Medals of William Harney

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.

File detailing the military career of Sidney Diamond