LAURENCE DONOHUE

Another casualty of Passchendaele was Private Laurence Patrick Donohue, the first of twin Donohue brothers to die in late 1917. Laurence Donohue lived in the family home at 19 Norman's Road. His father Martin was a carrier, and Laurence had acquired sufficient education for him to be employed as a clerk at the Victoria Insurance Company. He enlisted in August 1916 and was assigned to the No 4 New Zealand Field Ambulance Company, presumably working as a stretcher bearer. Numerous soldiers' accounts attest to the bravery of these men, evacuating wounded men in often impossible conditions under fire. He arrived in France in May 1917 and served at Messines. On 13 October 1917, he was severely affected by mustard gas and despite being evacuated to the 50th General Hospital at St Omer, he succumbed on 20 October and is buried in Loguenesse Souvenir Cemetery at St Omer. His twin brother Leo was to be killed in action six weeks later. He is commemorated on the Papanui war memorial, and is the first name on the memorial board in the chapel at St Bede's College in Papanui.

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