1st Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment

[mrfrank]

This is a photograph taken of the 1Bn RIR officers in February 1912 to mark the departure of Lt Col Downing from the battalion.................

17 officers present and all identified:

Back row standing L-R: Maj WH White, Lt TEH Taylor, Capt HC MacDonnell, Lt BS James, Lt SR Penrose-Welsted, Capt EC Lloyd, Lt AD Homan, Capt PR Butler.

Centre sitting: Lt JD Scott, Maj RGS Moriarty, Maj St JA Cox, Lt Col Downing DSO, Capt E Roche-Kelly, Maj JJ Fox

Front: Lt JE Bennett, Lt GEG Stacpoole, Lt DH Pratt

[sotonmate]

Hart's Army List 1912 is online and shows the Lt Colonel in Jan 1912 and the Officers of the Battalion by name.

[archangel9]

Any names for the other officers Mike?

John

[mrfrank]

....and this is another photo that was listed as unidentified on Ebay that I've just obtained. It would appear to be taken shortly after the previous one and I'm guessing it also dates to 1912.. The former CO has gone and other officers [Maj St JA Cox, Capts PR Butler and HC MacDonnell, Lts JD Scott and BS James, 2nd Lt DH Pratt] are also missing from this photo, but lots of new faces and 24 officers in total present.

Looking at the individuals in the two photos, the main difference is that certain officers now appear to be wearing an extra ribbon that wasn't present in Feb 1912. I take this to be the Dehli Durbar medal ribbon. Does anyone know when this was issued to the recipients.

Does anyone recognise this photo or any of the individuals present. I'm assuming that the individual seated centre is the new CO, Lt Col GFR Forbes who died of wounds in Mar 1915. This is what I have at present:

Back Row L-R: Lt AD Homan, 2, Lt FGR Mockler, Lt SR Penrose-Welsted, 5 , Lt HJ Blockley, Lt JE Bennett, 8, Lt TEH Taylor, Capt CA French, 11

Seated L-R Maj WH White, Capt E Roche-Kelly, 14, Maj RGS Moriarty, Lt Col GFR Forbes, Prob Adj Capt AH Caldecott, QM Maj JJ Fox, 19, Capt EC Lloyd

Front L-R 21, 2nd Lt GEG Stacpoole, 23, 24

Any help gratefully accepted and again, if anyone wants a crop just PM me.

Edited 14 January , 2018 by mrfrank

[mrfrank]

I have the Army List for May 1912 and I suspect the names contained there are largely those present in this photograph. Those not already identified and in the list are:

Maj EF Milner

Capt FS Lillie,

Lts AH Caldecott, WB Lyons [listed as with 3rd Bn], LKV Brown, JH Crofton, DKJ Chisholm.

2nd Lts PJG Gordon-Ralph, AP Pargiter, NG Holmes [the four seated to front all appear to be 2nd Lts]

If anyone can match any of these names to a face I'd appreciate it.

Edited 29 January , 2018 by mrfrank

[David Earley]

 

On 08/06/2016 at 23:09, mrfrank said:

FGR Mockler

 

I'm not sure how much it helps, but there is an obituary and photograph of Captain Francis George Ross Mockler M.C. here.

 

David

[mrfrank]

Just returned to this image and managed to identify another with the help of the 1911 Dehli Durbar medal roll. Middle back row has to be Lt Harold John Blockley. He's the only candidate from the roll -  and although the image is poor - he is clearly wearing the DD ribbon.

Looking at the Army List for Jan 1913 I suspect that the imposing looking Captain (3 pips visible) seated to the Lt Col's left is the Adjutant  Andrew Caldecott and that the officer 3rd from left on the middle row is Major Edward Francis Milner. 'The Royal Irish Regiment 1900-1922' states that at the end of 1911 C & D Companies, the latter under Maj Milner, were detached to Neemuch from Nasirabad so this explains the low number of officers in the Feb 12 photo. These companies rejoined in Dec 1912 so I believe the 2nd photo probably dates to between Dec12 - Feb13.

