3956 Rifleman Michael CONDRON (1895 - 1917)

Unfortunately I do not know the circumstances of Michael CONDRON’s death, except that he died on 2 December 1917 and his name appears on the Tyne Cot Memorial in West Flanders, Belgium. I think it likely that he was killed in action near Passchendaele. The Battle of Passchendaele (also known as the Third Battle of Ypres) took place between July and November 1917 for control of the ridges south and east of the city of Ypres. The Allied forces captured Passchendaele in November, and the official end of the battle was 10 November 1917. However, FirstWorldWar.com states that on the 2 December 1917 there was “further fighting north of Passchendaele”. I suspect that it was in this action that Michael CONDRON was killed.

Rifleman Michael CONDRON (service no. 3956) was killed in action on 2 December 1917 in West Flanders, Belgium.

Michael Joseph CONDRON was born in 1895 in the Dublin City. He was the son of Patrick and Bridget (née MURTAGH) CONDRON. In the 1911 census he is living in his parent’s household in Summerhill, Mountjoy, Dublin, and his occupation is recorded as a “vanboy” delivering mineral water. The family was likely in a difficult financial situation: both his father and elder brother are recorded as being unemployed, while his other siblings are recorded as being at school; so Michael’s would have been the only salary coming into the household. Michael enlisted in the Royal Irish Rifles at Clonmel, Co. Tipperary. At some point he was awarded the Military Medal. At the time of his death in 1917 he was in the 1^st Battalion, attached to the 25^th Trench Mortar Battery.

Michael’s father Patrick CONDRON was born in about 1870. He married Bridget MURTAGH at St. Nicholas’s Roman Catholic Church, Dublin, on 9 February 1890. At the time of his marriage, Patrick’s occupation was “tobacco labourer”. His occupation is recorded in the 1901 and 1911 censuses respectively as “factory labourer” and “general labourer unemployed”. Patrick and Bridget had eight children: Margaret (born 1890), William Patrick (1892), Michael Joseph (1895), Patrick (1896), Terence Joseph (1899), Joseph (1901), Mary Jane (1904) and Christopher Joseph (1906).

Michael’s grandfather was William CONDRON. I know nothing of him except that, on Patrick CONDRON’s marriage certificate in 1890, William’s occupation is recorded as “shoemaker”.

Michael CONDRON is memorialized on the Tyne Cot Memorial in Belgium.

For other blog posts about CONDR*Ns in the First World War, click on "First World War" in the Labels list on the right of the blog web page. Comments and corrections welcome, either by leaving a comment below or by email to me: CONDRAN[AT]ONE-NAME.ORG .  I would particularly welcome further information about Michael CONDRON's war service and where he died.

3045 Private Humphrey CONDRAN (1893 - 1917)

The Battle of Messines was an offensive conducted by the British Second Army against the Germans near the village of Messines in West Flanders, Belgium. The objective was to capture the Messines-Wytschaete Ridge to the south of Ypres, which was in German possession and which threatened the south flank of the Allies-held Ypres salient. In preparation for the attack, British sappers dug tunnels and laid mines under the German front lines. The battle started early on the morning of 4 June 1917, the mines were detonated, British artillery began a creeping barrage of fire against the German defenses, and British tanks and infantry troops (including Australian and New Zealand forces) began the assault on the front lines.
The assault secured its objectives in the first twelve hours, and in the following days a German counter-offensive was resisted. The battle is generally reckoned to have been a tactical and operational success for the Allies. Nonetheless, by the end of battle on 14 June, casualties on each side amounted to about 25,000 men. The Allied losses included nearly 5,000 New Zealand casualties and 6,000 Australian casualties.
The Battle of Messines was a prelude to the much larger Third Battle of Ypres, which began the following month.

Private Humphrey N. A. CONDRAN (service no. 3045) was killed in action on 9 June 1917 in the Battle of Messines.

Humphrey Neville Austin CONDRAN (his second name is variously recorded as Neville, Netherval and Netwille) was born in Bundarra, New South Wales, in 1893, the sixth child of Thomas Henry and Ellen Winifred (née O’HERAN or O’HERAU) CONDRAN. Humphrey ("Humpsy") was a stock inspector at the time he enlisted in the Australian Infantry, 25^th Battalion. He left Australia on the ship HMAT Itonus on 30 December 1915. At the time of his death, he was serving in the 47^th Batallion. Sergeant White of 47^th Battalion C Company reported, “Condran and Randall were both in my section XII platoon and were with Pte. T. Hara killed outright whilst on the advance at Messines going over to Owl Trench. They were killed by one shell and the pioneers buried them where they fell and erected crosses. I saw them killed.”

Humphrey’s father Thomas Henry CONDRAN was born in 1854, and died in 1911 in Murwillumbah, NSW. He was a policeman. He married Ellen Winifred O’HERAN in Maitland, NSW, in 1876. The couple had twelve children: Frederick (born 1877), Edwin Thomas (1878), Albert Clarence Clive (1880), Gertrude Jessie (1885), Pearl (1891), Humphrey Neville Austin (1893), Louis Osric (1895), Evelyn (1899), Dulcie (1902), Alma (1904), Victor (1908) and Roma Jean (1909).

Humphrey’s grandfather was Michael CONDRAN, who settled in Australia from Ireland. See CONDRANs in New South Wales.  

Humphrey CONDRAN is memorialized on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial in Belgium.


For other blog posts about CONDR*Ns in the First World War, click on "First World War" in the Labels list on the right of the blog web page. Comments and corrections welcome, either by leaving a comment below or by email to me: CONDRAN[AT]ONE-NAME.ORG .