Sir Francis Vane : Letters of 1916

Following his reporting of the murders of Franics Sheehy-Skeffington and journalists McIntyre and Dickinson, Sir Francis Vane was given a rough deal by the British Army who appear to have wanted things covered up.

The Letters of 1916 site has a couple of documents from Sir Francis Vane re his service during the Rising and subsequent "unemployment" which make for interesting reading :

Sir Francis Vane

Sir Francis Vane to John Dillon

IAVTC Documents : Letters of 1916

The excellent Letters of 1916 initiative has a number of documents online that relate to the Irish Association of Volunteer Training Corps (aka the IAVTC or "Gorgeous Wrecks") :

15th April 1916
Letter from Robert Anderson to Sir Matthew Nathan

17th April 1916
Letter to Robert Anderson

18th April 1916
Letter from Belfast VTC to Sir Matthew Nathan
Letter from Robert Anderson to Sir Matthew Nathan

19th April 1916
Letter from Belfast VTC to Robert Anderson

20th April 1916
Letter from Robert Anderson to Sir Matthew Nathan

21st April 1916
Letter from Robert Anderson to Sir Matthew Nathan

22nd April 1916
Letter from Sir Matthew Nathan to DMP Commissioner Edgeworth-Johnstone
Letter from DMP Commissioner Edgeworth-Johnstone to Sir Matthew Nathan
Letter to Robert Anderson


2nd May 1916
R Hutchinson to Sir Matthew Nathan


9th May 1916
Letter from Robert Anderson to Edward O'Farrell

The Sherwood Foresters in the Easter Rising Dublin 1916

Just got a copy of this book via ebay.

Some good info re the Sherwoods before, during and after the Rising. Good info re the those Killed in Action and Died of Wounds, the wounded and those with awards.

A few errors, lots of typos; some photos too small. No references. 

A bit poor in relation to things Irish.

Worth a read but worth trying to get as cheaply as possible.

Captain Scovell RAMC - Mount Street Bridge

In the various post Rising reports there is reference to a Captain Scovell RAMC who was driving a car through the Mount Street Bridge area on the first day of the Rising where Richard Waters was shot. Mr Waters was taken to hospital and later died of wounds.

Dr Rowland Hill Scovell (1863 - 1939) was the RAMC Captain driving the car when Richard Waters (a bank official) was shot.

Dr Scovell had previously played rugby for Ireland :

http://en.espn.co.uk/scrum/rugby/player/641.html

UB-13

The following page carries the list of the 17 German sailors killed aboard the U-Boat UB-13

http://www.denkmalprojekt.org/u-boote/uboote_wk1/wk1_ub13.htm

Originally thought to have been destroyed by a mine off the Belgian coast, there is now some thought that she may have been destroyed by one of the British trawlers on the barrage created outside Zeebrugge.


Arthur Metz

A Breitenbend

Georg Diesel

Private George Wyld

With 93 days service Private George Wyld was killed in action during the Easter Rising with the 2/7th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derby Regiment) and is buried in Grangegorman Cemetery.

Attested 7th December 1915 aged 19years and 10 months originally as T33621 in the 7th Battalion and then transferred as 5430 to the 2/7th Battalion. A number of records transpose the first 2 digits of his number and show him as 4530 rather than 5430.

His mother was deceased at the time of his service. He left behind his father Joseph, 4 brothers and 4 sisters.

CQMS Robert Gamble

Dublin born Company Quarter Master Sergeant Robert Gamble was shot and killed on the 26th April 1916 on the railway track near Beggars Bush Barracks in Dublin. He was under the command of Captain Gerrard at the time of his death.

Born on the 19th August 1890 to Robert Gamble and Maria (nee Vance).

Gamble joined the 5th Royal Dublin Fusiliers as number 7015 in August 1907 as a part time soldier. He then enlisted as regular soldier in the Royal Irish Rifles on 22nd November 1907 and served with the 2nd Battalion as number 8833. Entered France on the 15th August 1914. 

His service record indicates born 1889. Church and state records state 1890.

Wounded twice :

Slight gun shot wound 15th October 1914; transferred to hospital in England and rejoined battalion 1st April 1915.

