3775 Pte James Reilly 2Bn Connaught Rangers

[Guest]

Hi I'm looking for more info on my great great grandfather private james Reilly 3775 as we no very little him 

[jonbem]

Hi and welcome.

Can you advise any other information? Date and place of birth? Do you know which regiment?

 

regards

Jon

[tootrock]

He was a Private in the Connaught Rangers. Professional soldier. Killed in action 7 November 1914. Commemorated on the Menin Gate, Ypres.

Go to The Long Long Trail (at the top of this page) for details regarding the British Army.

Martin

[jonbem]

Just now, tootrock said:

He was a Private in the Connaught Rangers. Professional soldier. Killed in action 7 November 1914. Commemorated on the Menin Gate, Ypres.

Go to The Long Long Trail (at the top of this page) for details regarding the British Army.

Martin

If so then this on CWGC

Casualty Details | CWGC

 

[RussT]

He has some service records - here on FindMyPast (should also be on Ancestry):

 

https://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=gbm%2fwo363-4%2f007272253%2f00430&parentid=gbm%2fwo363-4%2f7272253%2f37%2f429

 

Regards

 

Russ

 

 

[corisande]

If you go to the Nat Archive site, sign up and you can get a free download of the 2nd Connaught's War Dairy, which tells you  what they were doing. That link covers Aug to Nov 1914, which is what would have happened to the battalion while he was alive

 

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7351968

[archangel9]

You can find his medal index card free at Ancestry

 

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/1262/images/30850_A001300-00637?ssrc=&backlabel=Return&pId=2651414

 

They have his number wrong - 3778. Interesting that his medals were issued to next of kin on 20/02/1985. He arrived with a draft from 3rd Bn to 2nd on 07/10/1914 and was KIA on 07/11/1914 so he was probably a reservist at the outbreak of war.

 

John

[archangel9]

The war diary for November 1914 up to the date of his death. Anything in [ ] was added by me. As you can see the losses were high. Eventually the 2nd Bn was absorbed by the 1st. 

 

November 1914

 

Absorbed by 1^st Battalion in Ferozepore 

Brigade 26^th November.

 

 

1/11/1914 MOLENSAARELSTHOEK [Molenaaresthoek]

            In Trenches – Germans attacked portion of line held by A & D Coys, D having relieved B – 15^th Bde. R.F.A. brought up guns which knocked out a howitzer in the German trench. 10 killed 25 wounded.

 

[4084 Pte. Patrick Bartley. Birr, Co. Offaly. KIA.

10071 L/Sgt. David Berney. Dublin. KIA.

8800 Pte. William J. Carson. Glasgow. Born: Strabane, Co. Tyrone. KIA.

3696 Pte. Daniel Connolly. Sligo. DoW.

3173 Pte. James Connor. Boyle, Co. Roscommon. KIA.

8568 Pte. Thomas Duffy. Dublin. KIA.

6317 Pte. Gabriel Hobbs. East Molesey. Born: Hampton Wick, Middlesex. KIA.

10947 Pte. Patrick Maloney. Oughterard, Co. Galway. KIA.

3919 Pte. Thomas Murphy. Westport, Co. Mayo. KIA.

3780 Sgt. Michael O’Hara. Swinford, Co. Mayo. KIA.

10814 Pte. Edward Palmer. Dublin. DoW.

7728 Pte. James Reilly. Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. KIA.

10622 Pte. John Rourke. Enfield, Co. Meath. KIA.]

 

 

2/11/1914 MOLENSAARELSTHOEK [Molenaaresthoek]

            Frequent attacks and heavy shelling by enemy who made partial lodgement in portion of trench held by B Coy, ½ A Coy & ½ D Coy. Enemy driven out again. WICKHAM killed – MALLINS killed – Capt. BROOKE & Capt. WHYTE wounded. 12 N.C.O.’s & men killed. 25 wounded. Men of 3 Coys  commanded by Lt.’s FOOTE & AVELING. Relieved at night in trenches by H.L.I..

