Thade/Timothy Loughnane/O Loughlin – Royal Munster Fusiliers Militia/Coldstream Guards

[George Millar]

Thade Loughnane was born on the 20th February 1874 in Dromakee, Ballyhorgan, Listowel, Co Kerry, Ireland one of seven children born to Michael Loughnane & Johanna Broder.  Not much is known about his early life until the 7th February 1893 when he enlisted into the 101st Foot (Royal Munster Fusiliers) at the age of 18 years and given the Service N° 1467.  He attested under the name of Timothy Loughnane which I believe is the anglicised form of Thade. He served in the 4th Battalion which was a Militia unit.  He then decided to join the Coldstream Guards and attested with them on the 12th May 1898 in London, he was still serving with the Royal Munster Fusiliers Militia when he attested.  He was now 22 years old and gave his occupation as a “Labourer”.  His new Service N° was 1642. Why he joined the Coldstream Guards instead of a “Regular” unit of the Royal Munster Fusiliers isn’t known.

After initial training he served with the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards in Gibraltar from the 26th March 1899 and then was sent to South Africa on the 16th November 1899 to serve with the battalion in the Boer War.  He was awarded the Queens & Kings South Africa medals for his service in South Africa.  He returned “Home” on the 16th April 1902 and served with the battalion until the 11th May 1910 when he was discharged to the Army Reserve in London on termination of his 1st period of engagement. He gave his intended place of residence as “Dromakee, Kilflynn, Co Kerry”.  In the 1911 Census of Ireland I believe he was working as a “Farm Servant” for the Enright family at N° 26 Cloonnafinneela, Kilflynn, Co Kerry but this cannot be confirmed if it is him or not.

When World War One broke out in August 1914 he wasn’t immediately called up, perhaps because of his age but was later called up in 1915 and he attested back into the Coldstream Guards at Windsor with the same Service N° 1642.  However, either he gave his name as Timothy O Loughlin or the person taking down his details listed it wrongly. What is known is that he gave his age as 39 years (b 1876) and his occupation as a “Labourer”.  He gave his address as Abbeydorney, Co Kerry. He was posted to the Guards Depot on the 25th October 1915 but two months later he is listed as having “Deserted” on the 27th December 1915.  Nothing else is known about him after this date.

I have checked the Irish records and he never married or died in Ireland. I have also checked the records for people leaving the UK but no luck there also. However, there is a Timothy Loughnane who died in Surrey, England in the 2nd Quarter of 1955 at the age of 81 years so I’m wondering if this is him. 

As he deserted from the Army during WW1, I’m sure that the authorities would have been looking for him but are there any records available that can assist in trying to find out what happened to him?.  Any information would be appreciated.

George

[PRC]

Possibly a few revisions may be needed to that narrative. By the time Thade \ Timothy joined the 4th Militia Battalion of the Royal Munster Fusiliers, the reference to Regiment of Foot numbers had been dropped.

On enlistment in the regular army he was released from his militia commitment – his militia service records are noted that he joined the Coldstream Guards on the 12th May 1898. Like many a young man he had probably used the militia as a stepping stone to see if he liked Army life.

The army recruiting system was still very much based on a bounty system, so if a recruiting sergeant or a militia officer identified a presentable looking man of the right physique they might well have steered him towards trying for the Guards, knowing that if he was accepted they could get a bumper payday. The better life, conditions, kudos and pay of the Guards could certainly have been appealing to a man already interested in joining the Army, particularly if it meant no prospect of garrison duty, which a man signing up with the Royal Munster Fusiliers would certainly have had to expect.

The standard enlistment term in the British Army was 12 years, split between a period in the colours, (basically in uniform, in barracks and subject to military discipline and on full pay) and a period in the reserves, (liable for mobilisation but receiving half pay). Timothy Loughnane enlisted at London on the 12th May 1898 on the basis of 3 years in the Colours and 9 in the reserves.

His militia enlistment recorded him as 5 feet 7 and a half inches when he joined at the age of 18 – by the time he joined the Guards he was shown as 5 feet 8 and half inches. His distinguishing mark was that his eyebrows met!

He was posted to the 1st Battalion on the same day as he enlisted, the 12th May 1898. He was posted to the 3rd Battalion on the 16th April 1902. This was the time of his return from South Africa. His three years more than up, he was transferred to Army Reserve Section B on the 23rd September 1902.

With his 12 years up he was discharged completely on the 11th May 1910.

With the outbreak of war in 1914 he was therefore under no legal obligation to report to the barracks. There is a scrawl across the bottom of his statement of service that he re-enlisted as “O’Loughlin. T.” but no date or service number.

His service record does include the 1914 attestation as Timothy O’Loughlin, where he states his previous service as 1642 Coldstream Guards. He signed up for the duration of the war. Very unusually his papers are then endorsed with his old service number – normally a new period of enlistment means a new service number. However given there are only a couple of references to this number in the very few pages that cover this enlistment, it should be treated with caution.  It looks like he enlisted at Limerick on the 25th October 1915. His religion is shown as Roman Catholic. His next of kin is shown as his sister,  Catherine Kenny, Glin Abbey, County Kerry.

He reached the Depot at Windsor on the 27th October 1915, and as you say, he deserted on the 27th December 1915.

An online search of the Police Gazette doesn’t seen to bring up anything for him as either O’Loughlin or Loughnane as a wanted deserter.

