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2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment
2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment was in Devonport serving with 8th Brigade, 3rd Division when war broke out in August 1914. They proceeded to France, landing at Boulogne on the 14th of August 1914. They saw action in The Battle of Mons and the rearguard action at Solesmes, The Battle of Le Cateau, The Battle of the Marne, The Battle of the Aisne, at La Bassee where the Battalion suffered very heavy losses near Le Pilly with many troops taken as Prisoners of War. On the 24th of October 1914 what remained of the 2nd Royal Irish transferred as Army Troops to Lines of Communication. Reinforcements arrived over the winter and on the 14th of March 1915 they transferred to 12th Brigade, 4th Division. they fought in The Second Battle of Ypres and on the 26th of July 1915 they transferred to 11th Brigade still with 4th Division. On the 22nd of May 1916 they transferred to 22nd Brigade, 7th Division and were in action during the Battles of the Somme, including the Sapture of Mametz,
The Battle of Bazentin and the attacks on High Wood, The Battle of Delville Wood, The Battle of Guillemont and the Operations on the Ancre. On the 14th of October 1916 they transferred to 49th Brigade, 16th (Irish) Division. In 1917 they fought at the The Battle of Messines and The Battle of Langemark, during the Third Battles of Ypres. On the 23rd of April 1918 they transferred to 188th Brigade, 63rd (Royal Naval) Division. They were in action at the The Battle of Albert in August 1918, then moved north to arras seeing action at The Battle of Drocourt-Queant in September, then the Battles of the Hindenburg Line, and The passage of the Grand Honelle in the first week of November during the Final Advance in Picardy.
29th July 1914 Mobilisation Order
30th July 1914 Mobilization Order
4th August 1914 Mobilisation Order
5th August 1914 Mobilization
7th August 1914 Reservists to unit
8th August 1914 Reservists to unit 2nd Battalion - Royal Irish Regiment
Saturday, August 8th, 1914 - Devonport
Second lot of reservists arrived and we are now practically ready and complete to proceed on active service.
9th August 1914 Reservists to unit 2nd Battalion - Royal Irish Regiment
Sunday, August 9th, 1914 - Devonport
The final draft of reservists arrived.
Appendix I
Mobilization went off without a hitch, except in the following particulars:
- 1) No travelling kitchens were available. Their loss was severely felt. They were not issued to the Battalion until 19/11/1914.
- 2) Difficulty was experienced in obtaining ordinance stores, more especially boots of usual size required
- 3) The reservists were badly fitted with boots at the Depot. In many cases, also, their serge clothing and caps had to be changed.
- 4) A mass of correspondence was thrown on Company Officers. Had the Battalion moved on the 8th day, it would have been quite impossible to have completed the documents of the reservists.
- A: The details in 75% of army books 64 had not been entered correctly. The men had not signed.
- B: Yellow forms for separation allowance had to be filled in with names of wife and children then signed together - men and Company Officer.
- C: Almost exactly the same detail had to be taken down in connection with the allotment of pay.
- D: Wills had not been made.
SE St. Leger, Major - 2/Royal Irish Regiment.
10th August 1914 Inspections 2nd Battalion - Royal Irish Regiment
Monday, August 10th, 1914 - 1145 Devonport
The GOC Brigade - General Beauchamp Doran inspected the battalion.
Appendix II
The following officers proceeded with the Battalion
- Wounded 23/8 Lt. Col. St.J. A. Cox in command
- Wounded 23/8 Major S. E. St. Leger 2nd in command
- Missing 23/8 Lt. R. E. G. Phillips Adjutant
- Captain J. Richings Quartermaster
- Lt. P.J. Whitty Machine Gun Officer
- Lt. F.H.L. Rushton Transport Officer
- Lt. A.M.S. Tandy Signalling Officer
- Missing 23/8 Lt. A. D. Fraser Scout Officer
- A Company
- Killed 8/23 Captain W. Mellor
- Missing 23/ Captain I.B. George
- Missing 23/8 2nd Lt. J. D. Shine
- Missing 23/8 2nd Lt. C. F. T. O’B. Ffrench
- Wounded 23/8 2nd Lt. E. C. Guinness
- B Company
- Major E. H. E. Daniell, D.S.O.
