3 of Thomas Downes’ sons and 2 of his grandsons served in the British Army in World War 1. Two sons and one grandson returned from that long and wasteful conflict. Thomas Edward, Thomas and Patrick Gerald joined the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, while the older Patrick enlisted with 8th King’s Royal Irish Hussars and John Joseph joined the Royal Irish Rifles.
Thomas Edward (2nd son of Thomas Downes) 1887-1949
His military records were found and give a detailed account of his career. Thomas (T.E.) enlisted in the 3rd (Militia) Battalion of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers on 6 July 1904, aged 17. His service number was 9277. He enlisted for a twelve year term, nine with the Colours and three in the Reserves The enlistment record notes that he had a cross, heart and anchor tattoo on his left forearm.
In September 1905 T.E. was posted to the 1st Battalion based in Egypt at Alexandria. 1907 found him in Khartoum, Sudan. It is believed he was part of the Camel Corps of the Battalion. By 1908 he was in Cairo, and then in 1910 was posted to Ahmednagar, near Poona, in India.
He was allowed to come home early in December 1912, but then continued in the Reserves. He was called up for active service in July 1914 at the start of WW1 with the 2nd Battalion, and fought in the Battle of Le Cateau-Cambresis on 26 August. Like many others, he became temporarily detached from his unit during the retreat from Le Cateau. After being reunited with the 2nd Battalion, he was wounded by shrapnel fire in the right arm at Frelinghien, NE of Armentieres, on 18 October 1914, and then sent home to recover.
T.E. rejoined the 3rd Battalion, based in Cork, on 27 February 1915, where he remained until transferred to the Military Foot Police (service no. 1318) at Aldershot in October 1915. He was then posted to the Canal Zone in Egypt, arriving in March 1916, and served in Ismalia, Qantara, Balah, El-Arish and Rafa. He was frequently ill during his service and spent time on several occasions in hospital in Abbassia. In December 1917 he was transferred to the 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers (service no. 28789) and served in Palestine. By August 1918, T.E. was back in Egypt with the Royal Engineers (service no. WR/143115) as a locomotive fireman, and stayed there until the end of the War, being invalided back to the UK on 26/2/1919, and discharged on 5/5/1919.
T.E. seems not to have been a 'model' soldier, having been punished for misconduct on several occasions, including 'laughing in the ranks' and 'not reporting sick in a proper manner' ... He was awarded an Army pension of 12s per week. In the 1920s he joined the Irish Army in the Corps of Engineers.
Patrick (3rd son of Thomas Downes) 1888-1944
Patrick’s service records have not yet been found. We know from his Medal Record that he served in France from 1915 with the Royal Irish Regiment under service no.8322, then with the 8th Hussars – Kings Royal Irish Regiment (cavalry regiment) under service no. 533857. A note mentions an earlier service no. 79930 with the 8th Hussars, so he may have had pre-war service with them.
The 8th Hussars are recorded as having been in India between 1909 and 1914. They were then sent to France in December 1914, and first saw action at the Battle of Givenchy. In May 1915, they took part in the 2nd Battle of Ypres where the Germans first used chlorine gas. In September 1915 the 8th Hussars transferred to the 2nd Indian Cavalry Division. In July 1916 they fought at Bizentin, then Flers-Courcelette the following month, both battles being in the Somme area. They returned to the Somme area in March 1917 to clear the small pockets of machine guns left by the retreating Germans. They took part in what would be the Regiment's last mounted charge at Villiers-Faucon.
Patrick was awarded the War, Victory & 1915 Star Medals (always awarded together and irreverently called 'Pip; Squeak and Wilfred'). Patrick continued to serve after WW1 with the 8th Hussars being stationed in India in Lucknow, where a photograph shows him and a group with a rugby ball, with the inscription 'Lucknow'.
He was awarded the General Service Medal with Iraq clasp, presented to those who either served in or around Ramadi between 10/12/1919 and 13/06/1920, or were part of an establishment within Iraq between 1/07 and 17/11/1920). His record shows postings to France, Egypt, Mesopotamia, India and Iraq. It is known that the 8th Hussars served in Iraq for a short while.
At some point Patrick re-enlisted with the Wiltshire Regiment with service no. 533857, and was eventually discharged from the British Army on 31.03.1922. He subsequently enlisted in the Irish Army.
