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Kerry / Re: Munster Fusiliers in France
« on: Friday 13 November 09 18:22 GMT (UK) »
Hi Amocjerry
My great uncle, Thomas McAuliffe, was also in the 2nd Btn Royal Munster Fusiliers and died at Festubert on 21st December 1914 and is also buried in the Post Office Rifles Cemetery in Festubert. I recently visited France and walked the final part of the same journey the Munsters took, from Gorre to Festubert, on the 21st December. It's an evocative road, very flat and very exposed and it was easy to imagine how hard the whole march must have been on a very bleak December day. The Cemetery is dated 1915-19, which must mean that the RMF graves were originally elsewhere. The grave next to my great uncle is for B Thompson, who was also in the 2nd Btn RMF and who also died on 21st December 1914.
If you can shed any light on what happened that day, I would be most grateful. I have read the account from The Royal Munsters Fusiliers Regiment by Mrs Victor Rickard but it doesn`t say what happened once they reached the front trenches on the evening of the 21st December.
My great uncle, Thomas McAuliffe, was also in the 2nd Btn Royal Munster Fusiliers and died at Festubert on 21st December 1914 and is also buried in the Post Office Rifles Cemetery in Festubert. I recently visited France and walked the final part of the same journey the Munsters took, from Gorre to Festubert, on the 21st December. It's an evocative road, very flat and very exposed and it was easy to imagine how hard the whole march must have been on a very bleak December day. The Cemetery is dated 1915-19, which must mean that the RMF graves were originally elsewhere. The grave next to my great uncle is for B Thompson, who was also in the 2nd Btn RMF and who also died on 21st December 1914.
If you can shed any light on what happened that day, I would be most grateful. I have read the account from The Royal Munsters Fusiliers Regiment by Mrs Victor Rickard but it doesn`t say what happened once they reached the front trenches on the evening of the 21st December.