On the 1939 Register, a mini-census available for England & Wales and taken on the 29th September 1939,  there are only two Timothy Loughnane’s listed – one born 1899 and one born 1900. There is no match for a Timothy or Thade O’Loughlin \ Loughlin.

There is no obvious civil probate for the man who died in 1955. Nothing obvious coming up on newspapers on FindMyPast.You may need a death certificate if you want to delve further – a pdf version can be sourced from the UK General Registrars Office for GBP £7.50.

I see his medals have recently been sold https://buymilitarymedals.com/collections/recently-added-medals/products/kings-south-africa-medal-2-bars-to-1842-pte-timothy-loughnane-served-with-the-munster-fusiliers-later-coldstream-guards-named-on-medals-full-service-papers?variant=39449510707275

Hope some of that helps,
Peter

[George Millar]

Hello Peter,

Many thanks for correcting and clarifying some of the details in my write-up.  I was the person who purchased the medal from Stephen Wheeler medals hence my interest in him. As I said in my write-up, I couldn't find anything on him after his military service unless of course he did change his name to avoid being caught by the authorities after his desertion.  I'll order the death record for the Timothy Loughnane who died in 1955 and see what information is listed on him. Perhaps it's the correct person or perhaps not.  Once again, many thanks for the full explanation.

George

[Provost]

George,

 

I think the Timothy Loughnane who died in 1955 may actually be No 488 RSM of the Military Mounted Police. Born in 1875 in Ireland, he enlisted into the 16th Lancers in 1894 aged 19 years, transferring to the MMP in 1901. He served throughout the First World War (1914 Star, BWM, VM) as well as LS&GC in 1913, MID in 1915 & 1919, MSM in 1918, and a Medaille Militaire in 1920 - the year he left the Army. Like many in the CMP, he may well have retired to the Woking area.

Cheers,

Richard

[FROGSMILE]

It’s not impossible that he re-enlisted in 1915 as a canny way to get a free passage to mainland Britain from Ireland, it would also have provided him with food and lodging up until the period that he absconded.  By late 1915 there was little thought anymore of it all being over by Christmas and, as a former soldier, he would have understood what was going on (i.e. the slaughter) in France and Flanders.  His politics might also have played a part although that’s impossible to say with any kind of certainty.  Nonetheless it should be borne in mind.  I would be inclined to examine lists of passengers to such places as the US and South America, although he might well have used an assumed name, given his departure from the Army.  

Edited 2 August , 2021 by FROGSMILE

[George Millar]

Hello Richard & Frogsmile,

Many thanks for your comments. I did find a family tree on Ancestry with the Timothy Loughnane who died in 1955 and who apparently married Blanche Agnes Clark in 1905 in Farnham, Surrey.  The Timothy Loughnane that I'm interested in I believe returned back to Ireland in 1910 after his military service and his service record doesn't list him as being married. So I think you could be correct Richard in that the one who died in 1955 isn't the one I'm interested in.   Frogsmile, I did have a look at the passenger lists but couldn't find anything on him but as you say, he could have changed his name and if this is so then it will be impossible to find him.

George

[FROGSMILE]

34 minutes ago, George Millar said:

Hello Richard & Frogsmile,

Many thanks for your comments. I did find a family tree on Ancestry with the Timothy Loughnane who died in 1955 and who apparently married Blanche Agnes Clark in 1905 in Farnham, Surrey.  The Timothy Loughnane that I'm interested in I believe returned back to Ireland in 1910 after his military service and his service record doesn't list him as being married. So I think you could be correct Richard in that the one who died in 1955 isn't the one I'm interested in.   Frogsmile, I did have a look at the passenger lists but couldn't find anything on him but as you say, he could have changed his name and if this is so then it will be impossible to find him.

George

I personally think that based on what you’ve outlined and the decidedly cold trail that he’s left that it’s probable that he intended to emigrate and cleverly used the Army to pay for the first part of his passage and feeding.  As someone who absconded from barracks he would have known his name would be disseminated via the police.  It would have been a no brainer to use an assumed name at the port of embarkation.  I doubt that he will be found now, but there are excellent genealogical detectives here and if anyone can find him it will be they.  I would be astonished though. 

Edited 2 August , 2021 by FROGSMILE

[George Millar]

Thanks again Frogsmile.  I've had another look at the Irish records and have found the following:

Tim Loughnan - died 25th February 1955 at the age of 82 years (b 1873) in St Columban's Home, Killarney.  He is listed as a "Bachelor" and his address is given as "Dromaker, Kilflynn, Co Kerry".  His occupation is listed as "Old Age & Army Pensioner" and he died from "Pneumonia".

Although his year of birth isn't correct it looks promising and could be the person I'm after.

George

[FROGSMILE]

6 hours ago, George Millar said:

Thanks again Frogsmile.  I've had another look at the Irish records and have found the following:

Tim Loughnan - died 25th February 1955 at the age of 82 years (b 1873) in St Columban's Home, Killarney.  He is listed as a "Bachelor" and his address is given as "Dromaker, Kilflynn, Co Kerry".  His occupation is listed as "Old Age & Army Pensioner" and he died from "Pneumonia".

Although his year of birth isn't correct it looks promising and could be the person I'm after.

George

I hope you’re able to find more and prove that it’s him.  It’s always good to solve a seemingly unfathomable mystery.