Leinster Regiment Soldiers

MESSAGES
Sgt Quirke
Sgt John Bergin
Pte Edward Barry 
A J Barton
J S McBride  
 CSM W A Brennan
Pte William Farrell
Pte George Glanfield
Sgt P Hackett
Pte James Haugh
William Mackey
James Maloney
Capt J D Moore
2nd Lt Rounsefell

5800 Private Edward Barry, was born in London (1897-1969) and he was my grandfather. He served in the Leinster Regt on the western front during WW1 where he was wounded. He later transferred to the Labour Corps. Do you have any rolls which might indicate in which Battalion he served? I have tried research at the Public Record Office but his army records appear to be amongst those destroyed during WW2.
Many thanks Michael Lewis 

Webmaster response
Your grandfather will have received campaign medals in recognition of his service in the Great War so you should be able to locate information about your grandfather from the medal rolls maintained at the Public Record Office in Kew.
You should search the roles for these medals.
British War Medal, The 1914 Star, The 1914-15 Star, The Victory Medal.
For more on WW1 medals Click here

Any information please on Private William Farrell (born 1893) who joined the 2nd Battalion on the 31st August 1914 and remained with the battalion to 5th September 1917. Peter Farrell

Private George Glanfield [no 10285 ], was born in Clontymullen, Rathaspick, County Longford. My great uncle died on the 31st July 1917 [poss 3rd battle of Ypres] he is commemorated on panel 44 of the Menin Gate Ypres. The action he may have been taking part in around his death was : they where attacking Shrewsbury Wood [1 mile south of Ypres -Menin road just south of Sanctuary Wood] the attack was held off at lower star point south of Sanctuary Wood.
Does anyone have any information at all on my uncle, the battalion, the battles, place of enlistment, photos ,any help at all I would be most grateful. Thanks Bob Taylor.

Webmaster response
Your great uncle will have been serving with the 2nd Battalion who were at that time continuing to take part of the actions in Flanders. The 2nd Battalion was transferred to the 5th Army on the 11th July in readiness for the attack on Passchendale, an action that is regarded as one of the most terrible of the war.  The area of action for the 2nd Bn was just north of Mount Sorrel, half a mile north of Klein Zillebeke. The Bn was below strength with only 3 officers and 92 men in each company yet still formed part of the front line. At precisely 3.50am on the 31st July the Bn moved forward and became engaged in hand to hand fighting within 100 hundred yards (just over 100 metres). The enemy defended strongly an area known as Lower Star Post, a ridge running north to south. Essentially, for the company on the right, this attack was doomed as the area was swept by hostile machine gun fire, and with the exception of one Sergeant, all the officers and 91 men fell wounded. The other company's of the Bn also came under severe fire and the survivors reached the western edge of the woods just north of Lower Star Post. Here they were regrouped with the 1st Royal Fusiliers for a further advance. The reserve company, held for reinforcements at Larch Wood Tunnel, moved up at 6 am in readiness for a further attack on Lower Star Post. Heavy hostile bombardment was direct onto the reinforcements by a spotter plane, and by midday an estimated 40% - 50% of the company had become casualties. The 2nd Bn succeeded in capturing the former front line of their opponents and consolidated their advance to what was called the "Blue Line" an advance of some two hundred yards. During this operation 6 officers and 28 other ranks were known to have been killed and are buried in identified graves. Fifty-three other ranks were listed as missing, no doubt your great uncle amongst them, and as you say he is commemorated on the Menin Gate. The following morning, August 1st, the Leinsters returned to Dickebusch.

Pte. James Haugh was born on Ballinderry, Co. Tipperary 1885, He joined the 2 Bn and was discharged 3rd October 1915. Any information at all please. Thanks P. Hough

Many Leinster soldiers served in the Great War, not at the front line, and many served as soldiers providing security and support activities at home. One such was my grandfather PTE (L/Cpl) JAMES MALONEY 7087 who had originally enlisted in the Leinsters in Mullingar on the 4th September 1903, and he was posted to the Regiments Headquarters at Birr for training. In January 1904 he was posted to the 1st battalion who were at Fermoy. In 1906 he was transferred to the reserves. He was mobilised in 1914 and posted to the 3rd Bn in Cork. He became ill in August 1915 with a heart condition and discharged on medical grounds in January 1916. I would like to know what a "Messing Allowance" was and what is a "Good Conduct Badge" that was earned in September 1905? Thanks Mike Maloney.

Webmaster response
Your ancestor will have originally joined on a short three year enlistment (the choices were 3 years, 6 years and 9 years). When he went to training at Birr he most likely would have seen my own grandfather who was the Sergeant Major at the Depot! After training, as you say, he became a member of the 1st Bn who were then at Fermoy under the command of Lt. Col. T. Hope Stavert. In 1904 the Bn moved to Shorncliffe (Dover) and the men were accommodated in tin huts whilst men of the Queen's and South Lancashire's were in the better barracks! James Maloney will have traveled around the southern counties of England extensively as the Bn stayed in Salisbury Plain, and in 1905 to Arundel, Worthing and Parham. Whilst at Arundel the Duke of Norfolk often allowed the men of the Bn to enter the castle grounds and attend service in the castle chapel. The Bn presented the Duke with a statuette that is kept in the chapel. At this time the Bn was very well known for their expertise in "tug-o-war" matches. At the end of 1905 the Bn moved to the   Aldershot area being stationed at Blackdown near Frimley, Camberley, seven miles from Aldershot, a place not exactly popular because the Bn had to regularly march the 7 miles to and from Aldershot! Given that James Maloney's three years were up during this time, he would have returned to Ireland for his discharge to the reserve. With regard to the two questions, a "Messing Allowance" was the money paid to a soldier to pay for his food and accommodation when away from his unit. It was also in some circumstances a deduction from his pay to cover extra food provided. A Good Conduct Badge was an award made to a soldier of exemplary conduct, it entitled the soldier to wear a special insignia on his sleeve, and more importantly, it came with a cash benefit paid weekly.

When James was "recalled to the colours" in 1914 he joined the Reserve Battalion in Birr. It was most likely that at this time his prior service experience would have qualified him for the rank of Lance Corporal. The 3rd Battalion was a training battalion getting new recruits ready for the front. The 3rd Bn, together with the 4th and 5th Bn then moved to Cork (Shanbally Camp, Monkstown) under the command of Lt. Col. Sir Anthony Weldon, Bart., D.S.O. On the 20th August the Bn marched to Victoria Barracks, Cork. The Bn were also responsible for providing a guard to the POW camp at Templemore. In 1915 the 3rd Bn trained 2,042 men who went off to join the 1st, 2nd and 6th Bns in the front.

A request for information concerning Captain J D Moore of the 2nd Battalion. Info to webmaster please who will forward to Mr Kevin Moore.

2/Lt. Eric deWolf Rounsefell, MC. Birthplace: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Born 14 November 1898 Probably joined the Leinsters 1916.

Eric deWolf Rounsefell is listed in the WW 1 Canadian Book of Remembrance (page 593) as a member of the Leinster Regiment and a recipient of the Military Cross.

He was killed on 3 September 1918 and is memorialised at Nieuwkerke Churchyard, Heuvelland, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium X.I. What information I have on Eric can be seen here.

If anyone knows anything about him, please contact Katrina Lawson I would like to find out more information about Eric.

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Trio of Sergeants