9771 (later 7040204) ACQMS Fred Tynan, Royal Irish Fusiliers.

Fred was born at Athlone in 1889 and following on from a prized 1st Class Certificate of Education, he was permitted to request to be sent to Sandhurst.
In April 1909 Fred was an Unpaid Lance Corporal. A Paid L/Cpl post would soon follow, along with his first Good Conduct Stripe.

Moving sideways, Fred later became an Unpaid Lance Sergeant, with the 3rd Royal Irish Fusiliers (Special Reserve) Battalion, aka the Armagh Militia.

By October 1916 things were looking bleak at the front and Fred found himself at Bapaume with the 7th Royal Irish Fusiliers just prior to its amalgamation with the 8th Royal Irish Fusiliers. Badly wounded north of Kemmel in April 1917, it was 'Blighty' for Fred until the March Offensive the following year, this time with his old battalion, the 1st Royal Irish Fusiliers. Towards the end of the offensive Fred was again wounded but not seriously enough to leave France and Flanders, or so we are led to believe. Information from the sources differs: the medal rolls show exit 'F&F', the Army 358 Book states in theatre 26/3/18 - 9/3/19?

No rest for the wicked, however, and the Regiment was off to Mesopotamia that October as the indigenous population and others were getting restless, even the Soviets had a run in against the Machine Gun Platoon: Royal Irish Fusiliers 1, Red Guards 0. For this post-Great War action, Fred would add a General Service Medal 1918, and clasps Iraq and North West Persia to his British War and Victory medals. By now a Sergeant in D Company, Fred was appointed Acting Company Quartermaster Sergeant in October 1920.

Fred's Long Service & Good Conduct medal with gratuity arrived with Army Order in April 1926. Three years later Sergeant Frederick Tynan took his exemplary discharge in May 1929. Since 1920 his number had changed from 9771 to 7040204, 204th man in the initial alphabetical Regimental number block. Hence the ever since familiar cry, 'what's your last 4?'
Fred's post service life is less clear, he may have passed away prior to 1939 as he isn't on the nation 'Register' of that year. The Faugh-a-Ballagh Gazette for autumn 1960 notes his medals being purchased for the Regiment and entering the Royal Irish Fusiliers Museum. Prior to Covid, Sovereigns House was pleased to accept the donation of his missing Victory medal from England (found hanging in a cupboard in Bedford). It is likely that after Fred's death the three silver medals were sold and the base metal Victory medal being unwanted was handed back. Fortunately Providence, as in all things, had a hand in bringing the group back together in the end.