Private R W Williams, 4179390 died 10/7/1921

[johnny_doyle]

Private R W Williams, 2nd RWF, was killed as a result of an ambush at Bunratty Bridge in Co Clare the day before the Truce came into effect in Ireland on 11th July 1921. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg...Rid=49507901On the CWGC website he is listed as the son of Mrs. M. Williams, of 3, Abbey Green, Chester.Can't find any info re his forename or that of his mother.Would anyone know of any RWF material from the period that might be able to confirm his forename? Tried to see if the CWGC had more info but they were unhelpful.His number is a post WW1 number and I can't find any references to it on Ancestry unlike some other RWF men who served during WW1/prior to the Army re-numbering - leading me to think that he was too young to have fought in WW1 and therefore aged about 18 or 19 at the time of his death.

[ap1]

Hi Johnny,

A warm welcome to our site. Wouldn't his service record be held by the MOD at Historical Disclosures?

The written RWF history covering the period between 1919-1939 is poorly documented so his death is not on any published rolls of honour. Its very possible that the museum will have his full name.

[Aled Roberts]

Hi

His name was William Reginald Williams. I believe he had a previous service number of 35735.

Richard

[johnny_doyle]

thanks for taking the time to reply.

I didn't know there was an Historical Disclosures unit at the MOD. That's be one for my next WW1 query.

I'll follow up on the William REginald Williams lead and see what else I can find out. Thanks for this lead.

Johnny

[Baconwallah]

I do not have him in my database of Great War 2/RWF personnel. Perhaps he was transferred from a Service battalion after the Armistice.

John

[johnny_doyle]

had a look on Ancestry for William Reginald Williams but no joy connecting to the soldier I'm tracking. Found 2, of which 1 was RAMC from Newton Abbott; discharged due to illness in 1918; the other was from Tonyrefails, Glam aged 19 when he enlisted into the 16th Battn Welsh Regt in 1915. He was discharged in 1917 due to wounds. A request for a reference in 1926 discounts him as the Williams I'm tracing.

I'll pop a query to the RWF Museum as my next step and see if the Military Archives in Dublin has any info re the search for his body/grave.

I have a list of the soldiers commemorated at a Memorial Service in Dublin 21st Nov 1922 for the Officers, NCOs and Men of Irish Command killed or died of wounds 1920-1922. Williams is one of those commemorated. The others from 2/RWF are

G L Compton-Smith
http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_...sualty=2743800

F H Quinn
http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_...asualty=671210

[Hywyn]

Johnny

The 35735 number that Richard quotes reflects enlistment mid to late 1915. It hasn't turned up on any casualty lists as of yet and a matter of fact numbers around it are quite scarce but I need to do some deeper research. A quick look at the medal cards shows that many 357XX numbers were renumbered post war (in sequence) and that the most only received the Indian General Service medal (and clasps) i.e nil in France or elsewhere (Ireland was 'Home Service'). I wonder if they were all 3rd Battalion men or maybe a Young Soldiers unit with them being old enough for the Indian duties later on. Do any of the others here have a view on that?

Regarding the Dublin Memorial Service list. Are there any more RWF men on it other than those you have named and does it give dates/location etc?


Hywyn

[johnny_doyle]

thanks Hywyn.

I completed a search on Ancestry a while back looking at the numbers around R W Williams 4179390 and had come up with the following info :

4179387 R G Turner (formerly 35731) served Waziristan
4179388 W T Piggott (formerly 35732) served Waziristan
4179389 nothing found
7179390 R W Williams
4179391 David Hanscombe Sgt (formerly 35736) served Waziristan KIA 22/5/1922
4179392 nothing found
4179393 nothing found
4179394 E White (formerly 35614) served Waziristan
4179395 nothing found
4179396 W W Cox (formerly 35742) served Waziristan
4179397 nothing found

the ones I did find all seemed to go off to Waziristan whereas Williams went off to Ireland. Sgt Hanscombe appears to have been in 1st Battn

http://www.iol.ie/~coinsandmedals/SinglesPDF.pdf


Compton-Smith and Quinn are the only RWF men mentioned on the memorial programme. No dates or information given, just a list of names, rank, regiment. Major Compton-Smith's kidnap and execution in April 1921 is fairly well documented but I know nothing yet about the circumstances of Private Quinn's death.

Johnny

[johnny_doyle]

I have a list of the soldiers commemorated at a Memorial Service in Dublin 21st Nov 1922 for the Officers, NCOs and Men of Irish Command killed or died of wounds 1920-1922. Williams is one of those commemorated. The others from 2/RWF are

G L Compton-Smith
http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_...sualty=2743800

F H Quinn
http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_...asualty=671210

a contact has given me an article from the Irish Times dated 28/4/1920 which shows states that Pte Francis Quin was shot in the head during an incident between local youths and soldiers in Limerick city. It indicates that he was from Kent. A Pte Maurice Roberts 2/RWF was a witness at the inquest.

[Stephen Martin Kelly]

Hi Johnny,
See link attached, Gives a good account of Ambush
https://www.cairogang.com/soldiers-k.../williams.html

Regards
Stephen