- Lt. F.G. Ferguson
- Lt. D. P. Laing
- 2nd Lt. A. R. Newton-King
- C Company
- Killed 23/8 Capt. & Battalion Major E. M. Painter-Downes
- Missing 23/8 Captain J.S. Fitzgerald
- Missing 26/8 Lt. A.E.B. Anderson
- Killed 23/8 Lt. C. B. Gibbons
- D Company
- Missing 26/8 Captain G. A. Elliott
- Missing 23/8 Captain the Honorable F. G. A. Forbes
- Wounded 26/8 Lt. E. M. Phillips 3/Battalion
- Missing 26/8 2nd Lt. C. G. Magrath
- Officers of the Battalion who proceeded with special appointments
- Battalion Major J. Burke
- Captain H. C. MacDonnell with Royal Flying Corps
- Lt. H. D. Harvey-Kelly
- Captain A.R.G. Gordon Staff Captain 8th Infantry Brigade
11th August 1914 Advance Party arrives
12th August 1914 Departure from Devonport
13th August 1914 Embarkation
14th August 1914 Crossing to France 2nd Battalion - Royal Irish Regiment
Friday, August 14th, 1914 - 0515 Southampton.
Left Southampton. As we commenced to cross the Channel at 1500, an escort of cruisers joined us, 3 on the North of our track and 10 on the South. We arrived at Boulogne about 1800 and marched to a rest camp about 3 miles distance.
14th August 1914 Quartering Arrangements Completed
15th August 1914 Further moves 2nd Battalion - Royal Irish Regiment
Saturday, August 15th, 1914 - Boulogne
The Battalion was inspected by the French GOC Line of Command
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Left camp at 1845 and entrained at 2200 for unknown destination.
16th August 1914 Move to billets
16th August 1914 Movement Orders
17th August 1914 Inspections 2nd Battalion - Royal Irish Regiment
Monday, August 17th, 1914 - Taisnieres
Route march under Company arrangements. General Doran inspected out billets.
18th August 1914 Inspections 2nd Battalion - Royal Irish Regiment
Tuesday, August 18th, 1914 - Taisnieres
Battalion route march of about 7 miles in the morning. Bathing parade and inspection of feet by Companies arrangements in the afternoon. Many men have sore and defective feet. We heard today with great regret of the death of General Grierson, our Army Corps Commander.
18th August 1914 On the Move
19th August 1914 Practice manouvres 2nd Battalion - Royal Irish Regiment
Wednesday, August 19th, 1914 - Taisnieres
Companies at disposal of Company Commanders practice of attack. First payments in the field made to Companies. It takes 2 ½ hours to pay out 5 Francs a man and obtain their signature. The system is an impossible one. The Captain’s signature to the whole payment should suffice.
We heard through the ASC that we move to St. Remy and from there do a 24 hour march further forward. Evidently the A.S.C. are as rare a means of giving away information as ever.
19th August 1914 Changes in quartering arrangements
20th August 1914 New billets
20th August 1914 Changes in quartering arrangements
21st August 1914 New billets
21st August 1914 Taking up stations in assigned areas.
22nd August 1914 intelligence reports
22nd August 1914 Taking up stations in assigned areas.
23rd August 1914 Action with enemy
23rd Aug 1914 Trapped in Shellholes
23rd August 1914 German attack crosses Canal
24th August 1914 Ongoing Action
24th August 1914 Withdrawals
25th August 1914 Casualties
25th August 1914 Ongoing Retirement
26th August 1914 Ongoing Action
26th August 1914 In Action
26th August 1914 Retirement
26th August 1914 Ongoing Retirement
27th August 1914 Further retreat
27th Aug 1914 Rear Guard
27th August 1914 Continued withdrawals
28th August 1914 Ongoing Action
28th Aug 1914 Rear Guard
28th August 1914 Initial Intelligence Report
29th August 1914 Further retreat
29th August 1914 Ongoing Retirement
30th August 1914 Continued withdrawals
30th August 1914 Demolitions on withdrawals
31st August 1914 On the Move
31st August 1914 Continued withdrawals
1st September 1914 Continued withdrawals
2nd September 1914 Further moves
3rd September 1914 Continued withdrawals
4th September 1914 Further retreat
4th September 1914 Enemy across the Marne
5th September 1914 Renforcements & Medial Attention
6th September 1914 General Army Advance
6th September 1914 Attack Made
7th September 1914 Continued Advance
7th September 1914 Attack progressing
8th September 1914 Advanced Guard
8th September 1914 Ongoing Battles
9th September 1914 Move to billets
9th September 1914 Ongoing Action
10th September 1914 support positions
10th September 1914 Davance
11th September 1914 Continued Action
11th September 1914 Continued progress
12th September 1914 New billets
12th September 1914 Bad Weather
13th September 1914 Ongoing Action
13th September 1914 Strong Opposition
14th September 1914 Ongoing Action
14th September 1914 Further Advance
15th September 1914 Ongoing Action
15th September 1914 Shelling
16th September 1914 Ongoing Action
16th September 1914 Difficulties
17th September 1914 Ongoing Action
17th September 1914 Heavy Bombardment
18th September 1914 Standby
18th September 1914 Night Attacks
19th September 1914 Standby
19th September 1914 Attack Repulsed
20th September 1914 Ongoing Action
20th September 1914 Reliefs
21st September 1914 Ongoing Action
21st September 1914 Attacks
22nd September 1914 Standby
22nd September 1914 Reliefs
23rd September 1914 Patrols
24th September 1914 Artillery Exchange
25th September 1914 Shrapnel
26th September 1914 Aircraft Assists
27th September 1914 Continuing action around bridges
28th September 1914 Bridges
29th September 1914 Ongoing fighting on all fronts
30th September 1914 September Intelligence Summary
1st October 1914 On the March
1st October 1914 Commencement of Move
5th October 1914 Further moves
12th October 1914 Forward moves
13th October 1914 Further moves
14th October 1914 Advance
15th October 1914 Ongoing Action
16th October 1914 Ongoing Action
17th October 1914 Relief action
18th October 1914 Further Action
20th October 1914 Disaster for Battalion
21st October 1914 Post mortem investigation
22nd October 1914 Relocation
24th October 1914 Reserve position
25th October 1914 Reinforcements and Appointments
26th October 1914 Regrouping and Training
30th October 1914 Retraining and Equipment
1st November 1914 Training
2nd November 1914 Reinforcements and Appointments
3rd November 1914 Training
15th November 1914 Ceremonial Funeral
19th May 1915 Working Parties and Attachments 
19th May 1915 Working Parties and Attachments At 9.10am 12th Brigade requested 149th Brigade to say when and where the 7th Btn Northumberland Fusiliers should report.
