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Just a rumour?

Charlie

Charlie

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
One of my relatives tells me my dad lied about his age and went off to join up in WW1 as a Drummer Boy. She said my gran was really upset, but rellie wasn't sure if gran stopped him or he went in anyway.
Thing is, dad was born in 1903 so would have been very young at the outbreak of war - but I remember hearing something about Northern Ireland?
Dad's name was George Edward Charlesworth and he was living in Pope Street at the time.
Can anyone find anything for me? Many thanks.
 
Maybe it wasn't WW1 he fought. The British government declared martial law in Ireland in 1920 ending in outright civil war and partition of the country. The British withdrew in late 1921 pulling out 57,000 troops as well as 14,000 RIC police. Your dad would have been old enough to serve in that one without any problems. On the other hand, there were a lot that signed up for WW1 underage and, considering how much they wanted men, the government weren't paying too much attention to who they were.
 
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