Thomas Eugene O'SHEA

18 April 1895 New York, New York county, NEW YORK 

Parents : Thomas E & Carrie F Weed O'SHEA 

Siblings : Robert, Carol & George O'SHEA

Source : Victor DANIEL

Thomas E O'SHEA came from a family that had recently immigrated from Ireland on his father’s side. He spent part of his childhood in New York before his family moved to New Jersey.

He worked briefly after school before joining the New York National Guard on April 27, 1917, in the machine gun company of the 7th Infantry.

He thus passed private first class on September 4 and corporal on April 25, 1918 before embarking for France on May 9. Assigned to the 107th Infantry Regiment of the 27th Infantry Division of Major-General John O'RYAN.

He will thus participate in the battles of unity in the Somme, the Escault-Rhine canal "Scheldt canal" and in the sector of Ypres at "Dickebusch Lake".

 In the autumn, he participates in the American-Australian-British offensive in the Somme above St-Quentin; it is there that he will accomplish his action which earned him the Medal of Honor, opposite the quote:

Becoming separated from their platoon by a smoke barrage, Cpl. O'Shea, with 2 other soldiers, took cover in a shell hole well within the enemy's lines. Upon hearing a call for help from an American tank, which had become disabled 30 yards from them, the 3 soldiers left their shelter and started toward the tank under heavy fire from German machineguns and trench mortars. In crossing the fire-swept area Cpl. O'Shea was mortally wounded and died of his wounds shortly afterwards.

After being separated from his section by a smoke dam, the Cpl. O'SHEA, with two other soldiers, took cover in a shell crater in the middle of enemy lines. Having heard the call for help from an American tank, immobilized 30 meters from their position, the 3 soldiers left their shelter and began to run towards the armored under the heavy fire of German machine guns and mortars. While crossing the fire-swept area, Cpl. O'SHEA was fatally injured and died shortly after.

 Thus Cpl. O'SHEA gave his life during the offensive while trying to rescue an armored crew.

He will never leave French soil and will be definitively buried 3 kilometers from the battlefield where he lost his life, at the Somme American Cemetery in Bony in Aisne alongside 1,843 other soldiers.

Source : Ancestry

Source : Ancestry

Source : Ancestry

Source : Ancestry