5478 Private Jeremiah Shirley of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers, was killed in action on the 30th January 1915. He was the son of Mrs. Annie Robertson, of Nelson Street, Athy, County Kildare.
Private Shirley was almost certainly a Special Reservist who was posted to the regular 2nd Battalion shortly after was was declared. His number - 5478 - dates to around 1913. He arrived overseas on the 26th December 1914 and so had only been in France and Belgium for just over a month when he was killed. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial. His medals were later returned to the issuing office and disposed of.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.
Sources:
Ancestry.co.uk (MIC)
Army Ancestry
Army Service Numbers 1881-1918
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Soldiers Died in The Great War
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2 comments:
Sorry, do you have any more information on Jeremiah's military service and do you know of any reason they would return his medals?
I don't I'm afraid. The medals could have been returned because the next of kin had moved away or they simply didn't want them. They could have been returned for a variety of reasons.
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