CJ Coughlin 7022513 dog-tag return

Hi all,

I joined in the hope of returning a dog-tag I found back to the family.

The dog-tag is marked to a CJ Coughlin 7022513, a Royal Ulster Rifles issued tag. Although probably just the unit that he signed up with, before advancing into the Commandos. He was wounded in August of 1944 and there is a report which lists him as wounded and gives his unit as No.2 Commando, but I noticed on this site that he is listed as No.3?

I would love to be able to return this to him or at the very least his family. Can anyone help?

Thanks in advance.

Dan Mackay
Extreme Relic Hunters

Hi Dan,
Welcome to the CVA Website & Forums.
Thanks for your post and for your good intentions to return the dog tag to C J Coughlin's family.

The source of our information, that Pte Coughlin served in No.3 Commando, is The Commando Association's 'Lost Legion' - an appendix to the Commando Association's Newsletter.
Although we do not have any record of Coughlin being in No.2 Cdo doesn't necessarily mean he didn't serve in No.2 Cdo at some time.
I think the most likely scenario, given the documentation you have, is that he was wounded whilst with No.2. It is likely that he would have been sent back to the Recovery & Rehab Wing at the Holding Operational Commando at Wrexham (or an overseas HOC) and, when fully recovered, posted to No.3 as a replacement.

All commandos had a green chit stuck in their paybook - see the 3 Commando Brigade example below...

We would be very grateful if you can provide any other information regarding Pte Coughlin that we can update our records - maybe a scan of the record which details him being wounded?

Cheers,
Nick

Hi Nick, thanks for the reply. It all makes sense I guess. I'm sure guys would have been 'borrow' as needed etc.

The record I refer to was found online on the War-Forces-Records website. I don't think I can link it as its a memberships, but I will include the link, also show the details below.

https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/records/9398347/trooper-c-j-coughlin-british-army-no-2-commando-regiment/

First Name: C J
Surname: Coughlin
Date of Action: 01/08/1944
Fate: Wounded
Incident Details: Reported to the War Office Casualty Branch for the 24 hours ended 09.00am.
Incident Date: 31/08/1944
Information: Casualty List No. 1539.
Rank: Trooper
Service Number: 7022513
Duty Location: North West Europe
Service: British Army
Regiment: No 2 Commando Regiment
Secondary Unit: Royal Armoured Corps
Archive Reference: WO417/80

To also give you an idea of what I am doing... two friends and I dug over 14,000 dog-tags over and weekend, and I have been given the task of not only cataloging them, but trying to return as many as I can. So far one has got home and another is being handed over to the original owner tomorrow. Very exciting!

So any help that anyone can be with this dog-tag would be very much appreciated. Otherwise it will sit on the back burner, until I have pumped in all the other thousands through the War Forces Records website.

Dan

Hi Dan,

Okay, well No.2 Cdo weren't in North West Europe during the time period stated.

However, Graham Cooper has kindly sent an extract from No.3 Commando's official War Diaries held in the National Archives at Kew.

Graham Cooper wrote: No.3 Cdo War Diary 1944, National Archive file WO 218/65

As can be seen 7022513 Pte. COUGHLIN was injured 1 Aug.1944, and returned to duty. His unit is shown as London Irish.

As the War Diaries should not be uploaded to the Internet, I have deliberately obscured all other information on the page...

Nick

Dan,
This is the entry for 7022513 C J Coughlin from the War Office casualty list (WO417/80). It must have been transcribed incorrectly.
I will send you an address of a person that I believe is C J Coughlin's grandson.

Good luck with your project.
Guy

I wrote to the address given in the earlier comments, but sadly I have had no reply :(

Although since that we have no returned over 30 dog-tags... still a long way to go of course, but its wonder to see how warmly they are received and how treasure they quickly belong, being kept proudly with medals/cap badges etc.

We also discovered why they were made in the first place and why they are made of stainless steal. However, I am bound be a confidentially agreement with the BBC to not tell anyone until the mini documentary I have made with them airs in September.

Dan

Worthing Herald 27 July 1945

Whilst updating the main archive I found out a little bit more about Charles John Coughlin here including his marriage in Worthing Sussex (see attached):

https://www.commandoveterans.org/CharlesCoughlin_3Commando

Possibly linked to a Charles John Coughlin who passed away on 2 February 2010, probate date 14 April 2010 Brighton Registry, Sussex, number 3260448.