Desmond7 Posted 6 February , 2005 Share Posted 6 February , 2005 Anyone interested in R I Rifles on this date? Have account of soldier who speaks of the action. Anyone wishing to know more, post here. I'll key in later. Des Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andigger Posted 6 February , 2005 Share Posted 6 February , 2005 Des7... I am interested in the 1915 battles more than the unit history. If its a personal account about the action and time he spent in specific areas, I'd like to know more. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 6 February , 2005 Author Share Posted 6 February , 2005 Here you go. At Neuve Chapelle with the RIR 'Lucky getting off with wounds' Pte. David Larkin, of the 1st Royal Irish Rifles, writes as follows to a friend:- "I am in a hospital wounded. I got it on 11th March at Neueve Chapelle, a bullet through my left forearm and a piece of shrapnell shell in the upper part of my right leg. "It was something dreadful to se how some of the men were suffering. I had to crawl on my hands and knees to the dressing station. "I shall never forget that battle. My company suffered most, there are only four of us left out of 100 and I consider myself lucky getting off with wounds. "The Germans were cut to pieces and lost thousands. They deserved all they got for man, woman and child are all alike to them. "It would make your blood run cold to hear the people of Neuve Chapelle tell of the cruel treatment they received at the hands of the Germans." On a seperate note, but worth keying in .. "I had a letter from A.... about a parcel that she and a few others had sent me but of course I was not there to receive it. It will not be lost. Some of the boys will get it and it will be divided up between them. That is the way we all do when the owner is away wounded, so I must thank you very much for the parcel. You would be surprised how a little parcel brightens up the troops. They are pleased as schoolchilden." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 6 February , 2005 Share Posted 6 February , 2005 Great account - thanks for sharing that one, Des. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andigger Posted 7 February , 2005 Share Posted 7 February , 2005 Thanks for sharing Des.... I am printing it off and will take the story with me to NC and think of Pvt Larkin in the spring. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 7 February , 2005 Author Share Posted 7 February , 2005 Glad it was of interest. I love these little letters ... realise they are reflecting a contemporary attitude and are mostly written from a worm's eye view ... but always worth keying in. Des Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Thorpe Posted 7 February , 2005 Share Posted 7 February , 2005 Hi Des7, Most interesting account. The 1RIR were in the same brigade as the Kensingtons and the Kensingtons spent a lot of their time at NC supporting the RIR. Can you give the source from where you got this letter as it would be useful to reference. Regards Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 8 February , 2005 Author Share Posted 8 February , 2005 Sorry Tom - should have said - Ballymena Observer old newspaper files ... Cheers Des and another Ballymena connection .. Davidson, the Lord Mayor/Mayor of Kensington who did so much for recruiting in that area of London at the time was a Broughshane man ... Broughshane being a small village near Ballymena. He got a Lordship and thus 'Lord Broughshane of Kensington' .... dah...dahhhhh!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Thorpe Posted 8 February , 2005 Share Posted 8 February , 2005 Hi Des7 Very true, Davison did a lot of recruiting for the 1/13 and formed the 2/13 as well as the 22Bn Royal Fuilliers (Kensington) Battalion under the New Army. Once this he formed this he genrally lost interest in the Kensingtons. Re the letter - do you have a date for the letter? Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 8 February , 2005 Author Share Posted 8 February , 2005 Tom - Ballymena Observer. April 2, edition, 1915. Des Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughton Posted 13 May , 2005 Share Posted 13 May , 2005 Anyone interested in R I Rifles on this date? Have account of soldier who speaks of the action. Anyone wishing to know more, post here. I'll key in later. Des <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Looking for starting information on the Royal Irish Rifles as part of my second project: http://www.censol.ca/research/worldwarone/ Unlike my Great War project, I do not have details on maternal grandfather movements from the CEF (Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry) to the BEF (Royal Irish Rifles). All I have in family records is this note: Later, on October 20th, 1916 he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Irish Rifles, and on August 4th 1917 he was appointed Acting Captain. Jack was discharged from the Army on July 1, 1919 after having been held prisoner by the Germans from March 21st 1918 to November 28th 1918 (Army Records Centre, Bourne Avenue, Hayes Middlesex, UBS 1RF). Any information would be most appreciated! Richard of Canada Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 13 May , 2005 Author Share Posted 13 May , 2005 Suggest you browse for the website of the Royal Ulster Rifles Museum. Within that site you will find downloadable histories on many of the Royal Irish Rifles btns. in WW1 and much other useful stuff. They DO take a bit of work to clean up from various bits of 'coding' but worth it in the end. Des Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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