10am 7th Btn Northumberland Fusiliers arrived Hopital Ferme and bivouacked.
Fourth Division informed that 5th Btn Northumberland Fusiliers had been detailed for a period of attachment to 12th Brigade.
Brigadier General Feilding DSO granted four days leave of absence to proceed to England. At 12.30pm Brigadier General Feilding left HQ for England. Command of the Brigade devolved to Col. A.H. Coles CMG DSO 5th Btn Northumberland Fusiliers.
2pm Orders for following working parties received:
200 men to parade at their bivouacs at 7pm to work under Lt Bretherton RE on Divisional second line.
200 men to parade at their bivouacs at 8.30pm to work under Lt Green RE on French Switch line.
At 2.15pm Orders issued to 7th Btn Northumberland Fusiliers to furnish first party and to 4th Btn Northumberland Fusiliers to furnish second party.
At 3pm Instructions received from 12th Brigade that 5th Btn Northumberland Fusiliers were to be attached as under. Companies to report at 11.30am. 20th inst:
1 Coy signals MO 2nd Essex Regiment HQ road in A21 a995.
1 Coy 1st Kings Own HQ South of road A23 G22
1 Coy 1 machine gun 1st/2nd Monmouths HQ Vlamertinghe Church
1 company 1 machine gun 2nd Royal Irish HQ A16 Central
HQ to 1/2nd Monmouths
3.15pm Orders issued to 5th Btn Northumberland Fusiliers in accordance with above instructions and 4th Division informed.
At 5.30pm Instruction received by Fourth Division that a relief of 11th Brigade by 12th Brigade the 6th Northumberland Fusiliers attached to the former should return to the brigade and go to the dugout in B27 or to Hopital Ferme as GOC 149th may direct.
3rd Jul 1916 Stratigic Wood
5th Jul 1916 Attack Made
4th June 1917 Reliefs
20th Nov 1917 Attack Made
9th Feb 1918 Reliefs
9th Feb 1918 Training
22nd Feb 1918 Reliefs
22nd Feb 1918 Bombardment
18th Mar 1918 Reliefs
18th Mar 1918 Reliefs
18th Apr 1918 Reorganisation
7th Sep 1918 Orders
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These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.
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Those known to have served with2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment during the Great War 1914-1918. - Anderson Alan James Ramsay. 2nd Lt. (d.20th Oct 1914)
- Bartlett Francis Albert. Pte. (d.23rd Aug 1914)
- Cavanagh Joseph. Pte. (d.17th Sep 1917)
- Deevy Daniel. Pte. (d.30th April 1915)
- Dowling Patrick. Sgt. (d.21st March 1918)
- French Claude Alexander. Capt. (d.1st June 1915)
- Green Michael. Pte. (d.16th August 1915)
- McManigan Christopher. Pte. (d.5th Jul 1916)
- Phillips Edward George Dunscombe Masters. Capt. (d.14th Nov 1916)
- Stoneham John. Pte. (d.11th November 1918)
- Walsh William. Cpl.
All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please Add a Name to this List
Records of 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment from other sources.
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Pte. Christopher McManigan 2nd Btn. Royal Irish Regiment (d.5th Jul 1916) Christopher McManigan served with the 2nd Royal Irish Regiment.
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Pte. Daniel Deevy 2nd Btn. Royal Irish Regiment (d.30th April 1915) Daniel Deevy of the 2nd Royal Irish Regiment was taken as a Prisoner of War and died on the 30th of April 1915.
