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Thank you so much to everyone for your help this evening and a very big thank you to Ann for tracking down the military records of my Gt Grandad.

Kind regards
Dave

No probs rootgatherer :-)

Sorry Dave to be intruding on your thread!

Thanks chrissiex - I did some research for a friend and couldn't find her grandfather's records and just thought that they had been lost but he was a career soldier. He enlisted as a boy in Ireland before the Boer war but was still serving in the 1920s perhaps even in the 1930s.

for rootgatherer - now I don't know for sure, but my grandfather may have left in 1924 and I gather I have a couple more years to wait, so maybe it is 90 years ? one of the military experts here, annielaurie, explained it once ........ I've confused myself searching for that info now and not got anywhere, but that seems to be the approximate answer :-)

Hello Dave,

If you click on my name and send me your e-mail I will e-mail you the original document, sadly there are only 4 pages but luckily the important ones!

Annx

Hi Ann,

His Dad was called William and he had a sister Elizabeth; so that does look like my Gt Grandad !!!!

Honestly, I can't tell you how grateful I am for all your efforts - i can't stop smiling.

:-D :-D :-D

Dave

Hi Ann,

I never thought to look in the 1911 census for England/Wales - I (wrongly) assumed he would have been in the Irish census.

Henry had at least 4 brothers, George c. 1874, Richard c. 1872, and Fredrick 1888 and Percy c.1894.

Thanks again
Dave

The above record I have posted is a little out on birth year, but that is not unusual for head strong boys to tell porkie pies.

The NOK on this is Father William and sister Elizabeth, dam I have forgot the other one so will have to go back and take a look.

However at the end of his service record is stated...

To Connaught Rangers!

EDIT>>>>>>other NOK His Aunt Mrs Hogan

Now...........this may be him??



First name(s): Henry

Last name: CONNOLLY

Calculated year of birth: 1888

Parish of birth: St Peters

Town of birth: Rathanning

County of birth: Dublin

Age at attestation: 17 years 2 months

Attestation date: 22 March 1905

Attestation corps: 5TH BATT ROYAL DUBLIN FUSILIERS

Attestation soldier number: 6386

Discharge rank:

Discharge corps: Royal Dublin Fusiliers - 102nd & 103rd Foot

Discharge soldier number:

The National Archives reference: WO96 / 1224 / 91

Just having a look for a medal card for him as this would have his service record without any luck so far....he should be there somewhere but am trying variant spellings and H/henry Connolly.............can anyone help?

David........I searched the England/Wales 1911 census and he was included as overseas military..........who were his brothers as I am sure I saw another Connolly listed at the barracks.

Ann

Hi Chrissie,

Thanks for having a look for my Gt Grandad; glad to see it was not just me who had trouble spelling his surname - and I'm related lol !!

Many, many thanks
Dave

Dave - I don't see any of them in Ireland in 1911 census.

Good find by Ann for Henry.

Just in passing chrissiex - how long are the military records closed for after a person leaves the army?

Hi Ann,

Thank you so very much you are an absolute star; I've been trying for ages and I just couldn't find any record anywhere. :-)

Could I be really cheeky and ask where you manged to find the record? I would like to try and find out any information on his service record; or indeed if any of his brothers served in the same unit (they all seem to have disappeared from the 1911 census; so I don't know if they were conscripted into the army).

Many, many thanks
Dave

Get on the naughty step Chrissie :-)

Here are the Bats movements during WW1



The Connaught Rangers
Battalions of the Regular Army
1st Battalion
August 1914 : in Ferozepore, India. Part of the 7th (Ferozepore) Brigade in 3rd (Lahore) Division. Sailed from Karachi on 28 August 1914 as part of the Indian Corps and moved to France, landing at Marseilles on 26 September 1914.
5 December 1914 : absorbed 2nd Bn.Bn served on the Western Front until leaving France on 11 December 1915, whereupon it moved to Mesopotamia, landing at Basra on 10 January 1916.
3 April 1918 : sailed from Kuwait to Egypt for service in Palestine

His unit is the 1st Bat Connaught Rangers

Annx

do you know whether he stayed in the army after the war ?

if so his records might not be accessible yet ... my grandfather stayed in until the mid 1920s for example so I have a while to wait yet ...

there is also the fact that so many WWI records were destroyed in WWII, that is the unfortunate case for many of us as well


edit, I cross-posted with Ann, excellent find !

and the reason I couldn't find it ... I see now ... I had typed Connolly with one N ...

CONNOLLY, Henry Single ? 21 1890 Co Dublin Dublin VIEW

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RG number:
RG14 Piece:
34978 Reference:
RG14PN34978 RD641 SD3 ED9 SN9999

Registration District:
Sub District:
Enumeration District:
9 Parish:


Address:
Gough Barracks Ferorepore Punjab County:
Overseas military

Hi Rootgatherer,

Many thanks for trying; and for finding the Census record from the 1901 Census. This side of my family tree is turning out to be somewhat of a puzzle!

Kind regards
Dave

Not seeing any military records on Ancesty either.

For ref. - 1901

Residents of a house 43 in Lennox Street (Fitzwilliam, Dublin)
Show all informationSurname Forename Age Sex Relation to head Religion Birthplace Occupation Literacy Irish Language Marital Status Specified Illnesses
Connolly Elizabeth 14 Female Daughter Baptist Dublin City Laundress Read write - Not Married -
Connolly William 63 Male Head of Family Baptist Devonshire Hairdresser Read write - Married -
Connolly Henry 11 Male Son Baptist Dublin City Scholar Read write - Not Married -
Connolly Percy 7 Male Son Baptist Dublin City Scholar Read write - Not Married -
Connolly George 27 Male Son Church of Ireland Dublin City Black Smith Read write - Not Married -
Connolly Richard 29 Male Son Church of Ireland Dublin City Watch Maker Read write - Not Married -
Connolly Fredrick 13 Male Son Baptist Dublin City Scholar Read write - Not Married -
Connolly Sarah 51 Female Wife Baptist Dublin City Dress Machinst Read write - Married -