Ref ID: 51642686487
Name
Thomas John Keatings.
Description
Belfast Telegraph Newspaper Photograph of Sergeant Thomas John Keatings.
Life Story
Name: Thomas John Keatings.
Service Number: 8059.
Rank: Sergeant.
Battalion: 1st Battalion.
Regiment: Royal Irish Rifles.
Born: Seapatrick, County Down.
Died: 9th May 1915.
Address: 27 Daisyfield Street, Belfast
.
Thomas John Keatings, son of Thomas Keatings, lived with his wife and children at 27 Daisyfield Street, Shankill, Belfast
.
Thomas John Keatings had married Annie Keatings, Nee Geddis, on the 28th July 1892 within the Church of Holy Trinity, Church of Ireland, Church in County Down.
They went on to have three children, two of which lived, Thomas Keatings born 29th November 1894, Robert Keatings born 25th January 1898
.
Thomas signed the Ulster Covenant on the 28th of September 1912, Ulster Day, within Belfast City Hall
.
Militia Attestation documents show 1511 Rifleman Thomas John Keatings having enlisted at 17 years and 6 months into the 5th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles on the 20th October 1890, and having served until 1894.
Thomas then served in the South African Campaign.
He later re-joined the Royal Irish Rifles and was posted as part of the British Expeditionary Force to France on the 22nd April 1915.
Thomas was a Sergeant in 1st Battalion Royal Irish Rifles when he Died Of Wounds on the 9th of May 1915 aged 39 years
.
A local newspaper states
.
The death is reported from France of Sergeant Thomas J Keatings 1st Batt, Royal Irish Rifles, whose wife lives at 27 Daisyfield Street, Belfast. Sergeant Keating was killed on the 10th inst
.
Thomas Soldiers Effects were left to his wife Annie.
A Dependant Pension Application Form shows his widow as claimant, and that she had in fact remarried a William James Adams on the 13th October 1918
.
See son also: 22262 Driver Thomas Keatings Royal Engineers.
See son also: 9463 Lance Corporal Robert Keatings Royal Irish Rifles
.
Thomas John received the British War Medal, Victory Medal and 1915 Star.
.
He is Remembered at Pont-du-Hem Military Cemetery, La Gorgue, France.
To Remember Is To Honour
Theme
Shankill Roll of Honour
Date
1915
Classification
Newspaper, Certificate/Permit, Photograph - Belfast Telegraph
