The Royal Dublin Fusiliers
The Royal Dublin Fusiliers was an Irish Infantry Regiment of the British Army raised in 1881 and garrisoned in Ireland. The Regiment was disbanded in 1922.
Battalions during the Great War.
- 1st Battalion
- 2nd Battalion
- 3rd (Reserve) Battalion
- 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion
- 5th (Extra Reserve) Battalion
- 6th (Service) Battalion
- 7th (Service) Battalion
- 8th (Service) Battalion
- 9th (Service) Battalion
- 10th (Service) Battalion
- 11th (Reserve) Battalion
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Dec 2011 Please note we currently have a large backlog of submitted material, our volunteers are working through this as quickly as possible and all names, stories and photos will be added to the site.
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Those known to have served with The Royal Dublin Fusiliers during The Great War
Select a story link or scroll down to browse those stories hosted on this site.
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Private George Humphreys Royal Dublin Fusiliers the family story goes that great grandfather george ran away as a 14/15 year old to join the fusiliers at the turn of the 20th century.(1902 or 1903) and was posted to india.nothing is known of his time in india,but his medal card from ww1 shows he first saw action on 25 april 1915,the first day of the gallipoli campaign.after remarkably surviving this he was sent to the western front.he was pensioned out in 1916 due to wounds and returned to dublin where he raised his family with wife,katie.very little detail is known as he never spoke of his involvement in ww1. |
Michael Ward 9th Btn. Dublin Fusliers My Great Grandfather, Michael Ward left Dublin in 1916, 3 years after the death of his wife Elizabeth. He left 8 young children behind in a tenement house. He served for 2.5 years and returned to Dublin where he worked in Guinness's. He died at the age of 92. I am so proud of him. |
Pte. James Collins 2nd Btn (d.24th May 1915) My Great Uncle Jimmy Collins was gassed at Mouse Trap Farm on 24 May 1915, aged 19 years. |
Pte. William Joseph Duffy Dublin Fusiliers William Duffy signed up with the Royal Dublin Fusiliers on the 8th of August 1914, he first saw action in France on the 9th of Febuary 1915, and then went on to serve in the Dardanelles until he was discarged 8th of August 1916 due to sickness. He was awarded the silver war badge, also the 1914 star ,the 1915 star and the victory medal. He died 1965 in Dublin. |
Pte. Michael Keogh 2nd Btn. Dublin Fusiliers My father, Pte. Michael Keogh,(No.32276 'A' Company - 2nd Battalion), joined the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, I think around 1918, putting his age up in order to join his brother Patrick Keogh who had just returned from serving in France. My father went to Turkey, Asia Minor, with the Black Sea Army and served in the Anatolian Mounted Infantry. From there he went to India with the RDF and served on the northwest frontier(Punjab) in what is now Pakistan. His discharge certificate is marked 30-10-1926.
He wrote numerous poems and vignets about this period of his life; some of which show extraordinary sensitivity in one so young. In addition, his sense of humour as experienecd through the daily life of a soldier, speaks of another generation of tough, hardy and resourceful men. I grew up listening to his 'war stories'and I gathered the impression that despite the dangers and hardships, the time he spent with the "Dubs" was the happiest in his life. Although he abhorred war and its futility, he held his comrades in high esteem and the code of honour they shared.
Michael Keogh migrated to Australia in 1924 and died there at the age of 70 years in 1971. To his last day he still maintained the bearing of a soldier, something he attributed to his training with the Royal Dublin Fusliliers.
I have some photographs and articles which I will post at a later date. I would love to hear from any relatives of former RDF members who served during this time. |
Pte. Patrick McCabe 18th Btn. Kings Liverpool Regiment (d.22nd Sept 1917) Pat joined the Royal Dublin Fusiliers in 1914 and served in the Balkans and France. He deserted in January 1917, then re-enlisted under the name of James Conway in Feburary 1917 in the King's Liverpool. He was killed on the 22nd September 1917 whilst stringing wire with 7 others. He is buried at Torekien Farm no 1 Cemetery near Wijtschate. |
Pte Patrick Moreland 2nd Btn. Royal Dublin Fusiliers My Grandfather Patrick Moreland was in the 2nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers and was held by the Germans in Limburg Lahn |
Percy " " Harvey 2nd Btn. Royal Dublin Fusiliers I am looking for information on my grandfather and his son, my uncle. My grandfathers name was Percy Harvey and he was in the 2nd Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers. He was wounded and captured at Mons and taken POW, I think to Chimintz in Germany.
My Uncle's name was Roy Harvey and he was in the 1st Airborne and was captured at Arnhem and made POW but I do not know where. It is a remarkable story that both father and son would be POW's in 2 different World Wars. Both men survived and my grandfather lived on into old age (97) and I have some photos of him in uniform. He join the Duke of York's School in Chelsea when he was about 12 and was 23 when the Great War started.
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L/Sgt. William Mulvey 9th Btn. Royal Dublin Fusiliers (d.23rd Oct 1918) I only had a name and a single photo of my Grandad, William Mulvey in Army uniform and knew nothing about him until I received his medals from a cousin in Canada. This began a long, interesting, sometimes frustrating but deeply satisfying journey to discover something about him. Through my research and reading his Battalion War Diaries I now know he was at Hulluch, Ginchy, Guillemont, Messines and Wytschaete and would have seen the beginning of air warfare and the introduction of tanks to the battlefields.
He contracted 'Trench Fever' a debilitating louse born disease that invalided him out of the horror and filth of the trenches back home to Ireland to recover over several months whilst serving in the Labour Corps barracks in Kildare only to contract 'Spanish Flu' and Pneumonia and die in 5 short days just three weeks before the end of the war.