John Joseph (4th son of Thomas Downes) 1890-1915 Killed in Action, aged 24
Service No. 9649. Military records not found. He enlisted with 1st Battalion Royal Irish Rifles in the name of John Byrne – his mother’s maiden name. The date and place of enlistment are unknown, but it is believed that he had made previous unsuccessful attempts to join up. He was killed on 9 May 1915 in the Battle of Aubers Ridge, the unmitigated disaster that was part of the British contribution to the Second Battle of Artois. He has no known grave, but his enlistment name (Byrne) is inscribed on Panel 9, Ploegsteert Memorial, near Mesen, Belgium. His real name (J. Downes) is also inscribed on the WW1 War Memorial in St. Mary’s Church in Ballsbridge, Dublin.
Thomas (1st son of William Downes II, grandson of Thomas Downes) 1896-1915, Killed in Action, aged 18
Private no. 5592, 1st Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers, enlisted 3 April 1914. No service records were found.
In August 1914, the 1st Battalion, RDF was in Madras. The battalion returned to the UK and landed at Plymouth on 21 December 1914. It moved to billets in Torquay, but in January 1915 went on to Nuneaton, coming under the orders of the 86th Brigade in the 29th Division. On 16 March 1915, the Battalion sailed from Avonmouth for Gallipoli, via Alexandria and Mudros, where it halted on 9 April. The Battalion landed at 'V' Beach at Sedd-el-Bahr at Cape Helles on the 25 April 1915 where it suffered horrendous casualties.
Thomas Downes arrived in Gallipoli on 2 July with other reinforcements. There is a strong likelihood that he had not been posted to India due to his enlistment date. Thomas was attached to the Machine Gun Section, and was killed in action on 7 August 1915 near Krythia.
This was in a decoy action to divert Turkish attention from Suvla Bay, further north on the Gallipoli Peninsula where troops, including the 10th Irish Division landed from 6 August. Thomas is buried near where he fell at Twelve Tree Copse, a CWGC cemetery. His grave number is VII, F8.
For an eyewitness account of life and death at Gallipoli by Henry Hanna (1917): http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/gallipoli.htm
Patrick Gerald (2nd son of William Downes II, grandson of Thomas Downes) 1899-1968 (Paddy II)
Service number 5716, full service records found. After lying about his age (he was 15) Patrick enlisted in the Royal Dublin Fusiliers on 4 August 1914 (the day that Britain declared war on Germany). The Army reference form – sent to a Mr. Kavanagh, provision merchant of Charlemont Street – specifically requested confirmation of his declared age (17), which was given. Patrick was in the 8th Battalion RDF when wounded in the face and right thigh on 9 September 1916 during the 16th Irish Division attack on Ginchy (1st battle of the Somme). The bullet that passed through his cheeks is said to have killed the soldier beside him. After treatment in England, he returned to France on 9 October 1917 and was wounded for a second time in April 1918 while serving with the 2nd Battalion RDF'. During his convalescence, he shot himself in the left forearm while shooting rooks with a colleague. An official enquiry cleared him of deliberately attempting to wound himself. Patrick was discharged from the Army on 7 February 1919 and was granted a pension of 5/6d per week. He spent his married life in Ballinteer in a house built by the Soldiers and Sailors Trust for returned WW1 veterans.
Other Downes soldiers: 11716 Private James Downes. Born and raised in Ballinascorney, Tallaght, James was the son of John & Julia Downes and brother of (another!) Thomas Downes. Served in 8th Bn Royal Dublin Fusiliers. Died on 02/06/1917 at the Battle of Messines and is buried in La Laiterie Military Cemetery, Heuvelland, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. John (father) was a nephew of Owen Downes of Tallaght. We don’t yet know whether James Downes was a member of our branch of the clan, but it seems fitting to include him.
Where the ‘Dubs’ had died
We stood upon that hallowed spot
Where ‘Dubs’ had shed their blood
I could feel their spirits ‘round us
And knew they understood
That we were there to honour them
And thank them for the price
Of giving up the manhood years
In a willing sacrifice
I felt that I was choking
As I fought to hold back tears
And we bowed our heads
In silent prayer for those
Dublin Fusiliers
Eamonn Sheridan wrote this poem after visting a sugar-beet field on the outskirts of the village of Clary, adjacent to the site of the Battle of Le Cateau. On 27 August 1914, the day after the battle, a retreating company of RDF troops was ambushed here and many were killed or missing. The names of 10 of those killed, who have no known graves, were read out by 10 members of the group. This ceremony and the visit were part of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers Association's 100th anniversary salute to the young men of the regiment who failed to come home to their families.