Royal Ulster Rifles

I recently have made contact with the RUR museum in Belfast over the six men from Chindit 1 with RUR service numbers.

Here is one such man, Douglas Purchase, please scroll down to the heading Landslide.

Men Who Died During Training

 

SMITH, JAMES
Rank: Corporal
Service No: 7014499
Date of Death: 02/02/1946
Age:43
Regiment/Service: Royal Ulster Rifles 70th Bn The London Irish Rifles
Grave Reference: Plot N. Grave 194041.
Cemetery: BROMPTON CEMETERY
Additional Information: Son of Patrick and Catherine Smith; husband of Doreen Mary Smith, of Chelsea.
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Although recognising that Rifleman Smith died while serving on the home front, interesting that he still had the 70th Bn designation (perhaps he was an instructor) given that the Young Soldiers' units were disbanded in early 1943...and also that James Smith name is not listed on the LIR's War Memorial at Camberwell... I know that a number of mens' names were "missed off" when the Memorial was re-dedicated at the Duke's in the late 1940s.

best wishes

 

HARDING, ALBERT EDWARD
Rank: Rifleman
Service No: D/27709
Date of Death: 16/08/1945
Regiment/Service: Royal Ulster Rifles
Grave Reference: Plot 16. Sec. C. Coll. grave 6. (Screen Wall).
Cemetery: MORTLAKE CEMETERY
Additional Information: Son of William and Ellen Harding; husband of Rose Gertrude Harding, of Hammersmith, London.
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I met with Rifleman Harding's grandson at the CWGC Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster yesterday (23rd May 2017).

 

I'm not sure if this is the right place to add the following, but having presented the information on Douglas Purchase in post 81 above, I thought I might add what I know of the six men from the RUR, who served on Operation Longcloth.

Six Men of the Royal Ulster Rifles

 

TUCKER, GEORGE WILLIAM
Rank:
Rifleman
Service No:
7017886
Date of Death:
27/03/1945
Age:
31
Regiment/Service:
Royal Ulster Rifles
30th Bn.
Grave Reference:
Sec. N.9. Jt. Grv. RN.61182. Screen wall. Panel 13
Cemetery:
ABNEY PARK CEMETERY
Additional Information:
Husband of Elsie Tucker, of Stoke Newington.

 

LANE, ARTHUR THOMAS WILLIAM
Rank:
Rifleman
Service No:
7017597
Date of Death:
15/06/1943
Age:
23
Regiment/Service:
Royal Ulster Rifles
2nd Bn. The London Irish Rifles
Grave Reference:
Sec. N.7. Coll. Grv. RN.59085. Screen wall.
Cemetery:
ABNEY PARK CEMETERY
Additional Information:
Son of Mr. and Mrs. A. Lane, of Dalston.

 

PETT, CYRIL JESSE
Rank:
Rifleman
Service No:
7018694
Date of Death:
28/04/1941
Regiment/Service:
Royal Ulster Rifles
8th Bn.
Grave Reference:
Sec. M.5. Jt. Grv. RN.57128. Screen wall.
Cemetery:
ABNEY PARK CEMETERY

 

Weather worn

MUNT, JOHN FREDERICK
Rank:
Rifleman
Service No:
6463269
Date of Death:
28/09/1942
Age:
21
Regiment/Service:
Royal Ulster Rifles
2nd Bn. The London Irish Rifles
Grave Reference:
Block 17. Joint Grave 66.
Cemetery:
STREATHAM CEMETERY
Additional Information:
Son of Dvr. William John Munt, R.A.S.C., died as a result of active service, 27th September, 1943, and of Lily Catherine Munt, of Clapham.
his Father also died
MUNT, WILLIAM JOHN
Rank:
Driver
Service No:
T/1012145
Date of Death:
27/09/1943
Age:
53
Regiment/Service:
Royal Army Service Corps
Grave Reference:
Block 17. Joint Grave 66.
Cemetery:
STREATHAM CEMETERY
Additional Information:
Son of William and Louise Munt; husband of Lily Catherine Munt, of Clapham.

