John Masterson

Rank:	Private
Street:	975 Linnard Avenue
Townland:
Town/Village:	Brooklyn, New York
Civil Parish:
Catholic Parish:
Country:	U.S.A.
Alternative Address:	Derragh, Abbeylara, Co. Longford; 638 Classon Ave., Brooklyn; 123 Pierrepoint Ave, Brooklyn
Census 1901:	Resident at Derragh, Abbeylara www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Longford/Newgrove/Derragh/1550349/
Census 1911:	Resident at Derragh, Abbeylara www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Longford/Newgrove/Derragh/584020/
Regiment/Unit:	New York National Guard, 14th Infantry, F Company (106th Infantry Regiment, 27th Division)
Regiment Number:	1207620
Date of Death:	09-08-1918
Cause:	Killed in action
Memorial:	Flanders Field American Cemetery, Waregem, Belgium
Information:	John was born in Derragh on the 23 June 1893. He was one of a large family of sixteen (one had died before 1911). Prior to emigrating to the US, John was working as a shop assistant. He left Ireland for the US in May 1913, travelling on the Oceanic. By 1915, he was working as a grocery clerk i and living as a boarder in Brooklyn with another Irish family, the Farrells and two other boarders, the Mallons. John initialy enlisted in the 14th Regiment of NY National Guard in August 1917, and served overseas from May 1918. He was killed in action aged 25 years. His sister Ellen, who lied at 123 Pierrepoint Street, Brooklyn was notified of his death. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 10 October 1918 stated: The last letter received from John was dated July 29, in which he said the Germans were dropping bombs all around his sector. He also mentioned the capture of 18,000 prisoners by the French and British forces on the preceding day. A letter has been received from the Rev. Frank L. Hascom, chaplain of the 106th, in which he wrote; “John died as a result of being hit by a shell, the same shell killing three others who were in the same shelter with him. John's brother Bernard is served with the British Army in WW1.
Parents Names:	Son of Peter Masterson and Bridget (née Reilly) of Derragh, Abbeylara.
Notes:	Brian Jodi Kueker Private John Masterson was born in Abbeylara, County Longford, Ireland in 1893. Abbeylara is in north central Ireland 62 miles west northwest of Dublin. John emigrated to New York from Ireland aboard the RMS Oceanic from Queenstown on 8 May 1913 at the age of 20. His sister Ellen is not listed on the same manifest so may have come later. John enlisted in the 14th Regiment of the New York National Guard on 16 Aug 1917. The 14th became the 106th IR of the 27th Division. At the time, he lived at 975 Linnard Avenue in Brooklyn. They left for overseas on 10 May 1918 and were initially placed in the East Poperinghe Line with the rest of the 27th Division. On 25 Jul 1918, the 27th division was slowly rotated into the front line in relief of the British 6th Division in anticipation of operations of the Ypres-Lys offensive on 31 Aug 1918 in an attempt to remove the Germans from the Dickebusch Lake /Scherpenberg area (see map below and in replies). Pvt Masterson w
Links:	https://www.abmc.gov/decedent-search/masterson%3Djohn - link to grave details; link to Find A Grave entry, including photo; link to Civil Record of Birth; Comment by Mr. Brian Kueker on the AMBC Facebook memorial entry; Brooklyn Daily Eagle obit: