Postcards and photos Letter || Patrick (Paddy) and John O'Rourke were brothers of my Mother and were from Johnstown, Co. Kilkenny in Ireland. There was only about 2 years between them. They appear in several of the photos together. They were both members of the Southern Irish Horse and were based in Clonmel and Fermoy. Patrick was injured in the Somme and suffered from shellshock. In 1922 he was admitted to a mental home in Kilkenny City. He died sometime in the 1980s. John was based in the depot and never served abroad, but he was a fine shot. He lived into his 80s and had a family. Marcello referred to in postcards was my mother. Because Paddy served abroad, most of the items are connected with him rather than John. || || Photo of Soldiers || Photograph || || Front || Home Front || Letter to Patrick and John's sister from a (Private?) Pick. || Letter to Miss O'Rourke from Pick || Riverstown, Co. Cork, Ireland || Miss O'Rourke || Letter || || Home Front || Back || Miss O'Rourke || Letter to Patrick and John's sister from a (Private?) Pick. || Letter || Riverstown, Co. Cork, Ireland || Letter to Miss O'Rourke from Pick || || Multiple || Photos and Postcard from Patrick (Paddy) || || Postcard || Backs of postcards. Some addressed to Mrs. (?) O'Rourke, Johnstown, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland. || Deutsch || English || Postcards || (Mrs.?) O'Rourke || || Front || Postcards || Français || English || Postcard || || Postcard || Miss O'Rourke || Back || Postcards, one of which is to Miss O'Rourke from Patrick (Paddy). || Postcards || || Photos || Photograph || || Photos || Photograph || || Postcard || France || Postcards || Postcards including one from Paddy to May O'Rourke. || || Photo of Bureau de Poste || Photograph || Français || || Postcards, including one from Paddy to his mother. || Back || Postcard || Postcards || || Photo of destruction || Photo/postcard showing destruction of unknown village (location scribbled out) due to War. || Photograph || Français || || Photo of Soldiers || Photograph || || Photograph || Photo of Soldier(s) || || Photo of Soldiers || Photograph || || Back || Postcard from Patrick (Paddy) to his sister(s) || Postcard || || Marcello || Postcard to Marcello (Patrick and John's sister) from Partick (Paddy) || Letter || Postcard to Marcello from Paddy || Back || || Postcard || Back || || Photograph || Photo of Soldiers on horseback || || Photograph || Photo || || Postcard from May to Father || Postcard from May to Father (Outside) || || Postcard from May to Father || Postcard from May to Father (Inside) || Postcard || || Français || Postcard || English || Christmas postcards

1 phtotgraph of William Hogan on his wedding day 1 widow's penny given to William Hogan's wife, Lilian Alice, in 1919 1 Photograph of Patrick J. Hogan 1 Document from the town of Walpole, commemorating Patrick, dated 1920 || This is the story of my two uncles, brothers William and Patrick J. Hogan. William Hogan's story: William Hogan was born on 26 July 1891 in Goresbridge, Co. Kilkenny. He joined the Metropolitan Police, London on 11 January 1915 and was stationed at Chelsea, B District. He joined the army on 9 January, 1917 at the age of 25. He fought with the Household Battalion, a battaltion that was disbanded after two years and lasted from 1916 - 1918. Some stories about him are noted in the book The Diary of a Forgotten Battalion, by Gerard William Harvey (p. 36, 37, 39, 141). There is an eyewitness account of his death in the book noting that he received gun shot wounds to the thigh during a battle at Monchy-le-Preux. He was taken to No. 19 Casualty Clearing Station at Duisans. He died on 22 December, 1917 and is buried at Duisans British Cemetry, Pas de Calais, France. His Widow's Penny is provided. This was given to his wife, Lilian Alice (née Griffin) in 1919. He had no children. I have also provided a photograph of William and his wife on their wedding day. I have been told that the insignia on his arm is for Corporal of the Ranks, and since he had only been in the army two months at this stage it seems likely that he borrowed this uniform for the occasion. Patrick Hogan's story: Patrick J. Hogan, was born c. 1896. He emigrated to the United States in 1905 and settled in Walpole, Massachusetts. He was conscripted, I think, into the army, about 1917 and was in the Machine Gun Regiment. I heard an account that he was carried a tripod and fed bullets, and that a shell exloded near him and killed him on the spot. He was killed on 29 September 1918 in France, north of Verdun, and is buried at Meuse-Argonne American Cemetry. His name is on the war memorial in Walpole, Mass. Their father wanted the bodies of both his sons repatriated to Ireland. The Americans were willing to do this, but the British were not. My grandfather decided that he wouldn't have one son without hte other, and so they both remain in France.

Pat Hayes was our grandfather. He was a merchant sailor and told us of his adventures all over the world but never spoke about the war. He died 27 June 1973. It was several years later before we even knew he was in the war when our mother showed his medals one day to Bernadette. Our grandmother was Annie Duggan and Jack Duggan was her brother. He was born about 1884 and he was a sailor also, service number T2687. Like Pat Hayes, Jack never spoke of his experiences during the war either. Michael Fitzhenry was Monica’s husband’s uncle. He was the son of Edward and Margaret Fitzhenry, Mulrankin and worked as a blacksmith before joining the Royal Irish Regiment, #4423. He suffered frost bite in the trenches at the front and was invalided home. Just a few weeks after he returned to his battalion on the front he was killed in action at Ypres on 8 May 1915. || Patrick Hayes' memory card; Patrick Hayes' medals; Jack Duggan's medals; Michael Fitzhenry's medals.