2nd Battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers

   2nd Battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers were based at at Aldershot with 1st (Guards) Brigade, 1st Division when war was declared in August 1914. They were amongst the first troops to proceed to France, arriving at le Harve on the 14th of August. They fought at The Battle of Mons and the subsequent retreat and after suffering heavy casualties at Etreux, the battalion was with drawn from 1st Division on the 14th of September 1914. After receiving reinforcements they joined 3rd Brigade, 1st Division on the 9th of November 1914. In 1915 they were in action during The Battle of Aubers and The Battle of Loos. In 1916 they were in action in the Battles of the Somme, having been futher strengthened by troops from disbanded 9th Battalion who arrived on the 30th of May. In 1917 they saw action in The German retreat to the Hindenburg Line and the Third Battle of Ypres. On the 3rd of February 1918 the 2nd Munsters transferred to 48th Brigade, 16th (Irish) Division and on the 14th of April absorbed the 19th Entrenching Battalion. On the 19th of April 1918 the 2nd Munsters was reduced to cadre, with troops transferring to 1st Munsters. On the 31st of May the cadre transferred to 94th Brigade, 31st Division and receiving troops from disbanded 6th Munsters. near the end of June they transferred to Lines of Communication amnd joined the reforming 150th Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Division on the 15th of July 1918. They then saw action in the Battles of the Hindenburg Line, The pursuit to the Selle and the Final Advance in Picardy. At the Armistice they were resting at Solre le Chateau, demobilisation began December and the service of the Division was disbanded on 19th of March when the final troops left for England.

