Saturday, August 6, 2016

PFC John Edward Matthews

PFC John Edward Matthews was born in 1923 in Donemara, Ireland. He was the 6th of 7 children born to John Edward and Jane Elizabeth (Skeffington) Matthews. According to their daughter, Jane Elizabeth (Matthews) Cryan:
John and Jane (Skeffington) Matthews, were living in a small picturesque cottage in Ballydovock, Belcarra in County Mayo, Ireland. Maternal grandmother, Mary (Haveron) Skeffington and aunt Annie Skeffington lived there too. There were 3 older sisters Kathleen, Maudie and Bridie. His father soon realized he needed more room to care for his family so with the help of his brother-in-law, John Staunton, he set out to build a home of his own. He found the perfect location in Donamona, not too far from his boyhood home in Ballyglass.

John's father ran The Old Ground, in Ballyglass. The children attended the Clogher School. In 1922 Jane and her older sister, Kathleen, were sent to an hospital in Castlebar. They both had diptheria. Kathleen died and was buried in Drum Cemetery.
Thus the family had lost 1 child before young John was born.  The family emigrated in 1925 and settled in Lowell, Massachusetts. His father worked in a cotton mill.  Unfortunately, father John died in November 1937 and mother Jane died in April 1938.  Eldest sister Mary became the head of the family and supported her younger siblings as a stenographer reporting a 1939 income of $900 while sister Jane and brother Joseph contributed another $920 working as hospital attendant and gardener respectively.  The older children made certain that young John completed 4 years of high school.

John was drafted in February 1943.  After training at Camp Jackson, South Carolina and Camp Atterbury, Indiana he was sent to England and then to the replacement depot. PFC Matthews was transferred to C Company 116th Infantry on 5 Jul 1944. Serving as an ammunition handler MOS 504 he likely assisted the unit command section in service and supply to the platoons.  PFC Matthews was killed in action near Vire, France on 6 Aug 1944.

PFC Matthews was repatriated and re-interred near his parents in Saint Patrick's Cemetery in Lowell, Massachusetts.


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