THE QUEEN’S SOUTH AFRICA MEDAL AWARDED TO PRIVATE (LATER SERGEANT) JAMES MONAGHAN, 2ND BATTALION ROYAL IRISH FUSILIERS (LATE 4TH BATTALION ROYAL DUBLIN FUSILIERS, DUBLIN CITY MILITIA) WHO ALSO SAW SERVICE WITH THE 4TH AND 1ST BATTALIONS ROYAL DUBLIN

THE QUEEN’S SOUTH AFRICA MEDAL AWARDED TO PRIVATE (LATER SERGEANT) JAMES MONAGHAN, 2ND BATTALION ROYAL IRISH FUSILIERS (LATE 4TH BATTALION ROYAL DUBLIN FUSILIERS, DUBLIN CITY MILITIA) WHO ALSO SAW SERVICE WITH THE 4TH AND 1ST BATTALIONS ROYAL DUBLIN FUSILIERS DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR AND WAS KILLED IN ACTION IN GALLIPOLI ON 4TH JUNE 1915 . Queen’s South Africa Medal, 5 clasps, Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal (officially named, impressed in plain upper and lower case capital letters and numbers: 4570 Pte. J. MONAGHAN, RL. IRISH FUS:). Minor edge bump on reverse rim at 6 o’clock, otherwise attractively toned, Extremely Fine.

Medal accompanied by biographical details, 5 pages copied service papers, copied typed record regarding Monaghan’s appearance as a witness during the trial of a Corporal of the 4th Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers, February 1915, QSA Medal roll extract, confirming medal and clasps, KSA Medal roll confirming Monaghan also entitled 2 clasp KSA, copied WW1 Medal Index Card, confirming Monaghan saw service with the 1st Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers during WW1 (also entitled 1914-15 Star trio), extracts Soldiers Died, Ireland’s Memorial Records and Soldier’s Effects record.

James Monaghan (1874-1915) was born in Dundalk, county Louth, Ireland on 3/9/1874, the family later moving to Chapelizod, Dublin, when he was around 3 years of age. He enlisted into the Royal Irish Fusiliers at Dublin on 11/7/1893 (service papers give place of birth as Chapelizod, but this is no doubt where he was living at the time of enlistment rather than his place of birth). At the time of enlistment Monaghan was 18 years and 11 months old, gave his trade as labourer and confirmed that he was then serving as 3076 Private with the 4th Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers (Dublin City Militia). Monaghan never rose above the rank of Private while serving with the Royal Irish Fusiliers, and was discharged on 19/7/1909. After being discharged, Monaghan again saw service with the 4th Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers in the years leading up to WW1 and is recorded as being among the list of witnesses at the trial of 7103 Corporal Michael Lynch, 4th Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers, at Sittingbourne on 23/2/1915 (the 4th Dublins were stationed at Sittingbourne in February 1915). Monaghan subsequently saw service with the 1st Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers, initially as 9241 Private, and first saw active service during WW1 in the Balkans (Gallipoli), entering that theatre of operations on 19/5/1915 (the 1st Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers landed at Helles on 25/4/1915 and on 30/4/1915, after sustaining heavy casualties, amalgamated with the 1st Battalion Royal Munster Fusiliers, to form a composite battalion known as the “Dubsters”, the 1st Dublins resuming their identity on 19/5/1915, the day Monaghan entered the Gallipoli theatre of operations (indicating that Monaghan landed in Gallipoli as one of the reinforcements that brought the 1st Dublins back up to strength as a unit and allowed the battalion to resume its identity). Less than a month later Sergeant Monaghan was killed in action in Gallipoli on 14/6/1916, during the Third Battle of Krithia.

Sergeant Monaghan left total effects of £2 16 shillings and 8 pence and a War Gratuity of £6 to his widow Elizabeth and their surviving child.

During the First World War the 1st Royal Dublin Fusiliers saw service with 86th Brigade, 29th Division “The Incomparables”.