The Royal Dublin Fusiliers

[leigh kitchen]

The Royal Dublin Fusiliers was created on 1st July 1881, by amalgamation of the 102nd (Royal Madras Fusiliers) & the 103rd (Royal Bombay Fusiliers) Regiments of Foot.

"The Dubs" formed 11 battalions for service during WWI. Of the 2 regular battalions the 1st Bn served in India, landing at Gallipoli on April 1915 & suffering heavy casualties disembarking from the "River Clyde", amalgamating with survivors of 1st Bn The Munster Fusiliers on 30th April to form a composite battalion known as "The Dubsters". Resuming seperate identity on 30th May it passed through Mudros in January 1916 & arrived in Egypt later the same month. In France/Flanders on 19th March 1916, it absorbed personnel of the 2nd Bn on 19th April 1918.

The 2nd Bn had entered France/Flanders during August 1914, reduced to a cadre on 19th April 1918, it was reconstituted on 6th June 1918. Part of The Army of The Black Sea in December 1919, it served in Turkey during 1920, arriving in India in December of that year.

Other battalions of the regiment served in Ireland, Egypt, Palestine, Gallipoli, Salonika & France/Flanders.

The regiment was disbanded in 1922.

This is the Officers Service Dress version of the regiments cap badge, in bronzed finish, the tiger & elephant mounted on the ball of the grenade , alluding to the regiments from which it was formed, a flamed grenade being a common symbol of Grenadier & Fusilier regiments.

The Officers Full Dress version was of gilt with silver device mounted, the Other Ranks version of giding metal with white metal device.

[leigh kitchen]

Frederick Power, an officer of The Royal Dublin Fusiliers, taken at Maidstone, Kent, on 29th January 1915.

He is wearing bronzed collar badges which are basically as per the cap badge but minus the title scroll, the bronzed buttons feature the grenade design with crown.

[leigh kitchen]

This photograph of Frederick Power was taken at his wedding, at Peterborough, Northamptonshire, on 25th April 1917.

[leigh kitchen]

Lieutenant Frederick Power, taken at Ealing, during April 1918. He wears the ribbon of the Military Cross, & appears to be wearing Full Dress versions of insignia, the shoulder titles are of the "one-piece" letters & grenade design with mounted forward facing tiger & elephant as worn by officers only.

The brassard on his left arm bears the insignia of the 61st (South Midland) Infantry Division with a circle above which I believe indicates formation within the division.

Edited January 30, 2010 by leigh kitchen

[Tony]

Where do you find this stuff? Great photos.

Did they wear the arm insignia in F/F too?

[leigh kitchen]

These turned up a few years ago in a shop in Peterborough along with a couple more photos including of the same man as an officer in the Royal Signals during WWII.

I don't know anything about the armband except that the insignia on it looks like the 61st Div, the circle above the rest of the design is in the position that a geometric symbol would occupy to indicate the unit on that divisions battle badges, but I don't know which unit wore the circle, & although I have'nt really checked, I don't think that there were any RDF battalions in that division.

I'm reading the insignia wrong or this officer was on attachment?

He's not wearing the ribbon of the 1914/1914-15 Star in the last photo, which, if he was entitled too, I think he would be wearing by then, so I'm assuming that he was'nt serving with the 1st or 2nd Bn in F/F or Gallipoli during those years.

[leigh kitchen]

The Medal Index Card for Lt Power - Lt Frederick Thomas Alfred Power, MC.

Entitled also to the 1914-15 Star, BWM & VM.

A member of the RDF, he's also served with the Royal Engineers Signal Service Training Centre, the RE Signals Service was formed in 1908 & training was conducted at Catterick.

[leigh kitchen]

The reverse of Lt Power's MIC:

[Chris Boonzaier]

How do I go about getting the medal card to my guy?

Thanks

Chris

[leigh kitchen]

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=28376

I checked "Ancestry" & it's not yet been transferred there, Perce has confirmed that his MIC is on National Archives, where a one off payment of ?3.50 will get a copy sent by email.

I could'nt find any trace of his Service Record or Pension Record on Ancestry either - they may not be on there yet, or may be amongst the up to 70% or so of such records detroyed by bombing during WWII.

The link to his MIC on the National Archives:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...p;resultcount=1

Edited May 29, 2008 by leigh kitchen

[Noor]

Just amazing pictures!!!!

Here is the shoulder title what he had - a unofficial Regimental title, what was introduced c. 1910 and staid in use until 1922. An officer's version:

and here is the button what he worn....

[Noor]

and officer's collar badges, without the scroll: