Major Balch

[Sinabhfuil]

Major Balch - no forename provided - was the medical officer on Portobello Barracks during the 1916 Rising. He was the doctor who examined the bodies of the various people who died in the barracks or were brought in dead.

I can't find any information about him, other than that he was transferred to Sierra Leone after the Rising and so was not available as a witness in the inquiries that took place. Anyone? 

There are no Balches in the 1901 or 1911 censuses; in the civil records there's a William Balch born 1884 to Harry Balch of the 18th Hussars, a trumpet maker in Royal Barracks (on the quays in Dublin); he died of measles as a child and in his death registration his father was described as Trumpet Major. Another William Balch was born in Shankill, Malone Upper in 1888, son of a mechanice; I don't know if either of these is apposite though. 

[Allan1892]

How sure are you that the surname is Balch? There is a Major Charles Augustus Jonathan Albert Balck that served with the Royal Army Medical Corps

[Sinabhfuil]

He's referred to throughout The Sinn Fein Rebellion Handbook as Balch. Was this Balck in Dublin in 1916?

[Sinabhfuil]

A note in a thesis "THE INFLUENCE OF THE BOER WAR (1899 – 1902) ON THE TACTICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE REGULAR BRITISH ARMY 1902 – 1914
SPENCER JONES BA, MPhil."
has:

Winston Churchill “Some Impressions of the War in South Africa” in Journal of the Royal United Service Institution 45(1), 1901, pp.835 – 804; Captain J. Markham Rose, “Lessons to be Derived from the Expedition to South Africa in Regard to the Best Organisation of the Land Forces of the Empire” in Journal of the Royal United Service Institution 45(1), 1901, pp.541 – 593; Major Balck, “The Lessons of the Boer War and the Battle-Working of the Three Arms” in Journal of the Royal United Service Institution 48(2), 1904, pp.1271 – 1278; Lieutenant Colonel E. Gunter, (Translator) “A German View of British Tactics in the Boer War” in Journal of the Royal United Service Institution 46(1), 1902, pp.801 - 806

[Sinabhfuil]

Hm, but another similar reference has "Major Balck of the German General Staff" (https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADA437070.pdf) 

 

[GreyC]

His name was William Balck. His father was English but served in the German army as officer, as did his son William who you mention. He finished WW1 as Generalleutnant and died in 1924.

His son served as General in WW2 and was among the highest decorated soldiers in the German army (Ritterkreuz mit Brillianten) and sentenced as war criminal by France.

See also:

http://prussianmachine.com/aok/balck.htm

Best,

GreyC

Edited Monday at 20:19 by GreyC

[Sinabhfuil]

Ah, that's not my man, then. 

Balch is also named in Hanna Sheehy Skeffington's lecture, British Militarism as I have Known It, published along with her late husband's A Forgotten Small Nationality. She writes that in the commission of inquiry that followed her husband's murder: 

Quote

Dr Balch, who had refused to certify Colthurst insane, was not questioned, and he was afterwards sent to Sierra Leone, and would not be produced at the Commission.

Here's what was said of the doctor in the inquiry, as quoted in The Irish Times's 1917 publication about the Rising and its aftermath, The Sinn Fein Rebellion Handbook:

[sadbrewer]

He's mentioned here, in the Dublin Daily Express June 1st, 1912. From the British Newspaper Archive.

 

 

He later gave evidence in the Courts Martial of Capt Bowen Colthurst over the shooting of prisoners, Sheehy-Skeeffington, Dickson, and McIntyre, as reported in the Freeman's Journal, published the 17th of June, 1916. Link to large article below, subscription required.

https://www.findmypast.co.uk/image-viewer?issue=BL%2F0001447%2F19160617&page=5&article=069&stringtohighlight=balch+ramc

 

In another report he is stated as Major J A Balch.

 

A possibility in the Boer War. From Ancestry.

 

A possible 1953 connection

 

 

Edited Tuesday at 00:02 by sadbrewer

[Sinabhfuil]

Thanks, Sadbrewer. I can't read that medals document, is there any way of getting a better image?

[Allan1892]

1 hour ago, Sinabhfuil said:

is there any way of getting a better image?

Courtesy of Ancestry -- note the the name written to the right of Balch -- it reads J A Balck

[Allan1892]

Image courtesy of Find My Past -- shows him as Balck, a Lieutenant in the RAMC

[Allan1892]

From the Kentish Independent newspaper, 20 February 1903

(image courtesy of Find My Past)

[Sinabhfuil]

26 minutes ago, Allan1892 said:

Courtesy of Ancestry -- note the the name written to the right of Balch -- it reads J A Balck

It seems to say both - Balch in the fourth column, then Balck across the "Whether entitled to clasp" bit?

[Allan1892]

Newspaper clipping shows J A Balck

[Allan1892]

@Sinabhfuil -- 

14 hours ago, Sinabhfuil said:

Here's what was said of the doctor in the inquiry, as quoted in The Irish Times's 1917 publication about the Rising and its aftermath, The Sinn Fein Rebellion Handbook:

In this article it mentions Dr Balch had served in Sierra Leone -- this is Dr John Albert Balck born 16th July 1874, died 7th January 1959. At some stage, he changed his name to Balck-Foote. His only son, John Anthony Balck-Foote served with the Hampshire Regiment and was killed in action in Italy on the 16th September 1944 aged 20 years.

I have attached Dr Balck-Foote's obituary for your information.

(image courtesy of europepmc.org)

 

[Sinabhfuil]

Thank you - this definitely looks like the same person. Interesting that it says he was sent to Sierra Leone in 1914 rather than 1916, and doesn't mention that he was in Dublin during the Easter Rising. 

[Allan1892]

John Albert Balck was definitely in Ireland when his engagement to Eileen Elizabeth Boyd was announced in the Belfast News Letter published on the 29th May 1923. He is described as a MAJOR

He was still in Ireland later that year when he married Eileen on the 6th September. The Belfast News Letter published on the 7th September 1923 records that the wedding took place at Holywood Parish, near Belfast. He is described as a MAJOR.

He was still in Ireland when his only son was born in June 1924. Again, the Belfast News Letter reported on this. He is described as being a Lieutenant-Colonel.

 

[Sinabhfuil]

Oddly, I can't find any marriage in the Civil Records:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/agreement.jsp 

[Sinabhfuil]

Here's their grave https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/83844499/eileen-balck-foote

[Allan1892]

Yes, I have seen this.

[Allan1892]

12 minutes ago, Sinabhfuil said:

Oddly, I can't find any marriage in the Civil Records:

They definitely married in the Holywood Parish Church -- apologies for the poor quality on the newspaper image.

(image courtesy of Find My Past)

[Sinabhfuil]

Very weird that there's no marriage registration and no birth registration though!

[Sinabhfuil]

Slightly lighter image. 

 

1923 Balck wedding.pdf

[Sinabhfuil]

There seems to have been a smallpox epidemic in Sierra Leone when Balck was landed over there. https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/26223/1/10731720.pdf

Edited Tuesday at 13:52 by Sinabhfuil

[Sinabhfuil]

Do the Major Charles Augustus Jonathan Albert Balck or the William Balck mentioned towards the beginning of this thread have any connection with Balck-Foote, I wonder?