg't no. T4/244835. it may lead nowhere., However. whilst looking through a document  "The Mulcahy papers, in UCD archives, Chief of Staff of IRA correspondence files, 1921 for Westmeath." We came across "TABLE 2. Military Strengths in Westmeath on July 16, 1921". with a source of "JEUDINE Papers, File No. 72/82/2" This gives an account of the number of officers plus rank and file with their locations. The RASC in Athlone had 197 rank and file; and Mullingar 9 rank and file. So if my father was still serving as a horse wagon driver at this time, then it is possible he could be one of them. A long shot indeed, as they say; but the search goes on. I do hope I have given due courtesy to the sources quoted above.above

Kindest regards,

Christopher T Nixon.  

[Jervis]

25 minutes ago, Christopher Nixon said:

After changing tack in the search for information on my fathers activity during ww1, we have come across  a John Nixon, Wheeler S/Sgt, Reg't no. T4/244835. it may lead nowhere., However. whilst looking through a document  "The Mulcahy papers, in UCD archives, Chief of Staff of IRA correspondence files, 1921 for Westmeath." We came across "TABLE 2. Military Strengths in Westmeath on July 16, 1921". with a source of "JEUDINE Papers, File No. 72/82/2" This gives an account of the number of officers plus rank and file with their locations. The RASC in Athlone had 197 rank and file; and Mullingar 9 rank and file. So if my father was still serving as a horse wagon driver at this time, then it is possible he could be one of them. A long shot indeed, as they say; but the search goes on. I do hope I have given due courtesy to the sources quoted above.above

Kindest regards,

Christopher T Nixon.  

 

Hi Christopher, 

Very interesting. Could you post a link to the document. I can not locate it. 

 

Thanks

 

[Chris_Baker]

The service record of T4/244835 exists and shows that he lived in Manchester in 1920. He had been born in Hulme. Sorry - but at least you can eliminate him.

 

 

Edited 11 August , 2019 by Chris_Baker

[Ron Clifton]

If you can get to London, you will find the following fies at Kew:

  WO 73 Office of the Commander in Chief and War Office: Distribution of the Army Monthly Returns  1859-1950  183  

WO73/105    1917    Jan-Apr    Monthly Returns of the Army        
WO73/106    1917    May-Aug    Monthly Returns of the Army        
WO73/107    1917    Sep-Dec    Monthly Returns of the Army        
WO73/108    1918    Jan-Jun    Monthly Returns of the Army        
WO73/109    1918    Jul-Dec    Monthly Returns of the Army        
WO73/110    1919    Jan-Jun    Monthly Returns of the Army        
WO73/111    1919    Jul-Dec    Monthly Returns of the Army        
WO73/112    1920    Jan-Jun    Monthly Returns of the Army        
WO73/113    1920    Jul-Dec    Monthly Returns of the Army        
WO73/114    1921    Jan-Jun    Monthly Returns of the Army        
WO73/115    1921    Jul-Dec    Monthly Returns of the Army        
WO73/116    1922    Jan-Jun    Monthly Returns of the Army        
WO73/117    1922    Jul-Dec    Monthly Returns of the Army        
WO73/118    1923    Jan-Jun    Monthly Returns of the Army        
WO73/119    1923    Jul-Dec    Monthly Returns of the Army        

Good luck!

 

Ron
 

[Christopher Nixon]

JERVIS; CHRIS BAKER; RON CLIFTON; 

Thankyou for your answering my posting of Friday last.

JERVIS; I am afraid I did not give proper recognition to the original source for my quotes last Friday. The correct source for this information is as follows;

National University of Ireland, Maynooth. St. Patricks College, Maynooth. " IRA ACTIVITY IN WESTMEATH DURING THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE, 1918-21".

Thesis by Russell W Short. And the link is: http://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/5300/1/Russell_W_Shortt_20140805105151.pdf.

CHRIS BAKER; Many thanks for that memo. My son and I noted that error in our logic too.

RON CLIFTON; Many thanks for that listing, we will run through them asap.

Kind regards,

Christopher T Nixon. 

[Christopher Nixon]

After various searches and blind alleys, my son decided to follow up my fathers activity in the LDVRs and home guard. he sent off for the information and we received a PDF of his service in the Nottinghamshire home guard, based in Bircotes, Nottinghamshire. The unit was  "A Company; Bassetlaw;12th Battalion Notts Home Guard.

Prior to this, his service during WW1 was initially in the North Staffordshire Regiment from 1911 to 1913. Then the Royal Army Signal Corps (18th Division) 1914-1919.

So, we were forming too many assumptions as to what unit/regiment he was attached to, whilst serving in Athlone, Ireland.

We are now looking more into the 18th Division Royal Army Signal Corps. And hoping we can arrive at a solution as to how he came about serving in Athlone.

Chris Nixon.   

[Steven Broomfield]

1 hour ago, Christopher Nixon said:

After various searches and blind alleys, my son decided to follow up my fathers activity in the LDVRs and home guard. he sent off for the information and we received a PDF of his service in the Nottinghamshire home guard, based in Bircotes, Nottinghamshire. The unit was  "A Company; Bassetlaw;12th Battalion Notts Home Guard.

Prior to this, his service during WW1 was initially in the North Staffordshire Regiment from 1911 to 1913. Then the Royal Army Signal Corps (18th Division) 1914-1919.

So, we were forming too many assumptions as to what unit/regiment he was attached to, whilst serving in Athlone, Ireland.

We are now looking more into the 18th Division Royal Army Signal Corps. And hoping we can arrive at a solution as to how he came about serving in Athlone.

Chris Nixon.   

 

'Royal Army Signal Corps' is not a thing. There is Army Service Corps, which became the Royal Army Service Corps in 1919, or the Royal Corps of Signals. However, the latter wasn't created until 1922; prior to that, signals was the preserve of the Signal Section of the Royal Engineers. Are you basing your regimental title on the initials 'RASC'?

[Pat Atkins]

An infantry division in WW1 was served by a Royal Engineers Signals Company, numbered accordingly (so, the 18th Division would include18th Signals Company RE in their order of battle). Just in case it's helpful in your research, the Signals Companies were referred to variously in Army documents, commonly as e.g. 18th Sigs Company, 18 Sig Coy, 18 Div. Sig. Coy, 18 Sig Coy RE, etc. 

 

Cheers, Pat

[Christopher Nixon]

Pat Atkins.

"Royal Army Signal Corps' is not a thing. There is Army Service Corps, which became the Royal Army Service Corps in 1919, or the Royal Corps of Signals. However, the latter wasn't created until 1922; prior to that, signals was the preserve of the Signal Section of the Royal Engineers. Are you basing your regimental title on the initials 'RASC'?"

 

Many thanks for your posting of 8th March; and apologies for not replying sooner.

Yes, you are correct. Thankyou for pointing the above out to me.

Chris Nixon 

[Christopher Nixon]

Pat Atkins.

Thankyou for your posting of the 8th March; and apologies for the very late reply.

Reading my fathers entries on his Home Guard form he / or someone filling the form in, has written "Royal Army Signal Corps, 18th Division 1914-1919".

 chris Nixon