Pte 26568 Patrick Prince

His birth registration was on 14th June 1895 when his parents address is given as Patrick Street. The baptism transcription gives the date of his baptism in St. Patrick’s, Waterford, as 14th March (sic), his parents living in Jenkin’s Lane. The family moved frequently, and are found on children’s baptism records and censuses in Peter Street, Patrick Street, High Street, New Street, Smith’s Lane and Arundel Square. Most of the family is illiterate. His father and more than one sibling were fined and/or spent time in jail for various offences. 

In 1901 the family, with six children, are living at House 7.5 in New Street, Waterford Town. His father is a labourer and his mother a servant. Children living at home are Thomas, Mary Cate, Annie, Patrick, age 8 (sic), Michael, and John.

The 1911 census finds them at 9.2 Smith’s Lane, Waterford. His father, 47, is a labourer, his mother is 41, a poultry packer, Thomas 20, and Patrick 17, are general labourers, and Matthew is 4.  His parents state that they have had ten children, five of whom are still alive (however, birth or baptism records for 12 children have been found). 

In 1911 his mother was fined for allowing him to play pitch and toss in the street. She was threatened with one week in jail if she did not pay the fine.

Patrick enlisted in Liverpool as Private 26568, 20th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment.

Waterford Court charged him with deserting in May 1915 from Knowsley Park

A Prison Record for desertion from 4th City Btn King's Liverpool:-

Aged 19, 5'6", 138lbs, brown hair, brown eyes, fresh complexion, High St, Waterford, father Michael.

Sentenced to Military Escort 9th Aug 1915

Patrick signed a Soldier’s Will, dated 23rd March 1916 (possibly indicating when he went overseas). His Service Record is not available and his Medal Card shows only that he was awarded 2 medals which would suggest that he served overseas post 1915. He leaves his property and effects to his mother, Catherine Prince, of 32 Peter Street, Waterford. The Will was signed with his mark and witnessed.

Patrick was killed in action on 26^th June 1916.

Graham Maddocks describes how during that evening the 20^th Battalion relieving the 2^nd Bedfords in the front line near Maricourt was subject to a severe German bombardment which killed nine other ranks, fatally wounded 2^nd Lieutenant William Hall Jowett who died 2 days later, and wounded 3 other officers and 47 men. Patrick Prince was amongst the 9 men of the 20th Battalion killed, the others being Privates W.H. Aitken, J. Askew, M. Bennett, W. Bowden, J. Colligan, F. Davis, A. Howell and P. Simmons. 

All of these men now rest at Cerisy-Gailly Military Cemetery.
 
Patrick was originally buried in Maricourt Military Cemetery and after the war, when graves were concentrated, his body was exhumed and reinterred in Cerisy-Gailly Military Cemetery, where he now rests.

Gailly was the site of the 39th and 13th Casualty Clearing Stations during the early part of 1917, and of the 41st Stationary Hospital from May 1917 to March 1918. The villages were then captured by the Germans, but were retaken by the Australian Corps in August 1918. Cerisy-Gailly Military Cemetery (originally called the New French Military Cemetery) was begun in February 1917 and used by medical units until March 1918. After the recapture of the village it was used by Australian units. The cemetery was increased after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the battlefields of the Somme.

It was begun by French troops in December, 1914, and was known to the French by the name of Ferme Caudron. It was taken over by British troops in August, 1915, and used until July, 1916. It contained the graves of 887 French soldiers, 260 from the United Kingdom and six German. 

The cemetery now contains 745 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 114 of the burials are unidentified and special memorials commemorate five casualties buried at Maricourt and Ste. Helene whose graves could not be found. The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

CWGC gives his age (information provided by the family) as 19.  However based on birth registration and baptism records, Patrick would have been 21 years old.  His CWGC shows his parents’ residence as 1 Robinson’s Lane.

His mother received Patrick’s Army effects, including a War Gratuity of £3 and a pension of 5/- a week from February 1917.  The pension card shows her address as 7 Arundel Square, and after her death in 1936, his father was living at 32 Peter Street.  He died in 1940.

Patrick is commemorated on Ireland’s National Roll of Honour.

We currently have no further information on Patrick Prince, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.