 

John Frederick Munt must have been on leave or hadn't yet joined up with 2 LIR - he had a Royal Fusiliers army number. 2 LIR were at that time (Sept 1942) training in Ayrshire..they embarked for N Africa on 11th November.

 

Rifleman BLACK, REGINALD HARRY
Service Number 7015847

Died 16/07/1943

Aged 23

Royal Ulster Rifles

Son of Alfred James Black and Ellen Elizabeth Black. of Walthamstow.

 

From Bridgend South Wales

 

Lt Grennan's MC is on display at the LIR Museum.

 

Looking help here I am researching military graves in St Marks Graveyard Armagh with the hope of publication I have a John Cairns RSM Royal Ulster Rifles age 95 died 2004 but cannot find any service details Any suggesting's?
Hopefully
Geo Center
Armagh

 

Hello

I have sent a message to a forum member who might be able to add further info

official link for service records here Get a copy of military service records - GOV.UK
costs £30

 

ok...will add more when I come back across the Mekong river later in week.

RSM Cairns was with the 1st Bn London Irish Rifles in Sicily in July 1943 - I'll trace his movements before/after that date.. he was also on the 1 LIR roll in August 1942 so went out to Iraq with them then.

From the LIR at War:

Early in 1942:
"C.S.M. J. Cairns, who had served as an instructor at the Duke of York’s Headquarters in the old days, became R.S.M., and his promotion was very popular among those who knew his worth..."

then:
"in August 1942 the roll of officers was:

Lieut.-Colonel I. H. Good, Commanding Officer.

Major the Viscount Stopford, Second-in-Command.

Captain M. D. Ryan, Adjutant.

Mr. J. Cairns, R.S.M..."

more later...

 

Wounded at the end of Feb 1944 at Anzio

"....Shelling continued and there were further losses. Captain Mace and R.S.M. J. Cairns were wounded, and Major H. Lofting went forward and took over the London Irish company, which yet again was reinforced by young, inexperienced soldiers...."

Captain Mace received the MC for his actions at Anzio.

No further mention afterwards of RSM Cairns...no citation or MiD so suspect he went home in 1944 (a guess),

 

Thank You

 

This could be John Cairns in the 1911 Census England age 1 born Curragh Kildare Ireland Father John age 30 living at 3 Calne Cottages Farnnborough Hampshire in 116 th Battery Royal Field Artillery
John Cairns Age 30
Blanche Florence Cairns Age 23
Albert Henry Cairns Age 5
John Patrick Cairns Age2
I would like to confirm that this is RSM John Cairns and family.
Many thanks for your help
Geo Armagh

 

John Patrick Cairns in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
Name: John Patrick Cairns
Death Age: 82
Birth Date: 6 Jan 1910
Registration Date: Jul 1992
Registration district: Colchester
Inferred County: Essex
Volume: 9
Page: 1876


I would be undecided that the John above is exactly the same man as the John below

1911 England Census
Name: John Patrick Cairns
Age in 1911: 1
Estimated birth year: abt 1910
Relation to Head: Son
Gender: Male
Birth Place: Curragh Resident), Kildare, Ireland
Civil Parish: Farnborough


Just to add to the confusion there is another John Cairns born 1910 died in Italy
John Cairns
Birth: Abt 1910 - Durham (County (Durham)
Death: 23 Jan 1944 - Italy
F: John Cairns
M: Bridget Cassidy

Hmm - not going to be easy armagh
TD

added:
Just found this it might be his birth certificate
Ireland, Civil Registration Births Index, 1864-1958
Name: John Patrick Cairns
Date of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1910
Registration district: Naas
Birth Country: Ireland
Volume: 2
Page: 785
FHL Film Number: 101073