Looking for Patrick O'Brien's Military Medals

[KellyM]

Hello, 

My great grandfather Patrick O'Brien served in WWI and I'm looking for his medals. Hoping that maybe by some stroke of luck someone on here might know something that could help.

He was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal. His service number was 5829 and was part of the Connaught Rangers from Ireland. 

If anyone has them or knows where to look, would really appreciate it. 

Thank you, 

Kelly 

 

[DavidOwen]

Welcome to the forum Kelly

I have removed your email address as it could be scraped by spammers.

Members can reply to the thread or contact you via the forum's private message system.

Have you tried British Medal Forum - Index page

Good luck with your search

[KellyM]

Hi David, 

Thanks for looking out for spammers and removing my email address - hadn't thought of that. Appreciate it! 

I wasn't aware of the British Medal Forum so just signed up for an account there as well. 

Thank you!

Kelly 

[mancpal]

Hello Kelly,

Have you set up an alert on eBay in case the medals appear for sale? I don’t know details though I’m sure I’ve read that some auction houses do similar or at least may have records if they have been auctioned previously. Sorry if this is vague, it’s past my bedtime.

Simon

[travers61]

If you know someone who belongs to the ancestry genealogy website a message can be placed on any of his records there by an ancestry member.

[KellyM]

Hi Simon! Thank you for your suggestion! Just set up an alert. Appreciate the tip! 

And thank you Travers, just replied to your private message.

[Matlock1418]

On 30/07/2023 at 20:31, KellyM said:

My great grandfather Patrick O'Brien served in WWI and I'm looking for his medals. Hoping that maybe by some stroke of luck someone on here might know something that could help.

He was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal. His service number was 5829 and was part of the Connaught Rangers

Hi Kelly,

Welcome to GWF.

Sorry I can't help with his medals, but ... did you know that there are two unspecified disability pension index cards at WDA.Fold3 [both with dates of 24.10.28 = potentially on their creation or an update] that also show, along with 5829, that he had a later/post-war seven digit service number of 7143013, Connaught Rangers?

They have a Connaught Rangers Army Reserve Z reference so the claim would probably seem to be from his initial discharge/demobilisation in c.1918/19 [So I presume it was not too serious a disability claimed for if he went on to serve again]

I believe for such post-war numbers some service records are still with the MoD and may be accessible - perhaps his is also there ??

Good luck with your hunt.

M

Edited 2 August , 2023 by Matlock1418

[KellyM]

Hi Matlock1418, 

Thank you so much for your help. I really appreciate it. I've been learning so much as I go! 

Your comments are really interesting. I have some pension records (I attached everything I have here), but not 100% sure if I have the ones you're referring to (I'm still new at this!). This all brings up some questions for me though: 

• I never noticed the Z reference before. Where did you find that? He was wounded in Gallipoli with shrapnel in 1915 and then wounded again in Guillemot in 1916 (but I don't know his injury from here). Maybe the disability is from one of these instances?
• I really appreciate you mentioning the date of October 24, 1928. I do see that now on the file "Pension Card (2)" attached. Never noticed that before! I also now notice that it says "Stop" up at the top. Interestingly, I do know he left Ireland for the US on October 21, 1928, so perhaps this was a notation to end his pension because he was leaving? 
• Great point about checking with the MOD. Are you referring to this? https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records/apply-for-someone-elses-recordsOr something else? 

Sorry to bombard you with questions and thank you so much for any guidance you can provide. 