 

[10776 Pte. John Byrne. Dublin. KIA.

7585 Pte. Martin Colleton. Carrick on Suir, Co. Tipperary. KIA.

6795 Pte. Patrick Connor. Burnley. Born: Galway. KIA.

4072 Pte. John Delaney. Loughrea, Co. Galway. KIA.

7432 Pte. Michael Doyle. Mullingar, Co. Westmeath. Born: St. Helens, Lancashire. KIA.

4375 Pte. Michael Farrell. Govan, Lanark. Born: Sligo. KIA.

3804 Pte. James Healy. Strokestown, Co. Roscommon. KIA.

4283 Pte. John Holian. Roscommon. DoW.

8442 Pte. James Howley. Easkey, Co. Sligo. KIA.

3894 Pte. Michael Keogh. Ballinasloe, Co. Galway. KIA.

7483 Pte. John Lovell. Dublin. KIA.

2^nd Lieutenant Claude Joseph O’Connor Mallins. Dublin. KIA.

4237 Pte. James Monaghan. Oranmore, Co. Galway. KIA.

3479 Pte. James Moyles. Ballina, Co. Mayo. KIA.

8449 Cpl. John Pasley. Dublin. KIA.

8347 Pte. Daniel Rodgers. Carrick on Shannon, Co. Leitrim. KIA.

10627 Pte. James Smith. Dublin. KIA.

8027 Pte. Patrick Sweeney. Portobello, Co. Dublin. Born: Manorhamilton, Co. Leitrim. KIA.

9278 L/Sgt. Frederick Taylor. Dublin. Born: Mallow, Co. Cork. KIA.

7771 Pte. Michael Walsh. Ballina, Co. Mayo. KIA.

Lieut. Anthony Theodore Clephane Wickham. Somerset. KIA.]

 

3/11/1914 MOLENSAARELSTHOEK [Molenaaresthoek]

            Marched back on relief to farm by 6^th Bde. Officers Capt. GILLIAT, 5/Leinsters – 2^nd Lieut. MONTGOMERY 3/Conn Rangers joined. Brig. –    Gen. FANSHAWE commanding 6^th Bde. thanked Maj. ALEXANDER for the “Gallant way the Battalion had held the trenches in spite of continuous shelling and attack by the enemy.”

See Appendix X Oct. Diary.

            At 9 pm relieved the French in trenches to the right of our old trenches.

 

[6943 Pte. Hugh Buckley. Cellbridge, Co.Kildare. DoW.

7478 Pte. William James Fanning. Dublin. DoW.

9095 A/Sgt. Patrick Hannigan. Waterford. DoW.

4305 Pte. Patrick Kelly. Ballinasloe, Co. Galway. DoW.]

 

4/11/1914 MOLENSAARELSTHOEK [Molenaaresthoek]

            Quiet day in trenches – 2 wounded.

 

[9387 A/Sgt. George Alphonsus Fox. Tooting, S.W. Born: Malta. KIA.

4000 Pte. John O’Keefe. Enniscrone, Ballina, Co. Mayo. KIA.

8109 Pte. John Peterson. Drumkerin, Co. Leitrim. KIA.

3893 Pte. John Sullivan. Dunbar. Born: Clifden, Co. Galway. KIA.]

 

5/11/1914 MOLENSAARELSTHOEK [Molenaaresthoek]

            Heavy attack at night on centre of line held by B Coy – enemy advanced but were driven back except a few men who established themselves within 10 yards of our line. 2^nd Lieut. WINDSPEAR killed – Lieut. FOOTE – 2^nd  Lieut.’s CHEADLE & MONTGOMERY wounded – 4 men killed 30 wounded.

 

[10867 L/Cpl. Michael James Dalby. Castlerea, Co. Roscommon. KIA.

2^nd Lieut. Arthur Winspear. Yorkshire. KIA.]

 

6/11/1914 MOLENSAARELSTHOEK [Molenaaresthoek]

            In trenches – Constant sniping all day – Very heavy shelling.