He had effectively been demoted because of ill health, and for a man who had the responsibilities of a L/Sgt that could not have come easily to him. I have yet to track down his service records but I consider my work as a memorial to a life I was not privileged to be part of. He had two children a daughter and my own Father who was born whilst he was away in France and whom I doubt he ever saw, like so many of his generation he was robbed of the chance of a normal life so my work is keeping his memory alive. |
Pte. Joseph Dunne 8th Btn. Royal Dublin Fusiliers (d.27/29th Apr 1916) My Great Grandfather Joseph Dunne s/n 14020, 8th Battalon Royal Dublin Fusiliers part of the 16th division, enlisted in Dublin in the summer of 1915, they were sent to the Curragh army camp in kildare for training and in Sept 1915 they moved to Blackdown near Aldershot in Surrey England for trench training. They remained there till 18th of December when they were sent to France. They were introduced to trench warfare trauma for the first few weeks of 1916, then they found themselves in the front line trenches in Hullach near Loos. There he stayed till his death 27th/29th April 1916 and this is stated on his death cert, the reason was because the Germans gased the trenches on the 27th and nobody returned till the 29th and this is why 27th/29th is stated on his cert. We found his name on the wall of the Loos Memorial 200, 2 panel 127 - 129. He is also mentioned on a plaque in Hueston Station Dublin and this states "In memory of the following members of staff of the Great Southern & Western Railway who laid down their lives for their country in the Great War 1914-1918."
Other than this I cannot find anything else about him no photos, notes or diary. I would love to find a photo of him. |
William O'Brien Dublin Fusiliers William O'Brien was on the SS River Clyde in the 1915 Gallipoli Campaign. Of the 1100 Royal Dublin Fusiliers only 11 survived the Gallipoli Landings, William was one of the lucky few. |
Pte. Alexander Mccallum 6th Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers (d.28th Dec 1918) I am trying to find information of my Great Uncle, Alexander McCallum born in Co. Down 20/11/1879. I know he is buried in a Military Cemetery in Dublin.
I have very little information about him, except his birth place & his parents. I would appreciate any help anyone can offer.
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Sgt. George Connor 6th Btn. Royal Dublin Fusiliers (d.2nd-4th Oct 1916) This is my great grandfather. I remember my Granddad used to tell us how he remembers his mother receiving the telegram that informed her of his death, quite an impression it must have made as he was only 3 at the time. My cousin has been looking into great granddad's records and has been to Greece to visit his grave which is in Struma. We have no photos of him and have no idea what happened to his medals. I would like to know what his regiment did - all I know is that it was front line combat. |
Pte. Christoper O'Connor 9th Btn. Royal Dublin Fusiliers (d.5th Sept 1917) Christopher O'Connor was killed in action on the the 5th of September 1917, he also served in the African campaign. |
Pte. John Day 8th Btn. Royal Dublin Fusiliers (d.30th Apr 1916) I would love to know what battle did John die in .I know he is buried in Bethune town cementry France or any more information available if anyone knows any more.
Siobhan |
Cpl. Alfred Betts 1st Btn. Royal Dublin Fusiliers (d.25th Apr 1915) My two uncles were both serving in the Royal Dublin Fusiliers in 1914. Corporal Alfred Betts 1st Battalion landed from the HMT River Clyde on the 25th April 1915, onto "V" Beach at Gallopoli. He was killed on the 1st November 1915. His brother Serjeant Frederick Betts 2nd Battalion was killed in the first Battle of Mons on the 27th August 1914 only three day after the war started.
My Mother saw her two dear brothers leave these shores, never to return, they are gone but never forgotten |
Pte. Mathew Connor 7th Battalion Royal Dublin Fusilliers (d.3rd Oct 1916) Matthew Connor was my great uncle. All we know is that he died in Greece on the 3rd Oct 1916 and is buried in Commonwealth War Grave at Struma Millitary Cemetery at Selonika. We would love to know how he died and what service he did before going to Greece or if he was awarded any medals etc. My Dad and his sisters are all getting on in life now and would like to know more about their uncle before it's too late. |
L/Cpl. Michael "Spud" McGeeney MM. Royal Dublin Fusiliers Michael McGeeney was severly wounded 3 times during the time he served in France. He was awarded the MM for galantry, apparently it would of been the Victoria Cross ... but he was Irish. He was given leave to return to Hartlepool, where they had a brass band waiting for him. His nick name was Spud McGeeney and he was known as the Mushroom King, as he knew where to find them. He was also in the Royal Navy at some point on HMS Dido. |
Sgt. Frederick Betts 2nd Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers (d.27th Aug 1914) My two uncles were both serving in the Royal Dublin Fusiliers in 1914.
Serjeant Frederick Betts 2nd Battalion was killed in the first Battle of Mons on the 27th August 1914 only three day after the war started.
His Brother 10855 Corporal Alfred Betts 1st Battalion landed from the HMT River Clyde on the 25th April 1915, onto "V" Beach at Gallopoli.
He was killed on the 1st November 1915.
My Mother saw her two dear brothers leave these shores, never to return, they are gone but never forgotten
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CROWN AND COMPANY 1911-1922. 2nd Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers Col. H. C. Wylly
This volume is concerned principally with the battalion’s service in the Great War during which it fought on the Western Front in 10th Brigade, 4th Division till the end of 1916 when it was transferred to 48th Brigade of 16th(Irish) Division. The last part gives a very full and often moving description of the disbandment of the battalion. 269 officers and 4508 WOs, NCOs and men of the Regiment died during the war and an appendix lists the names of the officers showing which battalion they were serving in. There is a full list of Honours and Awards including Mentions in Despatches and foreign awards for the whole regiment. Another appendix lists the officers of the 1st and 2nd battalions serving at the time of disbandment and shows which regiments they transferred to or whether they retired.
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