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Pte. John Stoneham 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Regiment (d.11th November 1918) John Stoneham was killed on the last day of the War, after writing home to inform his step mother that he would be home soon.
He was 19 years of age.
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Cpl. William Walsh 2nd Btn. Royal Irish Regiment William Walsh enlisted at Carlow on 4th January 1904. He was 20 years and 9 months old. Following 3 months at the Royal Irish Regimental Department, Clonmel, he was posted to the 2nd Battalion.
He was transferred to the 1st Battalion in India on 20th January 1905 where he attained a 3rd class certificate of education on 8th August 1908. He was serving with the 1st Battalion at Agra as of April 1911. He returned to the UK on 1st December 1911 and transferred to the Reserve on 3rd January 1912. William married Bridget Leahy a year later at St Mary's Church, Kilkenny City on 7th January 1913.
As the war clouds gathered he mobilised again at Clonmel on 6th August 1914 and was posted to the 2nd Battalion again and disembarked in France with his battalion on 13th August 1914. He was taken prisoner of war by the Germans on 20th October 1914 and was held at Limberg Camp in February 1915, transferring to internment in Holland on 1st March 1918.
On 21st September he was repatriated and transferred to the 3rd Battalion in December and continued in service under the Military Service Act. William was demobilised at Cork and transferred to the reserves on 11th March 1919.
William took up residence at New Buildings Lane, Kilkenny City. He was discharged with the rank of Corporal on 13th July 1919 but re-enlisted the following day at Kilkenny city for one year in the Labour Corps as a Corporal. He was posted initially to Irish Command Centre in Newtownards. William was finally discharged as surplus to military requirements on St Patricks Day 1920.
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Pte. Francis Albert "Bertie" Bartlett 2nd Btn. Royal Irish Regiment (d.23rd Aug 1914) Francis Bartlett was one of three brothers killed during WW1. He had enlisted during Edwardian times in Pontypool and was unmarried. His mother, Mary Bartlett nee Norvell, laid the wreath on behalf of the families of the fallen at the opening of the Penarth War Memorial in 1924.
As war approached, the Regiment was recalled from its annual summer camp at Willsworthy to its quarters with the 3rd Division at Devonport, where it mobilised on 4th August. Reservists were recalled on 7th to 9th August & the Regiment proceeded to Southampton, where together with the Connaught Rangers it embarked on SS Henschel and sailed for Boulogne with an escort of 13 cruisers. From Boulogne, the Regiment assembled at Aulnoye & Aymeries, some 20 miles from the Franco-Belgian border. From there, they marched 3 miles to Taisnieres, and had a few days training. On 20th August, they marched towards St Remy, and thence to Bettignes. Moving north from there, they reached Mons, where contact was made on the night of the 22nd with the advancing German forces. Close to Nimy Bridge, the battle of Mons was fought on 23rd August, and sadly Bertie was an early casualty of the war. His remains rest in the British Military Cemetery at Saint Symphorien.
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Capt. Claude Alexander French 2nd Btn. Royal Irish Regiment (d.1st June 1915) Claude French was the son of John Alexander and Elizabeth French.
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2nd Lt. Alan James Ramsay Anderson 3rd Btn. Royal Irish Regiment (d.20th Oct 1914) Second Lieutenant Alan James Ramsay Anderson served with the 3rd Battalion Royal Irish Regiment and was attached to the 2nd Battalion. He died in France aged 21 on the 20th October 1914 and is remembered on the Le Touret Memorial Pas de Calais, France.
Alan was the son of Robert Andrew and Mary Teresa Anderson, of The Plunkett House, 84, Merrion Square, Dublin. He was educated at Strangeway's School, Dublin, Beaumont College, Eton, Bedford Grammar School and University College, Oxford.
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Recomended Reading.Available at discounted prices.
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There's a Devil in the Drum John F. Lucy
A classic. Lucy enl, with his brother in the RIR 1912, 2nd Bn. in France & gives a very fine account of the 1914-1915 campaign.His brother was killed at the Aisne & Lucy was eventually sent home for a rest: ?My leave... was a nightmare.My sleep was broken
The simple cover and unusual title do not do this splendid book any favours, for I can honestly say that this is one of the most eloquent and most interesting accounts of the Great War I have read in recent years!
This excellent volume tells the fascinating story of John Lucy, a young man from Cork, who shortly after leaving school, was, along with his brother locked out of their home by their Father one evening and told to stay out. They therefore traveled to Dublin and being full of life and spirit and seeking adventure, joined the Royal Irish Rifles in January 1912.
After training at the depot and subsequent postings to both Dover and Tidworth, they joined the 2nd Battalion as it moved to France. Sadly his brother was kill
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