24th Aug 1914 Artillery Duel

25th Aug 1914 On the March

26th Aug 1914 On the March

27th Aug 1914 Left in the Lurch

29th Aug 1914 Roll Call

29th Aug 1914 At Rest

30th Aug 1914 On the March

31st Aug 1914 On the March

1st Sep 1914 Outpost Duty

2nd Sep 1914 Rear Guard

3rd Sep 1914 Advance Guard

3rd Sep 1914 Retirement

4th Sep 1914 In Action

6th Sep 1914 In Reserve

19th Sep 1914 Reliefs Complete

24th Oct 1914 Withdrawl

30th Oct 1914 Shelling

31st Oct 1914 Divisional HQ Hit

15th Nov 1914 Orders

30th Nov 1914 Admitted to Hospital

25th Jan 1915 In Action

25th Jan 1915 Swift Reinforcements

26th Jan 1915 In the Trenches

24th Apr 1915 In the Trenches

8th May 1915 The Last General Absolution

9th May 1915 The Battle of Aubers Ridge: The Souther pincer  Richebourg L’Avoue. At 4.06am: sunrise and all very quiet on this front.
5.00am: British bombardment opens with field guns firing shrapnel at the German wire and howitzers firing High Explosive shells onto front line. German troops are seen peering above their parapet even while this shelling was going on.
5.30am: British bombardment intensifies, field guns switch to HE and also fire at breastworks. The lead battalions of the two assaulting Brigades of 1st Division go over the top to take up a position only 80 yards from German front. (2nd Brigade has 1/Northants and 2/Royal Sussex in front and 2/KRRC and 1/5th Royal Sussex in immediate support; 3rd Brigade has 2/Royal Munster Fusiliers and 2/Welsh in front, with 1/4th Royal Welsh Fusiliers in support). Heavy machine-gun fire cuts the attackers down even on their own ladders and parapet steps, but men continue to press forward as ordered. In the area of the Indian Corps, the lead battalions of the Dehra Dun Brigade of the Meerut Division (2/2nd Ghurkas, 1/4th and 1st Seaforth Highlanders) were so badly hit by enemy fire that no men got beyond their own parapet and the front-line and communications trenches were soon filled with dead and wounded men.
5.40am: British bombardment lifts off front lines and advances 600 yards; infantry assault begins. Despite the early losses and enemy fire the three Brigades attempted to advance across No Man's Land. They were met by intense crossfire from the German machine-guns, which could not be seen in their ground-level and strongly protected emplacements. Whole lines of men were seen to be hit. Few lanes had been cut in the wire and even where men reached it they were forced to bunch, forming good targets for the enemy gunners. The leading battalions suffered very significant losses, particularly among officers and junior leaders. Around 100 men on the Northants and Munsters got into the German front, but all were killed or captured. The advance of the supporting battalions suffered similarly, and by 6.00am the advance had halted, with hundreds of men pinned down in No Man's Land, unable to advance or fall back.
6.15am: A repeat of the initial bombardment is ordered, with the added difficulty of uncertain locations of the most advanced troops. 7.20am: Major-General Haking (CO, 1st Division) reports failure and asks if he should bring in his last Brigade (1st (Guards)). He offered his opinion that it would not be successful. 7.45am: A further one hour bombardment starts, ordered by Lieut-General Anderson (CO, Meerut Division). Its only impact is to encourage German artillery to reply, bringing heavy shelling down onto British front and support trenches. German fire continued until about 10.30am.
8.00am: First reports reach Haig, but they underestimate losses and problems. Haig also hears of early French successes in Vimy attack; he resolves to renew the effort in the Southern attack, with noon being the new zero hour. This was subsequently moved when it was learned from I Corps how long it would take to bring supporting units up to replace those that had suffered in the initial attacks. The new attack at 2.40pm would again be preceded by a 40 minute bombardment. The various movements of relief forces were achieved only with much confusion and further losses under renewed enemy shellfire. The time was again moved, to 4.00pm. In the meantime, the German infantry in the Bois de Biez area was reinforced.
3.20pm: Bombardment repeated and seen to be a little more successful, blowing gaps in the wire and in the enemy front-line. 3.45pm: Bareilly Brigade, moving up to relieve the Dehra Dun, loses more than 200 men due to enemy shelling. 3.57pm: The leading companies of the 1/Black Watch of 1st (Guards) Brigade, brought in to replace the shattered 2nd Brigade, went over the top despite the 1/Cameron Highlanders being late to arrive and moved at the double across No Man's Land. Some reached the German breastwork just as the bombardment lifted; most were however killed or captured in the German firing trench although a small party reached the second position. The two lead companies of the Camerons, coming up on the left of the Black Watch a few minutes later, suffered heavy machine-gun casualties in crossing between the front lines. At approximately the same time, the two fresh battalions of the 3rd Brigade, the 1/Gloucestershire and 1/South Wales Borderers began to advance but were cut down without reaching the enemy. Meerut Division orders Bareilly Brigade to advance, even though it is clear that conditions are unchanged: few men even reached a small ditch 20 yards in front of their own front line, and the Brigade suffered more than 1000 casualties within minutes.
4.35pm: 1st Division orders another 10 minutes shelling but it is seen to have no effect. 4.40pm: Large explosion at German ammunition dump in Herlies, hit by a long-range British heavy shell. Smoke clouds drifting towards British lines caused a gas alarm. Br-Gen. Southey (CO, Bareilly Brigade) reports that further attempts to advance would be useless. 5.00pm: General Haig, hearing of the continued failure of the Southern attack, orders 2nd Division to relieve 1st Division with a view to a bayonet attack at dusk, 8.00pm.

31st Jul 1915 Reliefs

7th Sep 1915 Reinforcements

16th Oct 1915 The Derby Scheme

1st Dec 1915 Derby Scheme Armlets

11th Sep 1915 Last day of Derby Scheme Recruitment

10th Jan 1916 Group System Reopens

9th February 1916 Call Ups

14th February 1916 Operational Order 53.

16th of November 1916

1st Jan 1917 Moves

9th Jan 1917 Working Parties

17th Jan 1917 Heavy Snow

22nd Jan 1917 Working Parties and Training

23rd Jan 1917 Moves

24th Jan 1917 Moves

31st Jan 1917 Very Cold Weather

6th Feb 1917 Reliefs

6th Feb 1917 Reliefs

7th Feb 1917 Reliefs

8th Feb 1917 Reliefs

9th Feb 1917 Reliefs Complete

10th Feb 1917 Hard Ground

11th Feb 1917 Quiet

12th Feb 1917 Quiet

1st Mar 1917 Training

11th of July 1918

15th of July 1918

15th of July 1918

12th of October 1918 Orders

19th of October 1918

30th of October 1918 Move

31st of October 1918 Change of Command

12th of November 1918 Casualties

12th of November 1918 Casualties

12th of November 1918 Report

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These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.

