Corporal Patrick Walsh was born at Edendale on Southland in 1897 and lived with his family and when he enlisted in March 1916 lived with his family at 9 Matson's Road in Papanui. Like several other Papanui men, he found the initial adjustment to military life awkward, being admonished for being unshaven on parade at Trentham and forfeiting two days' pay for the apparently common practice of overstaying leave. Once overseas, however, he proved to be a good soldier. He arrived in France just after the Somme battles in October 1916, and was considered good enough to form part of the guard unit for GOC (General Officer Commanding) visit to the Division immediately after Messines in June 1917. He was promoted through several non-commissioned ranks in October and November 1917 to replace the Passchendaele losses. He was killed in action on 3 December 1917 in the struggle for Polderhoek Chateau. Patrick Walsh is buried in the Hooge Crater Cemetery four kilometres east of Ypres.
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