Headstone of 2nd Lieutenant Martin J Sheehan RAF, in the Anneux British War Cemetery, near Cambrai, France who was killed 1 October 1918. His grave no. is: Plot 1, Row H21, which is maintained and serviced by the Commwealth War Graves Commission. The cemetery lies on the N30 national route from Cambrai to Bepaume.

Daniel J Sheehan, Lieut RFC, after acting for a time as a flying instructor at Oxford, England, went on active service again in 1917 with the British No. 66 Squadron based near Arras, France. The photo shows him in a Sopwith Pup fighter biplane which his squadron was equipped with. It was a stable, easy to fly aircraft, but an underpowered battle-plane. The aircraft type, though an excellent trainer, was by spring 1917 already outclassed and being decimated by the mainstream German opponents (see Wikipedia Bloody April and Sopwith Pup) of the Jagdstaffel 11 with their excellent Albatros D.III fighter biplane. Although nimble and manoeuvrable, the Pup was nowhere near as fast or powerful as its German opponents, and could not hope to outpace or out climb them. As well, the Pup was equipped with one synchronized Vickers machine gun, while the German planes featured two or more synchronized Spandau machine guns. The 66 Squadron had to make do with its Pups until later in the year when they would be outfitted with the much more effective Sopwith Camels. Sheehan was killed on 10 May 1917, when on an early morning patrolling expedition, a superior body of the German Jagdstaffel 11 aircraft engaged the Sopwith Pups, and Sheehan and another officer were killed. His superior officer wrote: he was loved by all and was by nature absolutely devoid of fear. His biography as first printed and published by His Majesty's Stationary Office London, 1921 publication: Officers Died in the Great War 1914-19. He was reportedly shot down by the German ace Lothar von Richthofen (brother of the Red Baron) over Vitry-en-Artois east of Arras, his 22nd victory. (see Franks, Norman and Giblin, Hal: ''Under the Guns of the German Aces; Immelmann, Voss, Goring, Lothar Von Richthofen'', The Complete Record of their Victories and Victims p. 165, Grub Street, London (1997) ISBN 1-898697-72-8), also http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/richthofen1.php Victory no. 22 details of Lothar von Richthofen. According to his family he managed to land the damaged plane in an open field, near Noyelles-lès-Vermelles, before he died in the cockpit. Lieut Sheehan was buried at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cabaret Rouge Cemetery (grave plot N16) at Souchez (14km north of Arras, sw of Lille, France (see http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=583970 Casualty details—Sheehan D J.

Martin Joseph Sheehan (1896–1918) was Second Lieutenant with the Royal Munster Fusiliers (RMF), subsequently with the Royal Air Force (RAF) when killed on the Western Front. Photograph shows him on home leave in Cork, 1917. He was the second of three sons of Captain DD Sheehan MP for mid-Cork, Ireland, who served with him on the front. Martin was born in Tralee and educated at Christian College Cork (city) and Mount St. Joseph's College, Roscrea. He won several prizes in school sports and played for Munster in the Rugby Inter-Provincial Senior College Championships, being described in the Dublin Press as 'the most brilliant three-quarter back the College had produced for years'. He went to Canada in 1913, and was employed in the Union Bank of Canada at Bellevue, Alberta. He joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force as a private in 1915 and won the all-round Athletic Championship of his Division in Nova Scotia. He came overseas with his battalion in 1916, transferred as a cadet to the RMF and later obtained his commission. With them he was in some of the fiercest fighting at the Third Battle Passchendaele and elsewhere. He transferred to the RAF No. 13 Squadron as 'Observer' and saw considerable service in France and Italy. He went out on observation duty over the enemy lines on the morning of 1 October 1918, and met his death, but in what circumstances has never been known. His biography as first printed and published by His Majesty's Stationary Office London, 1921 publication: Officers Died in the Great War 1914-19. See also http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/516019-post2.html Link to recorded details. It is most probable that the aircraft was brought down by ground fire. http://www.greatwar.co.uk/research/military-records/ww1-war-dead-records.htm He is buried in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's Anneux British War Cemetery, near Cambrai, France; grave no.: Plot 1, Row H21. Details from link: http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=188154 Casualty details—Sheehan M J.