Claremen and the First World War Exhibition

Halpin, James, Sergeant, 326th, Infantry

Died of Wounds: 24th October, 1918, age 24

Exhibits: Memorial certificate, b/w photo of James Halpin

Sergeant James Halpin was born at Derryncleha, Knockjames, Tulla in 1894. He emigrated as a young man to Connecticut, USA where he had older siblings and at the outbreak of war, joined the US Army serving with the 326th Infantry, American Expeditionary Force. His Regiment was part of the US 82nd Division, known as the ‘All American Division’. He was wounded by a sniper in the Argonne Forest, dying of his wounds a few days later on 24th October, 1918.

According to family tradition, James Halpin was employed as a driver for William Taft, 27th President of the US and it was this connection which saw his body returned from France for burial in Tulla in 1922 at the height if the Irish Civil War. When the bodies of several Irish-born US troops arrived in Clare, they were escorted by the National Army as far as their writ ran, before being transferred over to the anti-Treaty IRA who then took up the escort through their territory to the place of burial (Peadar McNamara, pers comm.). About 60% of American troops killed during the First World War were repatriated.