65 replies to this topic

[RoyEvans]

I have removed two posts that I believe relate to modern politics.

Please don't go there.

Roy

[Scotty]

Aurel,          
            Hopefully one day we can all read your research on Condon. If my memory serves me, some of that of that article was your work. Scotty.

[Aurel Sercu]

Scotty,

Thanks for being interested.

Things were going fine then, and I was moving on towards a publication. The thing that caused considerable delay however was that so far my attempts to find relatives of the Belfast man in the "non-John Condon" grave had been in vain, after weeks and months, and many dozens of letters sent to Belfast. And it was an absolute principle of mine that before I would come out in the open with the results of my research, I had a moral duty to do all I could to contact possible relatives of Private P.F.

And then "something" happened beginning of February 2003, and that made me decide to - disappointedly - put the whole project in a box behind lock and key on the attic, never to be opened again since that date. I think I even threw away the key....

It's an old story, and some members may remember, but the reason is still here :
http://www.mausersho.../JohnCondon.htm
For the English text : scroll down.)

(I noticed that clicking on the link to the Topic where this was discussed on this Forum, in Febr. 2003, does not lead to a webpage of the Forum anymore. Maybe I could try the search engine here to find where it is. But as this all happened so long ago (more than 9 years ago), it probably is no longer there. Also, as I decided to leave it all behind me ... Anyway, I will never forget the heart warming support I received from so many Forum members of the "old generation" at the time.)

Aurel

[Auimfo]

Thanks for clearing that up Aurel.   I was unaware that the research was predominantly (if not all) attributable to you.    Congrats on a fine piece of work.   Perhaps one day you might decide to pull it out from that locked box and post it here in the manner you originally intended before it was 'borrowed'.   It is too excellent a piece of research to remain unheard in full.   Maybe it's time for you to claim it back!!

Cheers,
Tim L.

[John Hartley]

I remember us talking (via email) at the time, Aurel, and fully understand why you might hope that this issue doesnt raise its head again. Unfortunately, the Condon story is so much in the public eye that it is always going to raise its head again.

[Aurel Sercu]

Thanks, John and Tim.
But I will let the project sleep in the box.
Besides, some people were not glad at all that the truth was discovered. (Like ... the Condon family, even threatening me.)

By the way, finding out that the man in the grave is not John Condon really was a piece of cake. I was perplex that no one had ever found out. (The case is very simple : the man buried in Poelcapelle Cemetery had been found near Railway Wood, and was Royal Irish Rifles. John Condon never was nearby, but had died some weeks before near Mouse Trap Farm (2 miles away, along the front line too), but did have indeed the same number 6322. However : John Condon was R.I. (Royal Irish Regiment). So when the remains were found near Railway Wood, someone must have thought : "R.I.R. 6322 ? Let me have a look ... That must be a certain John Condon, Royal Irish Regiment 6322". But one letter made all the difference : R.I.R. is Royal Irish Rifles, never Royal Irish Regiment (which mostly is R.I. or R.I. Reg. or Rgt.)
Finding out about the age was even simpler : asking for a certificate in the town where John Condon was born, Waterford.
But the most difficult part as I said was trying to find out if the man in the grave (Patrick Fitzsimmons, from Belfast) had descendants or relatives still among us. Sending over 50 letters to Belfast to people named Fitzsimmons (asking : could you possible be related ?) did not help. Only one or two (!) replied : "Sorry, negative, not related." Afterwards someone  told me : "I'm not surprised that 48 or so preferred not to reply, not even with a simple e-mail ... This is Belfast, you know ..."

Anyway I am "glad" (how do you spell "glad" with irony ?) that the truth came out ...

Aurel

[John Hartley]

Yes, I recall you telling me of the threats. A unfortunate turn of events.

[Auimfo]

Aurel,

Does the surname 'Hanna' mean anything to your research?

If you were to choose to follow up with the research, I believe I may have found contact with a descendant of Fitzsimmons sister Elizabeth who married Patrick Hanna in 1914.   He may be able to provide information about the direct descendants of Fitzsimmons children.

Let me know if you are interested.....(I understand if you're not).

Cheers,
Tim L.

[Aurel Sercu]

Tim,

I'll send you a PM.

Aurel

[Forton]

I always find this interest in who was the youngest to die quite intriguing. Irrespective of whether a chap died aged 14 or in fact survived, I am more interested in the discovery (no doubt in vain) of who was the youngest to serve on the Western Front - Giles? Condon? I recently found a pukka 13 year old serving in France right over the winter of 15/16 with the 20th Manchesters. There's no doubting his age as all the paperwork survives.

[boysoldier]

Don't forget Pte. D. A. Ross, SA infantry.

Colin.

[KGB]

Hanna (Or Hannah) is a Northern Irish Protestant surname. As for Condon, my Great Uncle was k.i.a then  and Poelkapelle was too far from where the bodies were buried. Dooi.

[steven belfast]

I am a Hanna from belfast

[KGB]

I met the Chief of the Hannahs in Edinburgh a few years ago, nice tartan - the castle is being restored.

[John Morcombe]

Auimfo, on 21 June 2012 - 01:37 PM, said:

Good to hear John.   Any chance you might be able to post the Condon research here for the others who haven't seen it. (I completely understand if you'd prefer to wait until the websitre is back up and running).

Cheers,
Tim L.

Oooh, after 8 years, I've finally cracked 2000 posts!!

For those who wish to view the Condon evidence once again, the article & selected parts of the old cwgc.co.uk website can now be accessed via a link on the homepage of jackclegg.com. Also uploaded are the 1st & 2nd Royal Marine Battalion War Diaries, Royal Naval Division photo galleries (including the Memorial Plaques) & all the jolly interesting burial investigations of RND servicemen.

[reliance]

Thanks for the RND stuff, John. All extremely interesting and in-depth.

As for the Condon article, compelling and very well researched. Good work!