Wound to arm and leg (in action near Hill 60) 8th May 1915. Sent to hospital in England 11th May 1915.

Transferred to King George V Hospital, Dublin 15th September 1915.

It looks like a Medical Board recommended that Robert Gamble stay in the Army but that he should be assigned for Home Service.

The 2nd (Home Service) Garrison Battalion was formed in Dublin in March 1916.

Gamble was transferred to 2nd (Home Service) Garrison Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment, on the 11th March 1916 as serial number 7 and was appointed as Acting Company Quarter Master Sergeant the same day.

Private Alfred Sibley

Alfred Nathan Sibley was 20years and 8months old when he enlisted as 3308, Private in the Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derby Regiment) on the 30th October 1914. He was killed in Dublin on the 26th April 1916 at the Battle of Mount Street Bridge.

His address at the time of enlistment was 10 Wilkinson Avenue, Beeston, Notts.

Private Ernest Farnsworth

Private Ernest Farnsworth, number 2961, 2/7th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derby Regiment) was one of the soldiers killed at the Battle of Mount Street during the Easter Rising.

Born in Sheffield in 1891, he was living at 16 Ashover Terrace, Manning Street, Nottingham when he enlisted on the 5th October 1914.

His brother William Farnsworth was to die in France and Flanders the following year.

Nottingham Roll of Honour

William Farnsworth

Ernest is not commemorated on the Nottingham Roll of Honour.

UPDATE 27th APRIL 1916
Having been omitted from the Nottingham Roll of Honour, Ernest Farnsworth's name now appears on the list.

Book Launch

I headed over to Dublin on Thursday for the launch of When the Clock Struck in 1916 at the School House Hotel in Ballsbridge. Great to be in a building associated with the Easter Rising (with bullet holes clearly visible in the roof space prompting a discussion about entry and exit holes) and to be able to speak to people with a great deal of knowledge about the Easter Rising.

Picked up a copy of the book and have made a start reading it. One chapter done; very well researched and written.

De Valera in America

Always on the look out for 2nd hand books relating to the Easter Rising, War of Independence, Civil War, WW1 and picked up a copy of "De Valera in America" in a shop in Oxford for £2.00. Thought it was an older book (the cover made it look old) but it appears to be a 2010 publication.

Interesting so far. Harry Boland gets a good write up. Some dodgy US characters on the platform with De Valera.

Thomas Dickson

Thomas Dickson was shot in Portobello Barracks during the Easter Rising alongside Francis Sheehy Skeffinton and Patrick Joseph McIntyre.

Described in the enquiry as a deformed Scotsman, he was working as a journalist in Dublin as editor of a loyalist/Unionist paper called Eye-Opener. No real details found so far re this newspaper and who else was involved with it.

Born around 1885 in Glasgow, Thomas Dickson was the son of Samuel Dickson and Annie McDonagh. Both parents were born in Ireland.

In the 1891 census the family are living at 118 Parson St, Glasgow. Samuel is aged 35, Annie aged 27. The children listed as Thomas (6), John Dignam Dickson (4), Samuel (3) and James (1).

In the 1901 census the family are living at 28 Glebe St, Glasgow. Samuel is aged 45, Annie aged 37. The children as listed as Thomas (16), John (14), Samuel (13), James (11), Hugh (6), Mary (7), Honorah (4) and Margaret (1). Thomas is listed as an Advertising Agent.

2/6th Battalion Sherwood Foresters

A nice write up of the war record of the 2/6th Battalion of the Sherwood Foresters appears at the following link including details of their time in the Easter Rising

https://derbyshireterritorials.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/2-6th-battalion-history.pdf

1916 Casualties

Glasnevin Cemetery has completed a project to look into the numbers killed during the Easter Rising or killed as a result of the Rising

http://www.glasnevintrust.ie/visit-glasnevin/news/1916-list/index.xml

Have to see more information to determine if I could believe this - as usual, no mention of the German sailors killed in the operations in support of the Rising.

Dublin trip for 1916 Book Launch

Heading to Dublin at the end of March for the launch of a 1916 related book. This event is taking place at the School House which is quite appropriate

http://www.collinspress.ie/when-the-clock-struck-in-1916.html