Claremen and the First World War Exhibition

Doherty, Patrick, Second Lieutenant, 1st Bn., Royal Irish Rifles.

Died of Wounds: 1st August, 1917, age 26.

Exhibits: b/w photograph of “Officers and NCOs, ‘C’ Company, Artists Rifels (sic) BEF, France, March 1917”; Officers whistle, British War Medal, b/w photograph of S/Lt. Patrick Doherty, Memorial Plaque.

Second Lieutenant Patrick Doherty, a native of Caherkinalla, Kilshanny, County Clare, was an officer in the 2nd battalion, Royal Irish Rifles. Photographs of groups of soldiers were often taken during the First World War and were made into postcards for the soldiers to send home, and it is possible that it was in this context that this group photograph from the exhibition was taken. S/Lt Doherty is pictured in the front row, third from the right.

Second Lieutenant Doherty was wounded in Belgium on 31st July, 1917 at the start of the Third Battle of Ypres (31st July to 6th November 1917) also known as ‘Passchendaele’. This battle was meticulously planned to make a breakthrough that would disrupt the German uboats that operated out of Ostend in Belgium, while inflicting huge casualties on the enemy and taking pressure of the demoralised French Army.

On 31st July, 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles, attached to 25th Brigade, 8th Division was in the front line of a major assault on Pilckem Ridge which saw the Allies gain between 500 and 1,000 yards at the cost of 32,000 killed, wounded or missing. One of these casualties was Second Lieutenant Patrick Doherty who received his wounds during the attack, and died on the following day, 1st August, at a casualty clearing station at Lijssenthoek. He is buried in the associated cemetery.