A good Victorian officer’s group to Major W.J.F. Morgan Royal Irish Regiment, later Army Pay Department.

A good Victorian officer’s group to Major W.J.F. Morgan Royal Irish Regiment, later Army Pay Department. Egypt Medal 1882-89, undated reverse, clasp ‘The Nile 1884-85’, Capt W.J.F. Morgan 2/Rl Ir: Regt; India General Service Medal 1854 clasp ‘Hazara 1888’ ,Captain W.J.F. Morgan 2d Bn R. Ir. R; Khedive’s Star 1884-6 (un-named as issued). It is unusual to see Egypt medals with The Nile 1884-85 clasp named to the 2nd Bn; this was on account of Morgan having transferred from the 1st Bn to the 2nd Bn on 30 June 1885. William John Fortescue Morgan was born in Stamford, Lincolnshire on 26 June 1855. He was the son of Captain (later Lieutenant General) W.D. Morgan of the 22nd Bengal Native Infantry and Ellen Alice Morgan (formerly Titterton). The young Morgan was educated at Wellington College (1866-72). Morgan was commissioned into the 18th (Royal Irish) Regiment on 12 November 1873 as a Lieutenant. He was posted to the 2ndBattalion of his Regiment, which was at that time on home service. He was with the Battalion at Gosport (November 1873 to May 1874), Shorncliffe (May 1874 to July 1875), Colchester (July 1875 to July 1876), Fermoy (July 1876 to Summer 1877), Kilkenny, with detachments at: Waterford, Clonmel, Duncannon Fort and Carrick-On-Suir (Summer 1877 to May 1878). Morgan was appointed Adjutant of the 2nd Battalion on 1 May 1878, the very day it moved station from Kilkenny to the Curragh. He held this appointment for almost 3 years, at: the Curragh (May to August 1878), Dublin (August 1878 to May 1879) and Aldershot (May 1879 to March 1881). On 16 March 1881 Morgan relinquished his appointment as Adjutant of the 2nd Battalion. He was posted to the 1st Battalion, then serving in India. By a quirk of fate, Morgan missed receiving a medal: while he was sailing for India, the 1st Battalion was talking part in the operations in Afghanistan. By the time he arrived, the campaign had concluded. Had Morgan arrived with the 1st Battalion a few months earlier, he would have received the Afghanistan Medal. Had he remained with the 2nd Battalion, rather than transferring to the 1st, he would have seen service in the Egypt campaign of 1882. On arriving in India Morgan joined the 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment at Peshawar. He was immediately appointed Instructor of Musketry of the 1st Battalion but he held this appointment for only a month (16 May to 17 Jun 1881), as he was promoted to Captain on 18 June 1881. Service with the 1st Battalion in India included: Kuldunnah in the Muree Hills (April to November 1881), Rawal Pindi (November 1881 to May 1883), Kuldunnah (May to October 1883 Note: Morgan appears to have returned to England on leave between May-December 1883) and Meerut (December 1883 to August 1884). In September 1884 the 1st Battalion embarked at Bombay for Egypt, where it was to see active service in the Nile Expedition. The Regimental History mentions Morgan: [on 24 February 1885] ‘About 11 am Captain Morgan, Royal Irish Regiment, from his outpost to the south-east of the bivouac had signalled that masses of the enemy were advancing towards Abu Klea. Later it was reported that Mahdists, between five and eight thousand strong, had halted two or three miles from the wells. The situation was a serious one ….’ (Gretton, p.282). On 30 June 1885 Morgan transferred to the 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Regiment in India. His service with the 2nd Battalion this time around included: Subathu (September 1885 to November 1887) and Nowshera (November 1887 to Spring 1889). This latter period included active service in the Black Mountain or ‘Hazara’ Expedition (September to November 1888), including the action at Kotkai. In spring 1889 Morgan embarked for England on transfer to the 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment. He joined the Battalion at Colchester in September 1889. Promotion to Major came the following year on 22 May 1890. Morgan was only with the 1st Battalion for just over 18 months. After 17½ years service with the Royal Irish, he had his sights set on transferring to another part of the Army. Major Morgan transferred to the Army Pay Department (APD) on 16 May 1891 in the rank of Paymaster (Honorary Captain’s rank). His APD probation and training was at Colchester under the tutelage of Colonel Hughes and Major Moore-Lane. Morgan remained at Colchester until December 1893. He then went overseas, serving three years at Singapore (12 December 1893 to 29 November 1896). He sailed on 30 November 1896, arriving home on 6 January 1897. His next posting was to Ashton-Under-Lyne (9 February 1897 to 10 June 1902). While at Ashton, he was promoted Honorary Major on 16 February 1898 and Substantive Major on 16 February 1899. He was appointed Staff Paymaster on 8 January 1901. After 5 years at Ashton, he was posted to Cardiff for three years (11 June 1902 to 23 April 1905). On 1 May 1905 Morgan was appointed to be a 1st Class Accountant in the newly-formed Army Accounts Department. The Army Accounts Department was established by Royal Warrant dated 28 April 1905 and Morgan was one of its very first members. He took up an appointment in that capacity at Edinburgh (24 April 1905 to 24 June 1912), during which time he was appointed Lieutenant Colonel on 8 January 1906. After 7 years at Edinburgh, Morgan left the Army. He was placed on Retired Pay on 25 June 1912 and was awarded a pension of £420 per annum. At the time of his retirement, in 1912 Morgan was the senior First Class Army Accountant on the Active List. On leaving the Army he was appointed Secretary of the Regimental Agency. Morgan’s retirement was short-lived. With the outbreak of war, he was mobilised for service and was back in uniform at the age of 59. He was temporarily re-employed during World War One as a Staff Paymaster. He served in that capacity at Pay Offices at Warwick (5 August 1914 to 21 March 1916), Canterbury (22 March 1916 to 15 April 1917) and Dublin (16 April 1917 to 12 December 1918). Morgan reverted to the Unemployed List on 13 December 1918. As all his service was at home, he did not qualify for any medals for World War One. Morgan had over 42 years’ military service; 17½ in the Royal Irish Regiment and 25 in the APD, including 4 years service at home during World War One. He died at 50 Granada Road, Southsea, Hampshire on 6 February 1927 aged 71. By his will dated 30 July 1900 he left estate valued at £2524-12-8d, all to his wife Edith Aldwyn Morgan (nee Baynes). The 1871 Census shows Morgan as a pupil at Wellington College in Berkshire. The 1891 Census shows Morgan living with his wife Edith in lodgings at 12 Crouch Street, Colchester; he was undergoing probationary training with the Army Pay Department in Colchester; the 1st Bn Royal Irish Regiment (his parent unit) was also serving in Colchester. The 1901 Census shows Morgan and his wife living at Holme-Dene, Mossley Road, Ashton-Under-Lyne. War Services: Served in the Nile Expedition of 1884-85 with the 1st Bn Royal Irish Regiment (Medal with clasp and Khedive’s Star). Served in the Hazara Expedition in 1888 with the 2nd Bn Royal Irish Regiment including the engagement at Kotkai (Medal with clasp). WO 100/65 confirms the Egypt Medal. The roll, signed at The Citadel, Plymouth on 2 October 1885, states ‘2nd Bn The R.I.R.’ This would account for the naming on his Egypt Medal. WO 100/74 confirms the India General Service Medal. Medal Index Card No card found. No medal entitlement for World War One as all his service was at home. 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