L/CPL "Paddy" Fitzgerald in Egypt
Group of Four, plus ANZAC plaque: Military Medal, 1914/15 star, British War Medal and Victory Medal all correctly impressed to 341 L/CPL. P. FITZGERALD 23 BN. A.I.F.
ANZAC medallion correctly named to P. FITZGERALD
Enlisted. 15th February 1915 as an original member of "B" company
WIA 3rd May 1917 G.S.W. R/Arm
2nd WIA 16th May 1918 (slight) remained on duty
RTA 9th March 1919
Commonwealth Gazette 27th Aug 1917
The following extract was supplied by Paddys niece (in 1989) as part of paddy's story. There are four pages in total.
"Upon disembarkation at Alexandria the 2nd Division were transfered to the A.I.F. camp at MENA where further training was carried out prior to reinforcing the troops already on Gallipoli. On the morning of September the 2nd, 1915, the transport ship "SOUTHLAND", a vessel of 11,899 tons carrying 1600 men of the 21st BTN and "B" company of the 23rd BTN from Alexandria to Lemnos, was torpedoed in the AEGEAN SEA, causing a loss of one officer and 32 men.
It was during this action that Paddy saved the life of a soldier and was believed to have been recommended for a V.C. but a subsequent fight with a member of the provost corps saw an end to any award.
The troops were rescued by the hospital ship "NEURALIA" and other ships and were returned to Alexandria where they were regrouped and returned to Gallipolli arriving between the 6th - 8th of September, 1915.
The 23rd BTN relieved the 13th Light Horse Regiment at Lone Pine...... Paddy was evacuated from Gallipoli on the night of 12th December, 1915, with "A" party of the 6th Brigade where he returned to Egypt."
Good VF SOLD
