Pte Martin Corrigan 25017 died while POW 4/10/18 Switzerland

[jonathan]

I am trying to find out as much as possible about Pte Martin Corrigan, 25017,
who was taken prisoner in July 1916, and then died while a POW on the
4th October 1918 in Switzerland.

I was supplied with the following by "Manchester Regiment" on the Great War
Forum, but any additional information would be great. I also noticed that he isn't on
the POW database, so thought I would bring him up so he can be added.

Jonathan
 

pte 25017 martin corrigan
19th manchesters
enlisted 29-11-15.he was given permission to leave his employment,by the ministry of munitions
occupation,electro plater at trafford park
age on enlistment.27yrs
born.9-10-1888
residence.14 bosworth st,openshaw [parents martin+mary]
NOK listed as
mrs mary pennington,9 kirkham st,openshaw[sister] +miss ada lee,8 steam st,bradford,manchester.

11-1-16 posted to 26th res batt,manchester regt
25-5-16 embarked for bolougne on board the SS golden eagle,landed the same day
26-5-16 arrived at etaples.
23-7-16 reported wounded and missing at guillemont,later reported to have suffered a gunshot wound,and a POW at mariancourt.
listed as on board a hospital train bound for germany.
POW in langensaltz camp

he contracted influenza followed by pneumonia while in the internment camp at montreaux,he was sent to the sanitorium,but died 13 days later,on 4-10-18 at 10.30
he was nursed by sisters barbay+tivey
buried by clergyman carden of the english church at vevey.

his NOK were informed of his death by major lomax,infantry records officer.

his personal effects were forwarded to his NOK.
1 purse
2 pipes
20 cents
1 album of photos
1 bundle of photos+letters
cards
watch+chain
gigarette lighter
small hammer
1 tin sardines
1 wallet
1 cap badge

sorry jonathan,thats all i have on martin

mack

[harribobs]

welcome to the forum Jonathan

   crikey!

mack only seems to have missed out the colour of his socks but that's a fair old bit of information!

[harribobs]

i was hoping to add a little to what was going on in the battalion on the day he was captured from our main site, we have the diary of one his comrades private John Wright on the 19th Battn page, but unfortunately John was wounded on the 9th july http://www.themanchesters.org/19th%20batt.htm#_ftn18

but i will have a look in the war diary and try to add a little tonight, is martin a relation?

cheers

chris

[jonathan]

Thanks for the tip. It's a pitty the diray will not cover the date he was captured
but anything from the War Diary would be great.

He is not a relative, but I have his Victory Medal. I always like to
find out more about the men who were awarded the medals to put
some life to them.

I was just wondering about his Battalion. He seems to have been with
the 19th, however Mack states he was posted to the 26th Reserve
Battalion in January 1916. Would this have been while he was training? When would
he have moved to the 19th?

Jonathan

[mack]

the 26th reserve battalion were the reserves for the 19th,20th and 21st battalions.
martin joined the 19th batt on 29-11-15,then he was posted to the 26th res battalion.
then on the 25th jan 1916,he was sent as part of a draft to the 19th battalion in france.

mack

[tisgrannie]

Hello and welcome, I will add this to our POW's as soon as I have a couple more. Thanks for adding it,
cheers
tisgrannie

[harribobs]

the 23/7/1916 was the attack on guillemont, the suffered casualties moving in to position but didn't suffer badly until they hit the german wire.

A coy took the first german trench and were about to move forward to the second where they were held up by 6-8 machine guns on their flanks and more from the front. they attacked the second but were held up, another attempt got no further and the survivors fell back to the german front trench.

C Coy went right into the village and through to a small wood, where they were engaged by machine guns from both flanks and seem to have been entirely cut off

D Coy and were stopped at the first (uncut) wire, they pushed through but where unable to get through the second line of wire and lay down in front of the german trench to await reinforcements,  but they suffered so badly they had to fall back, covered by l/cpl sharples and his lewis gun.

B coy was in support of D coy and had to fall back with them.

casualties for the battalion in the attack were Officers; 3 KIA, 5 wounded, 7 missing, ORs; 4 KIA, 50 wounded, missing 493

[mack]

martin was in A company
height 5.3
chest 34inch
weight 109lbs

his personal effects were sent from the ordnance stores,4 thurnstrasse,berne,switzerland on 8-11-18

mack

[jonathan]

Thank you for the additional informtion and the War Diary.

You mentioned that most of the information you have came from
his service records. Are these on Ancestry?

Jonathan

[harribobs]

this should give a slightly better idea of the attack and the position of A coy