Patrick Belton

Rank:	Private
Street:	Main Street
Townland:
Town/Village:	Longford
Civil Parish:	Templemichael
Catholic Parish:	Templemichael
Country:
Alternative Address:	Naul's Yard, Main Street, Longford; Bog Lane, Longford; Legion Terrace, Longford
Census 1901:	Resident at Naul's Yard www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Longford/Longford_No__1_Urban/Nauds_Yard/1556046/
Census 1911:	Resident at Bog Lane www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Longford/Longford_No__1_Urban/Bog_Lane/651126/
Regiment/Unit:	Connaught Rangers, 5th (Service) Battalion; [6th (Service) Battalion]
Regiment Number:	4680
Date of Death:	11-07-1966
Cause:	Survived WW1
Memorial:	Ballymacormack Cemetery, Longford
Information:	Patrick was born on the 25 April 1899. His parents died when he was quite young in 1910 and 1912. Patrick enlisted with the Connaught Rangers for war service in 1915. He arrived at the front in Gallipoli on the 13 September 1915, before likely being withdrawn to the Greek island of Lemnos. He likely fought in Salonika, the Palestine campaign and later France in spring of 1918. While serving with the 6th Connaughts, Patrick was taken as a Prisoner Of War* by the Germans on the 21 March 1918, at Ronssoy at the Somme. This was during Operation Michael, which was the first day of the Spring Offensive 1918, on what was dubbed the 'second-worst day' for the British in the war. In one file gave his age as being almost 20 at the time and in another a couple of years older, but in reality he was still only 18 when taken prisoner. Patrick was in Muchenberg, Lager Sagan, likely near ?aga? *in Poland and possibly Heuberg. He was recorded as being unverwundst* (unwounded), however he did develop malaria at one point during his service. Patrick was demobilised in March 1919. It is believed that Patrick married Elizabeth Lee in September 1919, and they later lived in Legion Terrace. This Patrick died of natural causes in Mount Carmel Hospital, Longford on the 11 July 1966.
Parents Names:	Son of Henry Belton and Anne (Mackin), Longford
Notes:	A note in one of the POW files (PA 32529), suggests his father was Schylvester Belton, but in others it states Henry. *Home of the Stalag Luft III camp during WW2, where the 'Great Escape' immortalised on the film took place. Patrick was only 16 when he first went to war, younger than the required 19 years of age to be placed in a theatre of war. Unfortunately, Patrick's service record is unavailable, and possibly lost..
Links:	(probable) Civil Record of Birth; Civil Record of Marriage; Red Cross, German POW records; Connaught Rangers WW1 military overview; possible Civil Record of Death; Link to Pensions Index on Fold3.com (paid subscription)