Casualty of the Great War, John is regarded by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission as being the youngest known British and Commonwealth battle casualty of the WW! conflict.He served with the 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment - Service No: 6322. In 1910 his family moved house to no. 2 Wheelbarrow Lane (Thomas's Avenue), Wellington Street. All the males in the family were employed as general labourers, John Jnr. being employed as a bottler in Sullivan's Bottling Stores in the city. In that year his mother, Mary and sister Kate both died from tuberculosis and John went to live with his uncle Michael Condon, a cobbler, at Keefe's Lane, off Barrack Street. He enlisted at the Waterford recruiting office on October 24th, 1913 stating his age as 18 years, although he was then only 13 years old. He had taken the identity of his older, deceased brother who had also been named John. As was often the case at this time,young men fooled the British Army recruiting officers into believing they were older than they appeared.He signed up in the Army Reserve for six years service. On June 14th 1914 he travelled to the Victoria Barracks, Clonmel in County Tipperary where he joined the Royal Irish Regiment, (The old 18th Regiment of Foot). He was mobilised on August 7th 1914 and posted to the 2nd Battalion on December 16th 1914. He arrived on the Western Front in March 1915, just in time for the second battle of Ypres whereat Bellevarde Ridge, he succumbed to a German gas attack at the age of just 14 according to the CWGC. His family only discovered he was in Belgium when they were contacted by the British Army after he was reported "Missing in Action". His father, John, informed the military authorities of his son's real age and the British Military records were amended. It was not until some ten years after his death that his body was discovered by a farmer and his remains finally laid to rest. His grave has become the most visited grave in that huge cemetery with hundreds of visitors each day, despite the fact that due to recent research, there is serious doubt that it is his remains which rest in his grave. His real age at time of death is more likely to have been 18 years. He is regarded as a hero by the Belgian people.
Casualty of the Great War, John is regarded by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission as being the youngest known British and Commonwealth battle casualty of the WW! conflict.He served with the 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment - Service No: 6322. In 1910 his family moved house to no. 2 Wheelbarrow Lane (Thomas's Avenue), Wellington Street. All the males in the family were employed as general labourers, John Jnr. being employed as a bottler in Sullivan's Bottling Stores in the city. In that year his mother, Mary and sister Kate both died from tuberculosis and John went to live with his uncle Michael Condon, a cobbler, at Keefe's Lane, off Barrack Street. He enlisted at the Waterford recruiting office on October 24th, 1913 stating his age as 18 years, although he was then only 13 years old. He had taken the identity of his older, deceased brother who had also been named John. As was often the case at this time,young men fooled the British Army recruiting officers into believing they were older than they appeared.He signed up in the Army Reserve for six years service. On June 14th 1914 he travelled to the Victoria Barracks, Clonmel in County Tipperary where he joined the Royal Irish Regiment, (The old 18th Regiment of Foot). He was mobilised on August 7th 1914 and posted to the 2nd Battalion on December 16th 1914. He arrived on the Western Front in March 1915, just in time for the second battle of Ypres whereat Bellevarde Ridge, he succumbed to a German gas attack at the age of just 14 according to the CWGC. His family only discovered he was in Belgium when they were contacted by the British Army after he was reported "Missing in Action". His father, John, informed the military authorities of his son's real age and the British Military records were amended. It was not until some ten years after his death that his body was discovered by a farmer and his remains finally laid to rest. His grave has become the most visited grave in that huge cemetery with hundreds of visitors each day, despite the fact that due to recent research, there is serious doubt that it is his remains which rest in his grave. His real age at time of death is more likely to have been 18 years. He is regarded as a hero by the Belgian people.
