Kenora Great War Project

 

Personal Details
Date of BirthJanuary 26, 1891
Place of BirthCounty Londonderry
CountryIreland
Marital StatusSingle
Next of KinMrs Maggie McGauley, sister, Kallalooe, Londonderry, Ireland
Trade / CallingWaiter
ReligionRoman Catholic
Service Details
Regimental Number189402
Service Record
Battalion2nd Battalion
ForceCanadian Expeditionary Force
BranchCanadian Infantry
Enlisted / ConscriptedEnlisted
Address at EnlistmentMCR Dining Hall, St Thomas, Ontario
Date of EnlistmentNovember 17, 1915
Age at Enlistment24
Theatre of ServiceEurope
Prisoner of WarNo
Survived WarYes
Death Details
Date of DeathOctober 1, 1961
Age at Death70
Buried AtSt Andrew's Catholic Cemetery, Thunder Bay, Ontario

McShane, Patrick

According to his attestation papers, Patrick McShane was born on 26 January 1891 in County Londonderry in northern Ireland. An age appropriate Patrick was found on the 1901 census for Lettershendony, Tamnaherin, Londonderry, not far from the city of Londonderry. Household members were listed as head Ellen McShane (age 45), a married seamstress, and children John (age 13), William (age 11), Patrick, and Maggie (age 9). It appears that Patrick immigrated to Canada in 1913, found on the passenger list of the Grampian that arrived in Quebec on 2 June. The list indicated that he was travelling with the Mr Gordon party and was on his way to Winnipeg.

Patrick was living in St Thomas, Ontario when he signed his attestation papers on 17 November 1915. His occupation was given as waiter and his sister Maggie McGauley back in Ireland as next of kin. Standing 5 feet two inches, Patrick had blue eyes and dark hair. As a Private with the 91st Battalion he embarked from Halifax aboard the Olympic on 29 June 1916.

Once in England Patrick was transferred to the 12th Reserve Battalion and then on to the 2nd Battalion, arriving in France in mid October. Having been buried by a shell explosion, in early May of 1917 he was admitted to the No 22 General Hospital Dannes Camiers with multiple contusion/shell concussion. A few days later he was transferred to the No 6 Convalescent Depot in Г‰taples, discharged to base details on the 14th. With his medical status redefined as a result, Patrick was assigned to permanent base details, later attached to No 1 CDB. He was granted a ten day leave in mid October, and upon his return he was granted one Good Conduct Stripe. In March of 1918 Patrick was transferred to the Canadian Labour Pool. Suffering ill health, he was admitted to the No 7 Canadian General Hospital in Г‰taples on 16 June 1918 and then to the No 72 General Hospital in Trouville, diagnosis of influenza. In mid July Patrick was transferred to the No 15 Convalescent Depot in Trouville, discharged on the 19th. In the fall of 1918 he went through a series of transfers to the 7th and then 8th Area Equipment Companies before returning to England in late December. On 19 February 1919 he embarked from Liverpool for Canada aboard the Scotian and was discharged from service on demobilization on 21 March in London, Ontario.

Little is known about Patrick’s life after the war. A notation in his service record indicated that he was living in St Thomas in 1922, but he eventually moved to northwestern Ontario where at some point he joined the Kenora Branch of the Canadian Legion. Patrick died on 1 October 1961 in the Port Arthur General Hospital in Thunder Bay. He is interred in the St Andrew’s Roman Catholic Cemetery, Thunder Bay.

by Judy Stockham

Grave marker photo by Kathleen Englebretson on findagrave.com

McShane-Patrick-2 McShane-Patrick-3 McShane-Patrick-4


« Back To Soldier Biographies