Owen and Michael Carroll were two of the eleven children born to Tom and Margaret Carroll of Ballyconnigar, Blackwater, Co. Wexford. Owen was born in 1884 and worked on a lightship in Liverpool for a number of years. He travelled to the US in 1909 to find work and lived in Long Island, New York. In 1916 he became a naturalised American citizen. He worked on the Corsair, a private cruise ship belonging to American industrialist, J. P. Morgan jnr. In May1917 the Corsair was chartered by the US Navy and in June of the same year the USS Corsair sailed from New York with the first contingent of the American Expeditionary Force to France, arriving at Saint-Nazaire on 27 June. During the war, the USS Corsair crossed the war zone many times on convoy escort, and rescued survivors of torpedoed vessels. After the war Corsair was returned to her owner and once again became the private yacht Corsair II. Owen returned to Ireland and married Catherine Corrigan of Ballyconnigar in 1922. He remained in Ireland and took up farming, having inherited a farm from his aunt in Ballina, Blackwater, Co. Wexford. He died in 1969. Michael Carroll was born in January 1891. He followed his brother, Owen, to the US looking for work and took a job as a bartender. He went to college to study medicine. He was drafted in 1918 and had the choice of leaving the country or becoming an American citizen. As he wanted to continue his medical studies he agreed to the terms of citizenship. He enlisted as a Private in Casual Company 410, Medical Department and in September 1918 shipped out aboard the troop carrier HMS Otranto bound for Liverpool with American troops. On 6 Oct. 1918, during a heavy storm, HMS Otranto collided with another troop-carrier HMS Kashmir in Machir Bay off the north coast of Islay, Scotland. The collision ripped a large hole in her side at the point where the ship’s hospital was, killing several men in the hospital. Private Michael Carroll’s body was washed ashore at Colonsay, a small island near Islay a short while later. He was buried in Kilchoman cemetery (near Islay), overlooking the sea. He was 26 years old. He had married Nellie Reilly in St Joseph of the Holy Family church in Upper Manhattan. His death certificate was issued on 14 April 1919 and in the early 1920s, Michael’s wife Nellie requested that he be re-interred in Queen’s Cemetery, New York. The church service for his re-interment took place in the church where they were originally married. || Michael Carroll; Owen Carroll; USA army cert for Michael Carroll || || Michael 'Mike' Carroll 1891-1918 || Michael Carroll || Photograph || || Michael Carroll || United States || US certificate of honour for Michael Carroll || Official document || || Owen Carroll || Owen Carroll 1884-1969 || Photograph

William and Elizabeth's wedding photograph, 1918; William's British War Medal (obverse); William's British War Medal (reverse); William's Victory medal (obverse); William's Victory medal (reverse); John J.'s grave, Bailleul Communal Cemetery in France. || William Gill was my maternal grandfather and he and his two brothers, John J. and Martin served in France during WW1. They were born in Ballyclemock, Newbawn, Co. Wexford in Ireland. John J. served first in the Royal Dublin Fusiliers and then with the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. He died from wounds received in battle on 21 October 1916 and is buried in Bailleul Communal Cemetery in France. Martin was the youngest. He had gone to Wales to work in the coal mines. He joined the Welsh Regiment in March 1914, before the war. He was severely wounded on several occasions but survived the war although he had a metal plate in his head from his injuries. After the war he married and lived in Co. Wexford. My grandfather, William served with the Irish Guards and was at the Somme. He often told my father stories about the war of an evening by the fire. Once they were in the trenches and they had a letter they wanted to bring to the command centre to ask for help. It was night time. My grandfather volunteered to go and, as he told it, he used the light from the shells exploding around him to light his way. He had to stop and lie low when it was dark and run for it when the area was lit up. Brigadier Plunkett from Newbawn, Co. Wexford told my father that my grandfather was offered a promotion to a desk job at one point during the war but refused it saying that he wanted 'another crack' at the enemy. He also told this story himself. His attitude was that you had to stay and fight it out. He also recounted how they would raise their helmets up over the trenches perched on their rifles and draw sniper fire so they would know where the snipers were. William married Elizabeth Kelly in 1918 and settled down in Co. Wexford. || || Photograph || Wedding photograph, William and Elizabeth (Kelly) Gill || Remembrance || Wedding photograph of my grandparents, William Gill ad Elizabeth Kelly, 1918 || || Medal || William's British War Medal (obverse) || British War Medal - William Gill || || William's British War Medal (reverse) || William Gill's British War Medal || Medal || || William's Victory Medal (obverse) || Medal || Remembrance || William Gill's Victory Medal (obverse) || || William Gill's Victory Medal || William's Victory Medal (reverse) || Medal || || Photograph || 50.736482,2.735590000000002 || John J. Gill's gravestone, Bailleul Communal Cemetery || Remembrance

Discharge certificate for Frederick Keep and photos of Frederick Keep at Edinburgh Hospital. Two photos of Percy William Keep and photo of the grave of Percy William Keep || The story is about three brothers - my father Frederick Keep and two uncles Percy William Keep and Charlie Keep. My father was wounded in the left buttock. He wore a caliper on the left leg. He had special boots made and qualified for a special pension. Local Wantage historian Trevor Hancock knows more about the brothers Charlie and Percy.