Story of the man from Royal Dublin Fusiliers

[Noor]

Here is one of my last pick ups.

James McIntosh (1885 – 22.06.1921)

Corporal

8th Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers

Regimental number 15075

James was entitled following awards:

Victory Medal (Roll B/101 B5 Page 374)

British War Medal (Roll B/101 B5 Page 374)

1914-15 Star (Roll B/7A Page 76)

James McIntosh was born in Maryborough, Co. Laois (known then as Queen's Co.) in 1885. He was a son of Edward and Mary (previously Prendergast). Their family listed their trade as general labourer and they were Roman Catholics.

James had four sisters Mary Ellen, Bridget, Elizabeth and Emily he also had two brothers George and Edward.

He was 5 feet and 6 inches tall and weight 194 pounds. His eyes were blue and hair brown.

After finishing school, James moved to Dublin and worked as a Butcher. He was not married at this time and he was renting a room in Patrick Street, Dun Laoghaire (Kingstown) from an Irish couple Michael and Kate Keogh (1/12).

When war broke, James enlisted at Naas under the New Army scheme, he joined the Royal Dublin Fusiliers on the 1st October 1914.

He received his initial training in Naas at the Royal Dublin Fusiliers depot where he was posted to the 8th Battalion which was part of te 48th Brigade in 16th (Irish) Division (2/4).

8th Battalion was moved to Buttevant, then to Ballyhooley and in September 1915 to England, Blackdown.

11th February 1915 he was appointed to the rank Lance Corporal and at end of the year, on the 9th December 1915 promoted to the rank Corporal.

After more then a year training, the Battalion received orders on the 14th December 1915 and embarked to France on the 19th December 1915 and landed at Le Havre a day later (2/3/4).

They learned trench warfare in the Loos area in January and February 1916 and suffered heavy casualties during the Battle of Hulluch 27th – 29th April during the Easter Rising (8).

July they were moved to Somme Valley and engaged in the Battle of the Somme (1st July–18th November 1916) where James was wounded and was sent home on the 6th July 1916 (2).

After his recovery, he is listed to the 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion on the 16th September 1916, which was based in Mullingar at this time.

James was sent back to France on the 14th December 1916 and he was posted back to the 8th Battalion (2).

He was seriously wounded (peripheral neuritis) again during the Battle of Passchendaele on the 11th August 1917 and was transported to 4th London General Hospital, Denmark Hill S.E.5. James stayed in the hospital 131 days until 31st January 1918 (2/7).

After a short break, he was back in the 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion, which was in Brocklesby at this time.

From 1st May 1918 he is listed to the 3rd Battalion of Royal Dublin Fusiliers what was in Grimsby area as part of Humber Garrison (6).

During the Demobilizations following year, James volunteered on the 10th March 1919 under Army Order 55 to stay in service with the A Company of 3rd Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers.

However, he was charged with disciplinary action, after he lost some of his kit.

The following year, the medical commission found him unfit for a future service and granted his army pension. His disablement is listed 40% and to be reviewed in 26 weeks. James McIntosh left the service 23rd February 1920 (2).

James’s next war – Irish War of Independent

James moved back to Dun Laoghaire near Dublin, when the Irish War of Independent was ongoing, James joined the Dun Laoghaire IRA Active Service Unit. At this time it was purely guerrilla war against the British authorities and troops in Ireland (9).

Towards the end of the war, one assassination attempt failed in Dun Laoghaire on the 19th June 1921 eve, where James had a vital role;

Actually James was on the way home with his girl from the Pavilion, when he met one of his mates who told him that the officer, who they were after, stays in the Royal Marine Hotel. James wanted to go home to get his own gun but because there wasn’t time, friend gave him his (10/11/12).

When James run into the hotel (some sources indicates four men entered to the hotel) he was spotted by the officer seated on the sofa in the lounge. The officer knew that he was going to shoot some of them and he turned against him. McIntosh tried to fire but his gun was jammed and officer shot him first.

He managed ran out to the Marine Road where someone took his gun and helped him to the St. Michael’s Hospital where James McIntosh died two days later on the 22nd June 1921. On his death certificate cause of death is listed as a " general peritonitis following gun shot wounds (justifiable homicide)" (kill or be killed) (2/10/11/12).

During his funeral on the 26th June 1921 hundreds of people followed it. On the Patrick Street corner, the procession was stopped by Black and Tans and one of the officers tried to remove the tricolour from the coffin.

A young member of Cumann na MBan (Irish republican women's paramilitary organization) Annie Barnes snatched the flag from the soldier and holt it behind her back. The soldiers took out their rifles and start shooting over the people’s heads, causing panic as people dived for cover.

After things calmed down, procession managed to continue and James McIntosh found his last resting place in the Republican Plot, Deans Grange Cemetery,

Blackrock, County Dublin.

Corporal James’ medals, where earned during his service with the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, where sent out to his parents in November 1921 (14-15 Star) and February 1922 (Victory Medal and British War Medal).

Nowadays there is (incorrectly spelled) MacIntosh Park, off Pottery Road dedicated to his memory in Dun Laoghaire.

Source:

(1) National Archives: Census of Ireland 1901/1911

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie

(2) Short Service (Three years with the Colours) Attestation Form

(3) British Army 1914-1918 Service Medal Index Card

(4) The Long, Long Trail – The British Army of 1914-1918 – for family historians

http://www.1914-1918.net/

(5) Family Tree, Genealogy and Census Records - Ancestry.co.uk

http://www.ancestry.co.uk/

(6) Royal Dublin Fusiliers – a forgotten regiment

http://www.dublin-fusiliers.com/

(7) Ireland Unknown Soldiers, Terence Denman

The 16th (Irish) Division in the Great War

(8) 16th (Irish) Division – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/16th_(Irish)_Division

(9) Where’s Where in Dublin, by Joseph E.A.Connell jnr.

(10) IRA KIA War of Independence

http://irishmedals.org/gpage49.html

(11) Chronology of Dublin 1900-2000

http://www.chapterso...y/1900-2000.htm

(12) James McIntosh – 1432 – Individual Information

http://www.caine.im/genealogy/individual.php?pid=I432&ged=caine.GED

Edited August 2, 2011 by Noor

[Noor]

Looks like he had a very good cover because all the publication, when he was alive in the hospital, pointed out that he wasn't part of IRA. Meantime, no mention of his funeral at all few days after.