Those known to have served with
2nd Battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers
during the Great War 1914-1918.

Arnold John. L/Cpl. (d.10th Nov 1917)
Bailey John. Pte. (d.17th June 1916)
Barry Patrick. Pte. (d.12th Nov1914)
Barton Edward. Pte. (d.6th Sep 1916)
Bennet MC. James Hampton. 2nd. Lt. (d.22nd September 1916)
Bradshaw John. Pte. (d.1958)
Byrne Peter. Pte. (d.3rd May 1916)
Chidwick Alfred John. Pte. (d.9th Dec 1916)
Daly Eugene. Pte.
Doran P.. Pte. (d.29th May 1916)
Evans George. Pte. (d.10th November 1917)
Flynn Thomas. Pte. (d.10th Nov. 1917)
Flynn Thomas. Pte (d.10th November 1917)
Graham James. Pte. (d.21st Dec 1915)
Hemingway Harold Ernest. Pte (d.31st Dec 1917)
Kavanagh Jeremiah. Cpl. (d.9th May 1915)
King Ralph. Cpl. (d.4th October 1918)
Marshall Thomas Leslie. Cpl.
McCarthy Justin. Pte.
McKay George William. Pte (d.16th March 1918)
McSweeney Jeremiah. L/Cpl. (d.9th Oct 1915)
Mintern John. Pte. (d.9th May 1915)
O'Connor Jeremiah. Pte. (d.7th Nov 1918)
O'Keeffe Patrick. L/Sjt. (d.22nd March 1918)
Pottinger Robert Ormonde Brabazon. Lt. (d.9th May 1915)
Powell James. L/Cpl. (d.10th Nov 1917)
Ryan Patrick. Pte. (d.28th October 1918)
Sheehy J.. Pte. (d.10th Nov 1914)
Snaith Harry. Pte. (d.6th Dec 1918)

All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List

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Cpl. Thomas Leslie Marshall 2nd Btn. Royal Munster Fusiliers

Thomas Marshall served with the 2nd, 6th and 7th Battalions, Royal Munster Fusiliers in WW1. He served with the 7th Battalion at Gallipoli. The 6th Battalion, he was with on 3rd of November 1916 in the Balkans, Salonika and he fought in Palestine and was with the 2nd Battalion in France 5th of June 1918. Thomas was eventually discharged on 31st of March 1920.

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Pte Harold Ernest Hemingway 2nd Btn 2nd Btn Royal Munster Fusiliers King's Own Yorkshire Li (d.31st Dec 1917)

Joined the Yorkshire Light Infantry and then for some reason transferred to The Royal Munster Fusiliers 2nd Battalion.
Served in France where he was injured and repatriated to the Leeds war hospital at Becket Street where he died on 1917-12-31

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L/Cpl. Jeremiah McSweeney 2nd Btn. Royal Munster Fusiliers (d.9th Oct 1915)

Lance Corporal Jeremiah McSweeney was the son of John and Anne McSweeney. He died on the 9th October 1915 from wounds. He is buried in Lapugnoy Military Cemetery remembered with honour. He was aged 30 years.
Kathy Leys

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Pte. John Bradshaw 6th Btn. Royal Munster Fusilliers (d.1958)

John Bradshaw served with the 6th and 2nd Battalions, Royal Munster Fusiliers.

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Pte. Justin McCarthy 2nd Battalion Royal Munster Fusiliers

Justin McCarthy served with the 2nd Battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers. All I know of my grandfather's service record was that he joined up in 1914 from the Tralee Barracks in Kerry. He fist saw action in Mons after arriving in France in September 1914. He saw action throughout the war. He was buried alive for 3 days, reported missing presumed killed in action. He suffered gas attack injuries but returned home after the war and married and had 4 children. He died of throat cancer in 1961.
Kevin McCarthy

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Cpl. Ralph King 2nd Btn. Royal Munster Fusiliers (d.4th October 1918)

