Private Peter Fitzhenry (continued) and Rifleman Patrick Fitzhenry

I've been very fortunate to be able to speak tonight with the son of Peter Fitzhenry, who we featured in the last post.

Apart from confirming that we indeed had the right man, I also learned that Peter was granted his Silver War Badge after losing his arm at the Battle of Arras on the Western Front in France.

Peter was one of four brothers. His eldest brother James came to St Helen's, Lancashire, England in 1890, with Patrick and his wife and the young Peter joining them some years later. All three of these men were coal miners. The second son, John, emigrated to Canada.

When the First World War broke out, Patrick Fitzhenry enlisted for the Royal Irish Fusiliers. He was killed at Gallipoli on 6 August 1915 and is remembered on the Helles Memorial. He left a wife Catherine and 5 children.

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