7th Royal Dublin Fusiliers

[Duncan]

Does anyone know why so many men from the 7th Royal Dublin Fusiliers seem to be either former Wiltshire Regiment and Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry men, or from the Wiltshire and Corwall areas? Seems rather odd!

Cheers

Duncan.

[Desmond7]

The core of the 7th Royal Dublin Fusiliers was formed from the well-to-do young clerks and professionals of that city. At one stage they were known as a 'Rugby Football Btn.'

Many of thse men were to emerge in their own right as officers and were posted elsewhere thus leaving gaps in the btn. ranks. See bleow for example.

I can't say for certain but I imagine that with recruitment being voluntary in Ireland, there was a shortfall in numbers and thus men from outside Ireland were drafted in to the btn.

It is quite common to find blocks of men from various geographical locations in England etc. coming into Irish formations, especially in the last two years of the war.

For a brief outline of the 7th Btn. RDF, try Tom Johnstone's 'Orange Green and Khaki' which gives a good overall history of the Irish Regts. in WW1.

Cheers

Des

This from post-Langemarck in August 1917

Captain A. H. Murray

Captain Murray of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, who is reported dangerously wounded by a gunshot in the head is formerly of Ballymena. He is a son in law of Mr. Huston Lancashire, chairman of the Ballymena Urban Council.

At the outbreak of war Captain Murray was an inspector of the Scottish Widows Provident Association in Dublin, a position which he immediately gave up and joined the Rugby Football Btn. Of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, as a private.

He took part in the landing at the Dardanelles where he was in the machine gun section and on the morning after the landing he was recommended for promotion, shortly afterward being gazetted a second lieutenant. He also participated in the Serbian Campaign, in which he was wounded and when in France was mentioned in despatches by Sir Douglas Haig. He was a popular footballer and tennis player in Ballymena and was educated at Ballymena Academy.

B.O. Aug. 24, 1917

[Rosemary Clarke]

Does anyone know why so many men from the 7th Royal Dublin Fusiliers seem to be either former Wiltshire Regiment and Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry men, or from the Wiltshire and Corwall areas? Seems rather odd!

Cheers

Duncan.

A similar question has been on my mind.

Thanks to forum member Alan Lines, I discovered that one of the SAD Royal Dublin Fusiliers (Albert Rickman) was, in fact, a young man from the New Forest in Hampshire which has seemed rather strange.

Rosemary