Personal Details | |
Date of Birth | January 26, 1891 |
Place of Birth | County Londonderry |
Country | Ireland |
Marital Status | Single |
Next of Kin | Mrs Maggie McGauley, sister, Kallalooe, Londonderry, Ireland |
Trade / Calling | Waiter |
Religion | Roman Catholic |
Service Details | |
Regimental Number | 189402 |
Service Record | |
Battalion | 2nd Battalion |
Force | Canadian Expeditionary Force |
Branch | Canadian Infantry |
Enlisted / Conscripted | Enlisted |
Address at Enlistment | MCR Dining Hall, St Thomas, Ontario |
Date of Enlistment | November 17, 1915 |
Age at Enlistment | 24 |
Theatre of Service | Europe |
Prisoner of War | No |
Survived War | Yes |
Death Details | |
Date of Death | October 1, 1961 |
Age at Death | 70 |
Buried At | St Andrew's Catholic Cemetery, Thunder Bay, Ontario |
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