Best, 

Kelly 

O'Brien, Patrick (7143013) - Page 1_Discharged Record.pdf O'Brien, Patrick (7143013, 5829) - Page 1_Pension Record.pdf

Edited 2 August , 2023 by KellyM

[Matlock1418]

2 hours ago, KellyM said:

Your comments are really interesting. I have some pension records (I attached everything I have here), but not 100% sure if I have the ones you're referring to (I'm still new at this!). This all brings up some questions for me though: 

• I never noticed the Z reference before. Where did you find that? He was wounded in Gallipoli with shrapnel in 1915 and then wounded again in Guillemot in 1916 (but I don't know his injury from here). Maybe the disability is from one of these instances?
• I really appreciate you mentioning the date of October 24, 1928. I do see that now on the file "Pension Card (2)" attached. Never noticed that before! I also now notice that it says "Stop" up at the top. Interestingly, I do know he left Ireland for the US on October 21, 1928, so perhaps this was a notation to end his pension because he was leaving? 
• Great point about checking with the MOD. Are you referring to this? https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records/apply-for-someone-elses-recordsOr something else? 

Happy to help.

That's quite a long and detailed service record.  I note from your first image he served 24 y 209d leaving as 7143013 under KR para 392 xxi [The termination of his engagement] with his D.400 papers stamped 8 Apr 1921. He had already started to draw a service pension before he left. Having looked at the other stuff too it makes me wonder if you have got all there is and now if the MoD may be a no go ?????

Small caution: You really should acknowledge the sources of your images - and perhaps not post too much all at once [but as a 'newbie Pte' these things can happen - the GWF moderators worry about Copyright infringement ]  You can always edit/acknowledge using the elipsis/three dots in the top right of your last post.

The last two images are of the pension index cards I mentioned

Z = See the reference Z/Connaught Rangers/1132 - typically all men had the oportunity to fill in a Form Z.22 to make a disability claim on discharge.  Image examples can be found on the web.

This IWM link doesn't show a Z.22 but shows other Z papers at discharge/transfer/demobilisation https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/demobilisation-papers 

The reference 13/MO/2759 refers to his Region 13 [Ireland] / Military O'BRIEN / 2759 claim number

Got to admit I hadn't looked for/previously seen his 7143013 pension ledger page - DAH = Disordered Action of Heart [Sometimes called "Soldiers' Heart"]. There is a reverse to that page you have posted above - again showing his SP [Service pension] - this SP would have reduced the rate at which he got his disabilty pension for a 30-40% disability. I note a wife and 3 children [he could claim for the children so long as they were under 16].

Image thanks to WFA/Fold3

STOP = notation quite possible if he went to the US ... but I also note a Reg 6 (OS/M) which is a Region 6 [West Midlands] Oversea Military reference on the other [?? earlier] card

MoD = Yes, that's the link I think - costs and likely to take some time.  Other members may perhaps be able to also check the known released numbers but the list is known to be incomplete  so an application may be the only way to check absolutely.   I've had a quick look at the released list and can't immediately see him and that number.  It helps GWF members and the MoD if you have a date of birth since there are quite a few P. O'BRIEN listed at the MoD and they don't specify the forenames but do list DoB. However see my early caution above.

I note that this post has potentially/probably got you no nearer to finding his medals - Wishing you good luck with your research and hunt.

M

Edited 2 August , 2023 by Matlock1418
add

[KellyM]

Thank you Matlock1418. This gives me more to think about and dig into. Really appreciate your insights. Although I found all of these records, it's been interesting trying to decipher their meaning. 

Appreciate the heads up on posting the images - had no idea! I tried to use the ellipses to modify the images attached but it seems that edit is not an option (not sure why, I've edited posts before). Anyway, to try and resolve this, I'll simply acknowledge the sources below. 

• Image 1: Army Form D 400, Image thanks to Fold3
• Image 2: Army Form D 400, Image thanks to Fold3
• Image 3: Army Form B 200, Image thanks to Fold3
• Image 4: Army Form B 200, Image thanks to Fold3
• Image 6: Army Form B 200, Image thanks to Fold3
• Image 7: Army Form B 200, Image thanks to Fold3
• Image 8: Pension Card, Image thanks to Fold3
• Image 9: Pension Card, Image thanks to Fold3
• Image 10: Form No. S.B. 36, Image thanks to Fold3
• Image 11: Pension Card, Image thanks to Fold3

Thanks again! 

Kelly