broken British War Medal

[Noor]

Hi guys,

Here is one of my other random find from local coin dealer table yesterday. Usualy I am not interested broken medals but I know that the stuff in there haven't been researched, so I checked the naming - 6969 PTE J.KEHOE R.IR.REG.
Because I kind a like Irish related medals more and more now (maybe because my wife is Irish and we live in Dublin ), then I had a go and I did quick initial check over ancestry, etc web pages. In the end, because all the informion what was available + the sad story behind it, I decided to buy the disk, restore it and disply it with honour.

(by the way, if someone here has a BWM suspension over or broken medal, what naming is gone, I would be very interested to purchase/trade it)

[Noor]

James Kehoe (1882-13th May 1915)
Private
2nd (Service) Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment

James Kehoe was born in Kilmore, Co. Wexford in 1882 to James and Bridget Kehoe. Their family was farmers. James got married with Mary Doran of Rochestown, Taghmon, Co. Wexford and lived Ballymitty, Co. Wexford.

James enlisted to the Royal Irish Regiment (Previously 18th (The Royal Irish) Regiment of Foot) at Goodwick, Pembrokeshire as a private at aged 32. The Royal Irish Regiment started a new series from 1 for war-time service enlistments joining the newly forming service battalions. Private Kehoe regimental number was 6969.

When the First World War broke out, his battalion landed at Boulogne at 14th August 1914 and was virtually destroyed near Le Pilly during the Battle of La Bassée (10th October – 2nd November 1914). Many of the men were taken POWs. An entry in the unit war diary notes that by the 20th Oct. the Battalion was reduced to a Second Lieutenant and 135 other ranks. This from an original strength of about 1200 all ranks.

However, James arrived to France after 23rd 13th November 1914 (qualified end date for 14 Star) and joins with the battalion in the field.

Battalion was sent to St Omer where they served on Line of Communication duties. Refitted and reformed as a regiment they then joined the 12th Brigade, 4th Division on 14th Mar 1915. It is more than likely James joined them during the refit.

[Noor]

The Royal Irish Regiment fought at the Second battle of Ypres (Thursday 22 April – 25 May 1915), and James was mortally wounded at some point during the following engagements:

Battle of St. Julian 25th April – 4th May.
3rd May moved up to the firing line at St Julian, War Diary records Battalions first experience of poison gas.

[Noor]

Battle of Frezenberg Ridge 8th – 13th May.
8th and 9th May heavily shelled. Relived and moved to billets north east of Popreinghe. During this period of duty in the line the Battalion suffered 205 casualties. Most likely James got wounded then.



The Second Battle of Ypres was the first time Germany used poison gas on a large scale on the Western Front in the First World War. At around 5:00 pm on 22nd April 1915, the German Army released one hundred and sixty eight tons of chlorine gas over a 6.5 km front on the line. While this is often recognized as the first use of chemical warfare, poison gases were used at several earlier battles, including the Battle of Bolimov three months earlier.

By the way, in same place his battalion comrade Private Frederick George Room, for his actions at Frazenberg were awarded Victoria Cross (The London Gazette dated 17th October 1917) dressing the wounded and helping to evacuate them under fire.

[Noor]

He was hospitalised to The Duchess of Westminister's Hospital (No.1 B.R.C.S) where he died of wounds at 13th May 1915. James Kehoe was 33 years old.

He is buried to the Le Touquet-Paris Plage Communal Cemetery, Grave I. C. 4.



The Duchess of Westminister's Hospital (No.1 B.R.C.S) was at Le Touquet from October, 1914, to July, 1918, and the British graves in the Communal Cemetery were made from that hospital. The Communal Cemetery contains a number of French and Italian military graves, and two British Plots in the corner. A wooden obelisk in memory of the British dead was erected in the cemetery by the Lifeboat men of the commune. Casualty Details: UK 139, Australia 3, Total Burials: 142. The British Plots cover an area of 495 square metres.

For an informative and engaging account of nursing during WW1, read Lyn Macdonald's book, The Roses of No Man's Land. She quotes one nurse describing the Duchess of Westminster's hospital that she set up in her villa at Le Touquet in France. In the early days of the war, the Duchess and her friends would dress in full evening regalia, including diamond tiaras, to greet the incoming wounded whatever time of day. "It's the least we can do to cheer up the men," the Duchess would say, her wolfhound at her side. The Duchess was perhaps one of those whose "nurse's uniform" was designed by Worth.

[A H]

Nice find

I'll keep a look out for a bar

Cheers Adam

[Greg Kubasek]

There just happens to be a bar for sale on ebay right now.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Metal-Suspender-...#ht_500wt_1156

Funny how the world works some times.. I saw this last night during my usual nightly hunts for treasures and I thought to my self "why the heck would anyone buy just a suspension bar" but now I know

[Noor]

Thanks Greg for your help!!!