Seeking Relatives of Michael Riley

[martinfbrown]

My Great Uncle did not belong to Jarrow, he was born in Primrose Hill Hospital, but lived in Boldon Colliery. He was my maturnal Grandmothers brother. I started researching him in 1999. During my research, I found quite a lot of Michael Riley`s. I have a photo of him in uniform, and that is how I found the correct Michael Riley, from his cap, which had the West Yorkshire Regiment badge on. I visited the West Yorkshire Museum in York, and got some more information on him, including the action on the day he was killed. When my Wife and I visited his grave in February 2009, the actual date was 11/02/09. When I got the copy of his birth certificate, he was born on the 10/02/1896. We were in Belgium again this year, but could not get to Cemetery, but we do intend trying to get back.
Martin

[Just Passing]

Originally Posted by martinfbrown

Hi,
I have all the details of my Great Uncle. His gravestone does not have his age on it, but I have a copy of his birth certificate. The thing that I am not sure about is where he actually enlisted.
Martin

As it says above Jarrow
The recruiting Office would have been in Ormonde Street
Which I think was next to the Royal Engineers pub
(i.e. they had been recruiting a lot of years before WW1 in Ormonde Street for a multitude of regiments - my great uncle was signed up there into a regular army battalion the 2nd Northumberland Fusiliers in 1912)

Here is his scroll from Soldiers who Died in the Great War (SDGW)
He would of signed up as Private 15323 into the East Yorkshire Regiment
It does not give a battalion so I don't know if he had previously been a regular soldier or not



His medal index card has him with his feet on French soil (on route to Belgium) on the 12th October 1915 as Private 17339 of the 12th battalion West Yorkshire Regiment

Name: Riley Michael
Corps: West Yorkshire
Rank: Private
Regimental Number: 17339

Medal: Roll: Page:
Victory 0/2/104/B13 1471
British 0/2/104/B13 1471
1915 Star 0/2/1B 604

Theatre of War: France
Date of entry therein: 12.10.1915

Remarks: K in A (killed in action)

12th (Service) Battalion
Formed at York on 16 September 1914 as part of K3 and attached to 63rd Brigade, 21st Division.
september 1915 : landed at Le Havre.
16 November 1915 : transferred to 9th Brigade, 3rd Division.
17 February 1918 : disbanded in France. Formed 10th Entrenching Bn with 8th East Yorks.

K3 was part of 'Kitcheners New Army' as our regular army was getting obliterated in Belgium

i.e. K1 first 100,000 volunteers - K2 next 100,000 volunteers - K3 next 100,000 voluteers and so on ...

[Cait]

Wow!! Just Passing thats one mega great post and the pics of the documents brilliant..many thanks for your research ....Martin and the relatives of Michael Riley, will I feel sure be over the moon with the info...cheers Cait

[martinfbrown]

I have a copy of his medal index card, but I did not have the scroll. Many thanks to just passing for that. I will still continue my search into that side of my family.
Martin

[Cait]

Originally Posted by martinfbrown

I have a copy of his medal index card, but I did not have the scroll. Many thanks to just passing for that. I will still continue my search into that side of my family.
Martin

The one thing I love about doing Family Research is that every now and then, things turn up out of the blue...lets hope over the coming months ahead lots more unseen info turns up..cheers Cait