Private Michael Reilly, Royal Irish Fusiliers, 3rd Batt

[Guest pachoong]

Hello,

My grandfather, Private Michael Reilly, 17623 was assigned to the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Irish Fusiliers. I believe this was a reserve battalion. He survived the war and returned to his home town of Coatbridge, Scotland, having migrated there from, Granard, County Longford, Ireland as an 8 year old boy in 1902.

His MIC shows him having entered France as his theatre of war on 27th April 1915.

My father informs me that he was involed in the battles of Ypres, somme & Nueve Chappelle.

He also went to Palestine at some point, where he brought back a twig from the garden of Getsemene(Where Jesus spent his last night before the cruxifiction).

I also have a very rare original photo of him with colleagues in the desert seated next to a tent.

On the basis of this evidence, I wonder if anyone could tell me which battalion he would have piggybacked onto.

Thank you in advance for your interest and help.

Kind Regards,

Michael Reilly (Grandson)