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Remembered Today:

Lt John Desmond Fitzgerald 4bn South Lancashire Regiment


museumtom

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Try as I might I cannot find a single thing on this officer who went down on the R.M.S. Leinster on 10/10/1918. Where he was born or where he lived is all I need. All I know is from the CWGC;-

http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2894521/FITZGERALD,%20JOHN%20DESMOND

Can you help please?

Thanking you most sincerely in advance for any help you may provide.

Kind regards.

Tom.

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Hi Tom

Dont know if this helps or not but on his effects document it has

"New South Wales Bank - for credit to account of Mrs. Annie Christine O'Niel" (thats the spelling on the document).

Regards,

Graeme

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Thanks for that Graeme, beats me what it means but it's one bit more than I had a few minutes ago. Good on you for helping, I appreciate it very much.

Tom.

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Hi Tom

Wish I could find more, its interesting. I wondered if he was Australian by birth.

He is not mentioned in Philip Lecane's 'Torpedoed' BTW,

Graeme

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Thanks Graeme, he's a bit of a mystery man all right. Its a real Irish name but without any further details I cannot nail him down.

Fingers crossed.

Kind regards.

Tom.

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Try as I might I cannot find a single thing on this officer who went down on the R.M.S. Leinster on 10/10/1918. Where he was born or where he lived is all I need. All I know is from the CWGC;-

http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2894521/FITZGERALD,%20JOHN%20DESMOND

Can you help please?

Thanking you most sincerely in advance for any help you may provide.

Kind regards.

Tom.

Hello Tom,

I have found his Medal Roll, Medal Rolls Index Card and Register of Soldier's Effects. (ancestry)

The only one which adds anything is the MIRC.

John Desmond Fitzgerald was commissioned from Cpl (5089), Liverpool Regiment, having not served overseas.

His overseas service is dated from 15/5/1917.

Mrs A[nnie] C[hristine] O'Neill applied for her late husband's medals on 17/4/1921. (Presumably she had remarried?)

She gave her address as 21 Tunnia? Street, Nort[h] Lismore, NSW, Australia.

I'm still digging. Now I know she was Annie Christine, I may be able to find a bit more.

RM

(Second attempt to post this!)

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Great stuff RM, I tried to see if his records survived on FMP using the number you provided, but nope, not a sausage. It was worth a try. Thank you very much for all your help, and thank you again Graeme also.

KInd regards.

Tom.

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Perhaps a long shot but I wonder if she is the Chrystine D Fitzgerald who marries Austin T O'Neil in Liverpool in Jun Qtr 1919. There are Australian service papers for Austin Thomas O'Neil who was in England at that time. Maybe she went back to Australia with him in August 1919?

There are WW2 Australian RAAF papers for 402602 Flying Officer Gerald Desmond Fitzgerald, born 30/6/13 Cork, next of kin Christine O'Neil.

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IPT, Wow so many variables, it will take a bit of time to figure that lot out, thank you very much indeed.

Verrico you kind offer is most gladly taken.

As usual the pals on this forum have come to my aid again, thanks all. Remember goodwill is a two way street and if ye need any Irish help...fire away, I am only a PM away.

Thank you all.

Kind regards.

Tom.

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IPT, expletives expletives, that smashing, what a bit of detective work! Well done indeed, thank you so much.

Cheers.

Tom,

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Having now had a proper look through Austin O'Neil's service papers, there is a copy of his marriage certificate (p25) - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=8003544&S=1

Oddly, she gives her name as Chrystina Desmond Fitzgerald, widow, aged 28. 9 Morton St, Liverpool. Father: Edmond Joseph Harrington, Master Mariner.

We're still missing a few pieces of the jigsaw (census and marriage), but it seems that John Desmond Fitzgerald and Annie Christina were both Irish, had a son in Cork in 1913 and moved to Liverpool, where he joined the King's Liverpool.

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Hannah Christina Harrington and John Fitzgerald appear in the list of people married in the Jan-Mar quarter of 1912 in Cork. Unfortunately that does not necessarily mean they married each other - 9 people in the list (One male name missing !!!!? ) (Ireland Civil Marriages, Registration Index - ancestry)

RM

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Well done IPT, Thank you very much indeed. You say John Desmond Fitzgerald is Irish, does it give a county please?

I could not have found a fraction of this new stuff you are locating.

Kind regards.

Tom.

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Hannah Christina Harrington and John Fitzgerald appear in the list of people married in the Jan-Mar quarter of 1912 in Cork. Unfortunately that does not necessarily mean they married each other - 9 people in the list (One male name missing !!!!? ) (Ireland Civil Marriages, Registration Index - ancestry)

RM

They look promising - Cork marriage of John Fitzgerald and Hannah Harrington on 21st January 1912.

Limerick Chronicle - 15/10/1918

"There now appears to be no doubt that amongst the many victims of the Leinster disaster was Mr John D Fitgerald, formerly of the staff of The Examiner and well known in press circles throughout the South of Ireland. Mr Fitzgerald, who was a native of County Limerick, was on his way from the latter place when the dreadful occurrence of which he was a victim took place."

http://www.limerickcity.ie/media/10%2015%201918%20gould%20frthr%20rpt,%20fitzgerald.pdf

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It all ties in perfectly, and would you believe it i did the Limerick Chronicle but would have passed him by as he looked like a civilian. IPT you will have to change your handle to Sherlock in future, brilliant stuff, thank you so very much. I am smiling as I type, feck you are good.

Kind regards and thank you again.

Tom.

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They look promising - Cork marriage of John Fitzgerald and Hannah Harrington on 21st January 1912.

Limerick Chronicle - 15/10/1918

"There now appears to be no doubt that amongst the many victims of the Leinster disaster was Mr John D Fitgerald, formerly of the staff of The Examiner and well known in press circles throughout the South of Ireland. Mr Fitzgerald, who was a native of County Limerick, was on his way from the latter place when the dreadful occurrence of which he was a victim took place."

http://www.limerickcity.ie/media/10%2015%201918%20gould%20frthr%20rpt,%20fitzgerald.pdf

Well done!

Oddly enough I ran across a man whose lost on the Leinster on a local roll of honour yesterday.

RM

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  • 1 month later...

Tom,

I note you wanted to know where this man lived or was born, so I've had a quick look at the papers and can tell you the following.

He was born in Ardagh, Co. Limerick it seems on 17 September 1885.

He served in the RGA for about 12 months from January 1899 and was purchased out (at least, I think that's what it says!).

When he enlisted in November 1915 he gave his address as 12 Ashley Street, Liverpool and this address also appears as his wife's address on his NOK details.

Hope that helps prior to you getting the papers to see for yourself.

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Hello Verrico, many thanks for your reply. Are you sure its the same man? Does it give his wife's name? or his occupation,

Kind regards and thank you again for your interest.

Tom.

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I think so. He drowned on the S.S. Leinster on 10 October 1918. His wife's name is given as Christina and there's a note she remarried and became O'Neil. Her name is given as Annie Chrystine O'Neil. I could be out on the dob - it's really smudged.

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Sorry Verrico and IPT, I was just checking, Thank you for all your help.

Kind regards.

Tom.

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