Pte 48259 Patrick Brennan

• Age: 40
• From: Doonane, Queens County, Ireland
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Monday 29th April 1918
• Commemorated at: Voormezeele Cem Encl No. 3
  Panel Ref: XIV.F.8

There is some confusion as to whether Patrick's surname was Brenan or Brennan, the Irish BMD records confirm his name Brennan consistently.

Patrick Brennan was born on the 23rd September 1877 in Doonane, Ballickmoyler, Queens County, Ireland (now County Laois), the eldest child of six children born to Patrick Brennan and his wife Margaret (nee Cosgrave) who were married on the 30th October 1875 at the Roman Catholic Church in Myshall, Carlow.

His father was a teacher and moved to Ballinkillen in Carlow when Patrick was very young. 

Patrick worked as a warder in the Carlow Lunatic Hospital as did his future wife Margaret McKenna. who was born Margaret Frances McKenna on 01st Februay 1876 in Coottehill, County Cavan. They were married on the 22nd June 1899 in the Roman Catholic Chapel in Carlow, and shortly after moved to Liverpool.

Following his move to Liverpool, Patrick worked for the railway.

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 3 Ivor Street, Kirkdale, Liverpool. Patrick is aged 23 years, a railway clerk b.Ireland, his wife Margaret is 24 b.Ireland, children Mary A. aged 1 b.Ireland, and Joseph E. aged 3 months b.Liverpool. They have a boarder Thomas P. Archibald 27 b.Ireland, and a visitor Margaret O'Keefe 18 b.Ireland.

The 1901 Census of Ireland shows his parents living at House 17, Ballinkillen, Sliguff, Carlow. Father Patrick 52 a teacher, mother Margaret, children James 25 a teacher, and Michael 15 a scholar.

The 1911 Census shows Patrick (Brenan) living with his wife Margaret and five children at 3 Ivor Street, Kirkdale, Liverpool. Patrick is described as 34 years of age and employed as a railway porter having been born in Queens County in Ireland, his wife Margaret is also 34 having been born in County Cavan. His eldest child Mary Agnes was born in County Cavan in 1900. All of his other children  were born in Liverpool;  Joseph Edward aged 10, Patrick Thomas 8, Margaret Elizabeth 4 and William Gerard 2. There is also a boarder in the property Andrew Don who is a railway porter.

Further children were born after the 1911 Census. Pension records show that these children are: John born 16th October 1911, Peter born 10th March 1914 and Annie Frances born 24th June 1916.

His father, Patrick, died in 1914 aged 65. 

Patrick enlisted in Liverpool and it is entirely likely that the surname was spelled Brennan upon enlistment. This would explain why his headstone carries the name Brennan. He originally joined the 18th Battalion but having been transferred he was serving in the 19^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 48259 when he was killed in action on the 29^th April 1918 aged 40 during the German Spring Offensive. 

The Battalion diary entry for the day gives an insight into the events of the day.  

29 April 1918 

A 3 a.m. the Enemy opened up a very heavy Bombardment of High explosive and Gas shells on our covering Artillery and at 6 a.m.. launched a powerful attack , smothering our outpost line, but failing to pierce the Battalion front, being repulsed with heavy loss. At 8 a.m. the Enemy again attacked but was repulsed. Many Casualties were caused to him during the day, as numbers of the enemy were picked off as they endeavoured to get back to their own lines. 

Casualties were Capt E B Hough Killed, 2nd Lt W. Munro Killed and 12 Other Ranks Killed, 

28 Wounded and 13 Other Ranks missing"

Patrick now rests at Voormezeele Cemetery Enc No 3 where his headstone carries the name BRENNAN and bears the epitaph:

“SACRED HEART OF JESUS HAVE MERCY ON HIS SOUL”

The Voormizeele Enclosures (at one time there were a total of four, but now reduced to three) were originally regimental groups of graves, begun very early in the First World War and gradually increased until the village and the cemeteries were captured by the Germans after very heavy fighting on 29 April 1918.

Voormezeele Enclosure No.3, the largest of these burial grounds, was begun by the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry in February 1915. Their graves are in Plot III, the other Plots from I to IX are the work of other units, or pairs of units, and include a few graves of October 1918. Plots X and XII are of a more general character. Plots XIII to XVI were made after the Armistice when graves were brought in from isolated sites and smaller cemeteries to replace the French graves (of April and September 1918) that were removed to a French cemetery. These concentrated graves cover the months from January 1915 to October 1918, and they include those of many men of the 15th Hampshires and other units who recaptured this ground early in September 1918.

There are now 1,611 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in Voormezeele Enclosure No.3. 609 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 15 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of five casualties whose graves in PHEASANT WOOD CEMETERY could not be found on concentration.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

On 15th April 1918 a fortnight before he was killed, Patrick sent a Field post card addressed to his wife Mrs M Brennan at 3 Ivor Street, Kirkdale. He stated: "I am quite well" 

His death was reported in the Liverpool Football Echo on Saturday 06 July 1918: 

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