New member researching Daniel [Dan] Kinsella - 33 years in Manchester Regiment

[themonsstar]

This is from his PoW Card:

Kinsella Daniel

Unit & No 1st Manch 7110465 (this No is from the Royal Irish Regt  7,109,001-7,43,000).

Nationality Irish Free State.

Rank Pte.

Place of Capture Singapore Town.

Place of Origin Clonmel, Medfield Co,Tipperary, Eire.

Destinstion of Report  Brother John Kinsella, 1 Haddington Terrace, Kingstown, Co Dublin Eire.

Date of Birth 12th Aug 1889.


Hope this helps you I will have a look a my other files to see if I can find any more on him.

[Eamonn]

Thank you themonstar,

That's great! I didn't have the battalion as yet - so you are saying he kept his Royal Irish regiment service number? I knew John Kinsella's address - it was a hotel before he bought it according to Paddy. The birth date is odd, I have found a record of 18Jul1888 from the Irish History Foundation website? Presume that was his own account of it?

Are these POW cards kept for all FEPOWS - presume my father must have had one? Do you have other regiments (he was in the RA 118 Field Regt) ...?

Thank you for your continued research - it's very much appreciated.

Best

Eamonn

PS. for 'Medfield - should read 'Marlfield', their home village just outside Clonmel

[Eamonn]

Some slightly disappointing news re: Dan's war records. I've had a letter back from the Army Personnel Centre saying that there is a delay for 'family interest' applications of about 4-5 months due to the high volume of 'urgent welfare requests'. So a bit of a wait ....

I also came up with zero in my hunt at the National Archives for Dan's and my father's POW Liberation Questionnaires - neither were there, which is a shame.

Eamonn

[harribobs]

to be honest Eamonn 4-5 months is pretty good, i waited close to 12 months for my dads!

shame you couldn't find anything at the NA though

chris

[Eamonn]

Hello Chris - didn't realise that this has been an issue (when I applied for my great uncle's WWI records from the Irish Guards archive at Wellington Barracks the response was pretty immediate).

Oh well, I guess it puts the brakes on my research - which isn't necessarily a bad thing given I can get a bit obsessive about it!

Best

Eamonn

[harribobs]

the difference is with the guards it's only 4 regiments, the MOD have the rest of the army! 

obsessive?  us? 

[themonsstar]

I do not no where you were looking at the NA for POW Liberation Questionnaires, But I found a copy of Daniel Kinslla's one.

I also found ones for:

Arthur.
John Thomas.
Thomas.

[themonsstar]

He is also on the General Service Medal Roll for the Palestine medal 1936-1938.

[Eamonn]

Dear themonsstar,

That's wonderful! (excuse the delay - I've been ridiculously busy for a week or so). Did you have a chance to take a copy or a photo? I'd be happy to reimburse costs.

Strange you found Dan's liberation questionnaire - I went through the 'Kinsellas' rather carefully - catalogue WO344?). I wonder if I had the right catalogue? Makes me think I may have missed my father's too ... Does the General Service Medal Roll give any other useful info (what catalogue no. is that)?

Best

Eamonn

[themonsstar]

The file you should have look in is WO344/386/2. for his Jap PoW Q/L form.

[Eamonn]

Thank you! I was looking in the wrong place (German POWs not Japanese). Perhaps I will find my father's form too. Much appreciated.

Best wishes

Eamonn

PS. Do you have catalogue details for the medal roll entry you mentioned?

[Eamonn]

Thanks so much for pointing me in the right direction themonsstar. Went to NA today and found Dan's liberation questionnaire and my uncle Bill's - William Davis (he was my aunt's husband who was in the same regiment as my father - of my father's questionnaire - no trace).

Dan's questionnaire showed:

No 7110465 Pte
1st Batallion Manchester Regiment
DoB: 12th August 1889
Enlisted: 20th January 1919
Captured: 15th February 1942
Camp: Changi – 15.2.42 to 10.9.45
Camp Leader: Col EB Holmes MC 1st Manchesters

Given he had '33 years' exemplary service' he left the regiment in 1952. Also his DoB is now given twice as 12Aug1889 - so that seems settled.

Would be interested in any comments.

Thanks

Eamonn

[Eamonn]

Good news! The Army Personnel Centre have responded far sooner than anticipated. I've managed to put together a chronology of Dan's service, including his WWI service records:

16.06.1909   Enlisted Royal Irish Rgt aged 20 in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary
17.06.1909   Posted – Depot
30.09.1909   Posted – 2nd Battalion
14.09.1911   Posted to India - 1st Battalion - until 12.10.1914
13.10.1914   Home - until 18.12.1914
19.12.1914   BEF - until 17.06.1915
18.06.1915   Posted - Depot until 20.09.1915
06.08.1915   Posted - 3rd Battalion
21.09.1915   Posted - MEF 5th Battalion - until 09.09.1917
10.09.1917   EEF - until 09.04.1918
10.04.1918   BEF - 20.01.1919
20.01.1919   Discharged for the purpose of re-enlistment under A 04 of 1919 – 5th Battalion 11/19 RI Rgt
Campaigns   The Great War (France) 1914-15 Salonica 1915/16/17; Egypt 1917/18   
[9 years 219 days]
21.01.1919   Royal Irish Rgt. – Attested

18.08.1922   Enlisted 2nd Battalion Manchester Rgt.
13.02.1920   India – until 21.10.1932 [nearly 13 years!]
22.10.1932   Egypt – until 13.01.1934
14.01.1934   Home – until 13.10.1935
14.10.1935   Egypt – until 13.04.1937
14.04.1937   Cyprus – until 27.11.1937
28.11.1937   Egypt – until 13.01.1938
14.01.1938   Palestine – until 25.09.1938
26.09.1938   Singapore – until 14.02.1942
15.02.1942   Japan (POW) – until 11.10.1945
12.10.1945    Home – until 25.10.1947
“2” Res   26.10.1947 until 08.11.1951 [32 years 292 days]

I'd be really interested to hear from those of you who have a detailed knowledge of the Regiment now that Dan's movements are clear. For example, what was he doing in India for nearly thirteen years?! And the three postings to Egypt? And Cyprus, where, according to his nephew, he was happy? Hope some of you can shed some light on this for me.

Many thanks in anticipation.

Best wishes

Eamonn

[tisgrannie]

Eamon how fabulous for you. Someone will be along with some knowledge on ALL that service. You must feel very proud. I hope you don't have to wait to long.
regards
tisgrannie