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McCARTHY, WILLIAM. Rank: Air Mechanic 3rd Class. Regiment or Service: Royal Air Force. Age at death; 44. Date of Death: 24-November-1918. Service No: 285603. Supplementary information; Husband of Bridget McCarthy, of 6, St. Lawrence Terrace, Lower Grange, Waterford. Grave or Memorial Reference: C. F. 15. Cemetery: Ballynaneashagh (St Otteran’s) Catholic Cemetery in County Waterford.

Hi. Tom, is it?

We buried my grandmother last week aged 97 in Ballynaneashagh and, as I'm not religious, spotted an RAF grave for the first time in my adult life.

My grandmother married James McCarthy who is also buried there and the RAF grave is the one listed above. It looks like William is my great-grandfather. I'm trying to piece it all together but I'm fairly sure that's who he is. You hardly have anymore information other than what's listed above, do you? Would I have to go to Kew to get more information? I suppose I'm specifically interested in how he died seeing as it's right at the end of the war. Does him having a grave like this mean that he died in service, yeah?

I had always heard that my grandmother's father also died in the first world war. She was born in 1913. I got my hands on her marriage cert this evening and her father is listed as John Hearne whose profession was "soldier". The story I was told was that he died in the war and wasn't found but don't know how true that is. Would you have any information on this man by any chance?

It's great work you've done by the way. Fair play to you.