From the image contained in David's link, I think that 3rd from left back row could possibly be Lt Francis George Ross Mockler, but from an image on the internet is probably more likely Lt Leslie Keppel Valentine Brown. 

If anyone has an image of any of these to confirm it would be much appreciated and thanks for all the help thus far.

Edited 15 January , 2018 by mrfrank

[Balfour]

On 08/06/2016 at 23:02, mrfrank said:

....and this is another photo that was listed as unidentified on Ebay that I've just obtained. It would appear to be taken shortly after the previous one and I'm guessing it also dates to 1912.. The former CO has gone and other officers [Maj St JA Cox, Capts PR Butler and HC MacDonnell, Lts JD Scott and BS James, 2nd Lt DH Pratt] are also missing from this photo, but lots of new faces and 24 officers in total present.

Looking at the individuals in the two photos, the main difference is that certain officers now appear to be wearing an extra ribbon that wasn't present in Feb 1912. I take this to be the Dehli Durbar medal ribbon. Does anyone know when this was issued to the recipients.

Does anyone recognise this photo or any of the individuals present. I'm assuming that the individual seated centre is the new CO, Lt Col GFR Forbes who died of wounds in Mar 1915. This is what I have at present:

Back Row L-R: Lt AD Homan, 2, Lt FGR Mockler, Lt SR Penrose-Welsted, 5 , Lt HJ Blockley, Lt JE Bennett, 8, Lt TEH Taylor, Capt CA French, 11

Seated L-R Maj WH White, Capt E Roche-Kelly, 14, Maj RGS Moriarty, Lt Col GFR Forbes, Prob Adj Capt AH Caldecott, QM Maj JJ Fox, 19, Capt EC Lloyd

Front L-R 21, 2nd Lt GEG Stacpoole, 23, 24

Any help gratefully accepted and again, if anyone wants a crop just PM me.

 

[Balfour]

Hi there

I'm ;looking for a picture of HJ Blockley. He was a member of a prominent family in Wellington Shropshire. I'm in the process of putting together a short biography. An interesting man who was commissioned but dismissed in 1916, enlisted as a Private soldier ands subsequently killed in action. If you could provide a picture that would be great, if anyone can explain the reason for his dismissal that would be good too

Thanks

[Gunner 87]

18 minutes ago, Balfour said:

Hi there

I'm ;looking for a picture of HJ Blockley. He was a member of a prominent family in Wellington Shropshire. I'm in the process of putting together a short biography. An interesting man who was commissioned but dismissed in 1916, enlisted as a Private soldier ands subsequently killed in action. If you could provide a picture that would be great, if anyone can explain the reason for his dismissal that would be good too

Thanks

Hi Balfour. There are a number of press articles listing Captain H.J Brockley being granted leave for what appears to be private issues which I wonder are related to his dismissal. I have attached the Broad Arrow 20th March 1914. 

 

Edited 2 November , 2022 by Gunner 87

[Balfour]

Thank you Gunner 87

[PRC]

Previous thread has him dismissed the service by sentence of a General Court Martial, 14th August 1916. It also picks up references to him being with the 1st Battalion Royal Irish Regiment in 1907 (Harts), 1911 (Census) and 1913 (London Gazette). In 1914 he was seconded for service with the Army Signal Service, (London Gazette).

I suspect the reason for his dismissal is likely to come from his Officers long papers at Kew. The details of court martials seldom get revealed in the newspapers, so unless it crops up in someones memoirs it can be difficult to find out much more.

Cheers,
Peter

Edited 3 November , 2022 by PRC
Typo

[Balfour]

Thanks Peter

[mrfrank]

22 hours ago, Balfour said:

Hi there

I'm ;looking for a picture of HJ Blockley. He was a member of a prominent family in Wellington Shropshire. I'm in the process of putting together a short biography. An interesting man who was commissioned but dismissed in 1916, enlisted as a Private soldier ands subsequently killed in action. If you could provide a picture that would be great, if anyone can explain the reason for his dismissal that would be good too

Thanks

If you PM me with your e-mail address I shall try and get an cropped image (of the chap I believe to be HJ Blockley) to you.

Mike