madpinkflamingo Posted 31 January , 2007 Share Posted 31 January , 2007 Hi everyone, hoping you can help me, a totally uninformed newbie to military history. (Ive also posted a similar request in Soldiers after being advised to do so on another thread, but sadly had no response from there. Please feel free to advise me where the most appropriate place for this request would be if not here -Im trying to make sense of the Royal Irish Rifles and Regiment, so I hope you'll bear with me awhile!) Im researching Albert Osbaldstone, and his medal card states: Royal Irish Rifles L/Cpl 7284 (then the medals) and underneath it states Royal Irish Regiment L/Cpl. On the right lower down it states Transferred. On the left it states 6/11/14, the date they landed in Le Havre. Im fairly sure Albert was a regular soldier, for about 20 years according to family. Im wondering why he would join an Irish Regiment being English. In addition, he is also mentioned at the back of Cyril Falls tome, as receiving the DCM on 1/14/15, showing he was with the 1st Battalion. Im wondering if there would be any information out there describing the action that led to the DCM award, and whether this would be with the Rifles or Regiment, and where this brave action might have occurred. Also, would it be possible to find out why and when he transferred to the Royal Irish Regiment? Was it due to depleted numbers? Can anyone tell me anything about Albert's time in the army? I know he was born in Paddington, London in 1885 and raised in Dorset. His brother George Osbaldstone (1883) is also on the same medal card page, also Royal Irish Rifles Cpl 7/2852 and Sgt. As babies George was separated from Albert and brought up in London, Paddington. After the war Albert married a Dublin lass, but they came back to England, presumably because of the Troubles. Some family members say he had a military funeral in London when he died in 1925, in Barnet, but Im not so certain this is true. Many thanks to all Kind regards Andrae (mother of serving L/Cpl Irish Guardsman) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stebie9173 Posted 31 January , 2007 Share Posted 31 January , 2007 Here is his DCM citation. 7284 Lance-Corporal Osbaldeston, A. 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles For gallantry on numerous occasions in conveying messages whilst exposed to heavy fire. http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/archiveVi...;selHonourType= Looks like he was a runner. Most dangerous job in the army.... Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevem49 Posted 31 January , 2007 Share Posted 31 January , 2007 Remember that it was an Irish Regiment in the British Army at the time and they probably needed recruits. My Gt Grandfather was born in Leics, Living in Derbys and joined a Scottish regiment. When the Zulu War broke out he was moved into The King's Own (Lancaster) Regiment. stevem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madpinkflamingo Posted 31 January , 2007 Author Share Posted 31 January , 2007 Remember that it was an Irish Regiment in the British Army at the time and they probably needed recruits. My Gt Grandfather was born in Leics, Living in Derbys and joined a Scottish regiment. When the Zulu War broke out he was moved into The King's Own (Lancaster) Regiment. stevem thanks to both steves for prompt replies. I did look at the gazette online london edition prior to my post but couldnt find his entry, so the link was brilliant. Im really proud of him......... Still wondering how I can find out more about why he transferred to the Royal Irish Regiment. I did read somewhere that the Rifles disbanded - might this explain it? Andrae Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stebie9173 Posted 31 January , 2007 Share Posted 31 January , 2007 The Irish Regiments were all disbanded after the War due to the political situation in Ireland. Whilst some battalions were disbanded during the war, these were generally the Wartime raised battalions. No Pre-War Reglar battalions were disbanded during the War. His transfer is most likely due to being wounded or sick, and then being treated in the UK before finding that he had been transferred to a battalion or regiment that needed reinforcements more than his old one. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armoured Farmer Posted 2 February , 2007 Share Posted 2 February , 2007 The Irish Regiments were all disbanded after the War due to the political situation in Ireland. Whilst some battalions were disbanded during the war, these were generally the Wartime raised battalions. No Pre-War Reglar battalions were disbanded during the War. His transfer is most likely due to being wounded or sick, and then being treated in the UK before finding that he had been transferred to a battalion or regiment that needed reinforcements more than his old one. Steve. Steve, I assume that you meant to say the Southern Irish Regiments were disbanded? Only five from eight Irish Infantry and one from two Irish Special Reserve Cavalry Regiments were disbanded in 1922: - Royal Irish Regiment, Connaught Rangers, Leinster Regiment, Royal Munster Fusiliers, Royal Dublin Fusiliers and South Irish Horse. The Irish Guards, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, Royal Irish Rifles and Royal Irish Fusiliers remained. There is a possibility that there was a mistake by the character recognition software when reading the MIC. Would it be possible to post it so we can see it? If you do have there will be a code recorded next to the annotations British War Medal and Victory Medal. If this annotation begins with A-101-B then he is recorded on a Royal irish Regiment rool, if the annotation is B-104-B then he is on a Royal Irish Fusiliers roll. Whichever roll he is on shows which regiment he belonged to. Regards Hugh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madpinkflamingo Posted 4 February , 2007 Author Share Posted 4 February , 2007 lets see if this medal card pic works (apols if it doesnt, Ive been away for a few days....... ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madpinkflamingo Posted 4 February , 2007 Author Share Posted 4 February , 2007 lets see if this medal card pic works (apols if it doesnt, Ive been away for a few days....... ) hmmm obviously it doesnt. not got the hang of posting images yet. sorry folks. I can tell you that the card states the following: top left hand corner, next to Campaign, something that looks like D,B or 8 then 3 then Osbaldstone Royal Irish Rifles L/Cpl 7284 (next line) A Royal Irish Reg L/Cpl 2G/180/4 (underneath is written Albert) Then says Transferred medals box says Victory LC/101 B/86 page 8707 British ditto Star B3 68 Qualifying date 6/11/14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armoured Farmer Posted 5 February , 2007 Share Posted 5 February , 2007 Hello, The reference looks like it's for a Labour Corps medal roll. Regards Hugh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madpinkflamingo Posted 6 February , 2007 Author Share Posted 6 February , 2007 Hello, The reference looks like it's for a Labour Corps medal roll. Regards Hugh Hey thanks for that. So it seems he might have been placed in the Labour Corps. I wonder if thats how he ended up being 'Transferred' to the Royal Irish Regiment. Maybe it was just for a rest or to recouperate. I wonder if the Labour Corps move came under the Royal Irish Regiment, or if they stayed with their original Regiment? Regards Andrae Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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