It looks as though we have visited the wrong T O'Leary!
Claire's Dad, Victor, had a grave reference for a T O'Leary who could/would have been one of his uncles killed on the Western Front in 1915. Where he got this from I have no idea, possibly from his brother Mick.
I located the cemetery from the name and service number and off we went for a day trip. This was probably 10 years ago.
Wanting to find out more I found the Royal Irish Rifles and all the other former British Irish regiments were now under the banner of the Royal Ulster Regiment. They have a website and some volunteers that find what they can for people inquiring.
I got a long email yesterday with loads of photos and copies of documents based on the name, regiment and service number. It came back as Thomas O'Leary born in Stepney, not Timothy O'Leary born in Cork!
I wrote back and thanked them for all their work and told them of the name difference. I said that whatever, Thomas was worthy of a visit and someone remembering him.
They replied this morning and thanked me for going and laying the RBL cross (twice!) and gave me some information on Timothy. This one has more info such as a mother's name. So now we are trying to find out from Mick what his grandmother was called. Fingers crossed it was Catherine or Kate.
Timothy's father is listed as Timothy deceased. Claire thinks this might be the right bloke as her grans's older sister was called Catherine/Kate and put on a boat to the USA from Cork in 1902 or thereabouts. She may have been named after her mother.
It all hinges on an O'Leary family tree and on Mick being able to recall what we need!
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