Ralph King served with 2nd Royal Munster Fusiliers.
Julie Chapman

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Pte. John Mintern 2nd Btn. Royal Munster Fusiliers (d.9th May 1915)

John Mintern was the son of Stephen and Ellen (McCarthy, Kinsale) Mintern. He was the third child of a family of six. First Mary Ellen who passed away at a few months of age. Nora who wed Andrew Dineen and was buried in 1919. Then John who was killed in action at Rue De Bois and is listed on the Le Tourey Memorial. Then Patrick. Then Stephen then Anthony. Leo (1908) my Father.
There appears to be no photo of John. But have been told there was one of him in his uniform of The Royal Munster Fusiliers. RIP and all your comrades alike.

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L/Sjt. Patrick O'Keeffe 2nd Btn. Royal Munster Fusiliers (d.22nd March 1918)

Patrick O'Keeffe enlisted at Liverpool with the 9th Battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers and was posted to D company. He arrived in France on the 20th of December 1915 and wrote his will on 4th of January 1916, the day before he was promoted to Lance Corporal. He was soon promoted to Corporal, on the 24th of January and to Lance Sargent on the 1st of March 1916. He was oOn Leave (to Ireland?) from the 16th to 24th of May 1916. On the 31st of May 1916 the 9th Battalion disbanded and D Company became D company, 8th Battalion. He was wounded in action at Battle of Guillemont or Guinchy (Sept 3 - 9 1916) and was killed in action on 22nd of March 1918 now serving with 2nd Battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers.
Dominic Byrne

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2nd. Lt. James Hampton Bennet MC. 2nd Btn. Royal Munster Fusiliers (d.22nd September 1916)

James Bennet was the son of John Colin & Alvenia Bennet of 17 Oaklands Road, Bedford. Born 12th July 1893 in Sheffield, he lived in Bedford with his parents. Initially served with the 4th Battalion and then attached to the 2nd Battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers. He was awarded the Military Cross, mentioned in Supplement to the London Gazette on 9th December 1915 He was killed in action on 22nd September 1916 during the Battle of the Somme. He has no known grave and is commemorated at the Thiepval Memorial. He is remembered on the Roll of Honour, St. Pauls church, Bedford. A pupil of Bedford Modern School 1907-09, he is commemorated on the School War Memorial, which was unveiled in 1923 and in the Roll of Honour, published in The Eagle, December 1923. The Old Boys of this School who, as in duty bound, laid down their lives in a great cause. Information courtesy of www.roll-of-honour.com
Caroline Hunt

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Pte. Eugene Daly 2nd Btn. Royal Munster Fusiliers

Born 1881 in Tralee, Eugene Daly joined the local militia in 1896. In 1902 he joined the Army Service Corps as a regular soldier. In February 1912 he re-enlisted in the 2nd Btn Royal Munster Fusiliers. At the outbreak of WW1, he embarked for France as part of the BEF landing in Le Harve in August 1914. He took part in the Battle of Mons and was wounded in September 1915 receiving a gunshot wound. In March 1916 he was posted to the 6th (Service) Btn. During September 1917 his Btn arrived in Ismail taking part in the Palestine Campaign where at some point he was diagnosed with malaria. He along with his Btn left Palestine arriving back in France in June 1918. In October 1918 he was wounded by a shell burst at Le Cateau, France and taken to an American hospital then on to Dover to recover.
He again re-enlisted in the 2nd Btn in April 1919 and was sent to Egypt arriving in November 1919. On 15 July 1922, he was finally discharged due to a reduction in establishment. In 1923 he was awarded a pension for 30% disablement. In 1925 he appealed the low pension decision by submitting a report detailing the last injury he received in 1918. During 1946 Eugene joined the RMF old comrades association. On 16th Nov 1954 Eugene died at St Michaels hospital Linlithgow, Scotland.
Eugene wrote various letters from the front that were published in both Kerry and Cork newspapers one particular letter was mentioned in the Cork Weekly Examiner on 1st May 1915 entitled 'Two Tralee heroes at La Brassee'. His brother Denis was killed in action at Aubers Ridge, France in May 1915.
James Taggart

