While researching my family tree, I came upon Tom O'Connor who was raised as the foster child of my great grandparents. He was born in the Wexford workhouse in May 1895, the son of Tom O'Connor and Ellen Murphy of Duncormick. By 1901, however, he had become a foster child in the household of Tom Moran and his wife Maryanne who lived at Belgrove, Duncormick, Co. Wexford. In June 1901, Maryanne died. Tom Moran was blind and already had two sons of his own so Tom O'Connor found himself in the care of Phil Moran and Mary Corish, my great grandparents. In 1914, Tom arrived in Port Talbot (Wales) in search of work but ended up joining the Welsh Regiment, 15th Battalion. His service number was 241768. He trained as a Signaller which delayed his deployment to Northern France for a short while. However, on 6 September 1918, just two months before the war ended, Tom died of wounds received in the battlefields of France. His friend and foster cousin Patrick Moran died three weeks later. Tom was laid to rest in Fienvillers British Cemetery, grave number D18. Phil and Mary Moran received word of his death along with the Death Plaque or Widow's Penny as it was often called. Tom had registered Phil and Mary as his next of kin. He would also have received the war medals but we do not know what became of them.
Framed picture of Tom O'Connor; Collage of pictures of Tom O'Connor in uniform; Letter to Patrick Moran, mentioning his training as a Signaller; two postcards from Folkestone, one to Anne Moran in Port Talbot, Wales, the other unsent; Tom O'Connor's Death Plaque.

Photograph
Framed picture of Tom O'Connor
Tom O'Connor
Tom O'Connor in uniform
Collage of photographs of Tom O'Connor in uniform
Letter
Life as a signaller in training
Letter to Patrick Moran about training as a Signaller
Tom's postcards
Postcards from Folkestone, one to Anne Moran in Port Talbot, one unsent.
Postcard
Message side of postcards, one to Anne Moran in Wales, the other unsent
Tom O'Connor to Anne Moran
Medal
Tom O'Connor, Death Plaque