 

[4061 Pte. Michael Francis Coyle. Belmullet, Co. Mayo. DoW.

7379 Pte. Joseph Curran. Coventry. Born: Elphin, Co. Roscommon. KIA.

8330 Pte. James Grumley. Rathfarnam, Co. Dublin. KIA.

3022 Pte. George Meldrum. Sligo. KIA.

10183 Cpl. William Nagle. Tipperary. KIA.

8598 Pte. Thomas Nugent. Ballinasloe, Co. Galway. Born: Aughrim, Co. Galway. KIA.

4141 Pte. Frederick O’Donnell. Ballina, Co. Mayo. DoW.

7963 Pte. James Reid. Dublin. KIA. ]

 

7/11/1914 MOLENSAARELSTHOEK [Molenaaresthoek]

            Still heavily shelled – part of B Coy trench blown in – house within 5 yards of our trench occupied by enemy – Gun brought up at night and enemy dislodged – 2^nd Lt. AVELING wounded.

Draft of 47 men arrived.

 

[3907 Pte. Anthony Barrett. Ballina, Co. Mayo. KIA.

10958 Pte. Michael Cullinane. Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo. KIA.

3866 Pte. John Griffin. Ballinasloe, Co. Galway. KIA.

8157 Cpl. Bartholomew Hayes. Cork. KIA.

7776 Pte. Paul Joseph Patrick May. Dublin. KIA.

10444 Pte. John Mullaley. Enfield, Co. Meath. KIA.

10558 Pte. John O’Connor. Coatbridge, Glasgow. KIA.

3775 Pte. James Reilly. Tuam, Co. Galway. KIA.

3938 Pte. Michael Whelan. Kilnaboy, Co. Clare. Born: Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare. KIA.]

 

8/11/1914 MOLENSAARELSTHOEK [Molenaaresthoek]

            Germans attacked at dawn and again in the evening – heavy shelling – Capt. LAUGHNAN R.A.M.C. wounded. Relieved at night by WORCESTERS.

 

[4766 Pte. Peter Breen. Boyle, Co. Roscommon. Born: Passage, Co. Cork. DoW.

3872 Pte. Michael Caffery. Gort. Co. Galway. KIA.

4475 Pte. Michael Connell. Ballinasloe, Co. Galway. KIA.

3708 Pte. Thomas Costello. Ballina, Co. Mayo. KIA.

3051 Pte. Michael Dolan. Carrick on Shannon, Co. Leitrim. KIA.

3790 Pte. Michael Gallagher. Bacup, Lancashire. Born: Foxford, Co. Mayo. KIA.

7754 Pte. Edward Grehan. Crossmolina, Co. Mayo. Born: Ballina, Co. Mayo. KIA.

10730 Pte. John McConville. Lurgan, Co. Armagh. KIA.

9331 Sgt. Robert McCormick. Rochdale. Born: Liverpool. KIA.

4509 Pte. Patrick McGuinn. Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo. KIA.

6994 Pte. John Small. Rochdale. Born: Ballinasloe, Co. Galway. KIA.

4578 Pte. Bernard Ward. Castlerea, Co. Roscommon. Born: Strokestown, Co. Roscommon. KIA.]

[DavoT]

Hi all,

just jumping in on this topic in reference to 4061 Pte Michael COYLE and 4141 Pte Frederick O'DONNELL, 2/Connaught Rangers. Both DoW on 6 November 1914. From what I have been able to find out, both were fatally wounded on the night of 5/6 November when a German shell hit the Hotel d'Ville in Ypres next to the billets where they were apparently staying. 10 were either killed or fatally wounded and they lie side by side in Railway Chateau Cemetery. Given that the 2/Connaught Rangers were in the trenches at Molensaarelsthoek (seen it spelt a few slightly different ways), what would they have been doing in town? Out of the 10 only these two were from the Connaught Rangers, the others a mix of different Regiments. Thoughts anyone!

Cheers,

David

Edited 24 December , 2023 by DavoT