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Pte. Jeremiah O'Connor 2nd Garrison Btn. Royal Munster Fusiliers (d.7th Nov 1918)

Private O'Connor is buried In the South-West part of the Whitechurch Cemetery, Whitechurch, Co. Cork, Ireland.
S Flynn

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Pte. John Bailey 2nd Btn. Royal Munster Fusiliers (d.17th June 1916)

Private Bailey was the son of James and Elizabeth Bailey of 40 Strand St., Tralee; husband of Honoria Bailey, of Keel Castledrum, Castlemaine, Co. Kerry.
He was 29 when he died and is buried twelve yards west of the entrance to the Keel Burial Ground, Kilgarrylander, Co. Kerry, Ireland.
S Flynn

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Pte. Patrick Ryan 2nd Garrison Btn. Royal Munster Fusiliers (d.28th October 1918)

Private Ryan was the Son of P. Ryan, of Cappamore.
He was 19 when he died and is buried in the North part, near East boundary of the Cappamore (Tower Hill) Old Graveyard in Co. Limerick, Ireland.
s flynn

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Pte. P. Doran 2nd Btn. Royal Munster Fusiliers (d.29th May 1916)

Private P. Doran is buried in Arklow Cemetery.
s flynn

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L/Cpl. James Powell 2nd Btn, A Coy. Royal Munster Fusiliers (d.10th Nov 1917)

James Powell was killed on the 10th of November 1917 and is remembered at Tyne Cot.
Cora Powell

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Cpl. Jeremiah Kavanagh 2nd Btn. Royal Munster Fusiliers (d.9th May 1915)

Jeremiah Kavanagh, son of John & Mary Kavanagh (nee MacNamara) of 61 Clare Street, Limerick City, Limerick, Ireland, enlisted with his cousin Dennis Kavanagh (also a native of Limerick City) in the Royal Munster Fusiliers. Both were killed at the battle of Aubers Ridge on Sunday 9th of May 1915. Jeremiah has no known grave and both he and Dennis are commemorated on the war memorial at Bethune. The battalion suffered heavy losses during this action due to, according some sources, mismanagement, substandard equipment and munitions. Although several works have recently been written on this battle, it still remains an action that was conveniently forgotten by the British Army.
Patrick A Kavanagh

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Pte. J. Sheehy 2nd Btn. Royal Munster Fusiliers (d.10th Nov 1914)

J Sheehy was one of my paternal uncles. I have been led to believe he ran away from home to join the Army and he was underage at the time. The official records state that he was just 17 when he was killed near Ypres on 10 November 1914. He is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial. His parents were Michael and Mary Sheehy of 2, Upper Quarry Lane, Blackpool, Cork.
Margaret Philomena Collier

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Pte. James Graham 2nd Btn. Royal Munster Fusiliers (d.21st Dec 1915)

James Graham served with the Royal Munster Fusiliers 2nd Battalion. He was executed for desertion on 21st December1915 and is buried in Mazingarbe Communal Cemetery and Extension, Mazingarbe, France.
s flynn

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Pte. Edward Barton 2nd Btn. Royal Munster Fusiliers (d.6th Sep 1916)

Edward Barton was born in St. Luke's, Cork and lived and enlisted in Dublin. He was killed in action.
Update: Edward Barton was born in 1891 to Edward John Barton and Marianne (Sievewright). In the 1911 census he was at Jellalabad Military Barracks, South Tedworth, Hants with his unit, 2nd Battalion Royal Munster Fusiliers. He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.
S Flynn

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L/Cpl. John Arnold 2nd Btn. Royal Munster Fusiliers (d.10th Nov 1917)

John Arnold was formerly 30837, Royal Army Medical Corps. He was killed in action in Flanders and is remembered at the Tyne Cot Memorial in Belgium.
S Flynn

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2nd Battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers
during the Great War 1914-1918.

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Want to know more about 2nd Battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers ?

Those known to have served with2nd Battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers during the Great War 1914-1918.

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If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation.

Announcements

Recomended Reading.

Links

The Wartime Memories Project
- 2nd Battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers during the Great War -

Those known to have served with
2nd Battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers
during the Great War 1914-1918.