5th (service) Bn Connaught Rangers

[hannahspanna]

Whilst doing my family history, i discovered my great gandfather died in service in Sept 1915. Looked him up on commonwealth war graves commision website and found he is remembered in Helles, Turkey.

Does anyone have anymore information about how I could find more information, like his service card? I don't have a date of birth even for him yet!

[ororkep]

Hanahspanna,

Welcome. In 1915 970 of the Rangers embarked for the Gallipoli peninsula. When they evacuated on the last day of September 1915, the Battalion had only 258 survivors. No doubt your G Grandad was one of those unfortunates buried on foreign soil. Some more details will aid other Connaught Rangers specialists to assist you further; like your G Grandfathers surname and service number, and where from originally. If you have looked at War Graves then you probably already have his service number. With this information and surname you can look up his service records at the NA if it is close enough and feasible for you to do so although there is only a 30% chanch of you finding anything. Alternately if he was originally from Connaught then the Irish 1901 census of some of its counties are already online for free and you may find his family and thus his rough age to assist in finding his birth. Do you know where he came from?

Regards Paul

[hannahspanna]

He definately came from yorkshire, most likely Rotherham. As of yet, i am not sure how he came to be with the connaught rangers instead of a yorkshire or lancashire regiment. I do have his service number and rank. But what is the NA ?

Thanks for replying!

[ororkep]

Hanaspanna,

Well if he’s a Yorkshire man then it shouldn’t be too difficult to find him on 1901 or 1891 census and establish birth. Though why join the Rangers is a poser as the 5th Service was formed in Dublin. The NA is the National Archives at Kew, London, which may hold his service records. The NA certainly have the war diary for the 5th Battalion which was then part of 29th Brigade under reference WO95/ 4296. This covers the period of your Grandfathers death for July 1915- Sept 1915 and may well describe events on the day of his death. I take it you have not downloaded his Medal Index Card from the NA online which shows his medal allocation awarded to him? His surname (and service number) really would be useful to allow others to take things further.

Paul

[jim_davies]

About 350 men from the Yorks and Lancs Regt were transferred to the 5th Connaught Rangers in late 1914 to bring the battalion up to strenght. I believe there's a church in Rotherham that commemorates many members of this contingent who died while serving the 5th.

My g-g-uncle (although not from Rotherham) was part of this draft.

Jim

[Devils Own]

G'Day Hannah

It is great to welcome another decendent of a Ranger (my Grandad was in the 5th Bn too).

You are fortunate that he was in the smallest regiment in the army as tracking down information is easy. He was unlucky to have died in September as most of the main fighting for the Rangers had finished by then.

A large number of the English draft seemed to come from Rotherham and many were miners. Significantly, many were of Irish descent. Many of these men were killed on the attacks on Kabak Kuyo wells and Chunuk Bair (ceetred around August 21st). They upheld the strong traditions of the regiment and fought bravely in hand to hand combat to take critical positions in these actions. They fought alongside the ANZACs and Gurkhas. Your GGF was probably one of them and you can be proud of that. The diaries should indicate the potential action in which he died.

The 5th Bn was part of 29th Brigade attached to the ANZAC forces and landed at ANZAC Cove on 6th August. It is possible to get hold of the war diaries from the NA (National Archives) and you also need to download his medal card, which will tell you when he first went into action. The address below will take you straight to the search page and you can type in his details and download the card for £3.50. PM me if you need any help and interpretation of the card.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...y=*&queryType=1

There are three books that will help youi tremendously. Two can be bought from www.naval-military-press.com. One is 'The History of the 5th (Service) Battalion Connaught Rangers' 1914-1915.

The other is The 10th (Irish) Divsion in Gallipoli by Bryan Cooper (Major in the Rangers...therefore mostly about the Rangers). A more expensive book and quite scare is Volume III of The Connaught Rangers by Jourdain.

They will sort you out.

Also there is a Connaught Rangers Association of which Oliver Fallon is the secretary and very helpful. PM me for his email address if you like.

If you let me know his name etc. I can check out if his records are at the NA next time I go.

Best regards

Steve