People on board

LYONS, Joseph

Joseph Lyons was born on the 30th of June 1895 to William Lyons and Mary Gilmore. He was the fifth of their seven children, two of whom died under the age of two. William Lyons was a Labourer and the family lived at Graigue, Caltra close to Ballinasloe in east Galway. In the 1911 census Joseph and his older brother Patrick also gave their occupation as Labourer.

The original military records for Joseph Lyons have not been found but a transcript states that he enlisted in the Irish Guards in Warrington, Lancashire. The year of enlistment is not known, nor is it known if he had already emigrated to England. At his death his War Gratuity was £12 which indicates that he had been in the army for less than two years. In October 1918 he was with the 3rd Reserve Battalion which was based in Warley Barracks neat Brentwood in Essex.

Joseph Lyons was presumably returning to England following leave at home when he travelled on RMS Leinster on the 10th of October. There were eight other Irish Guards on the ship but only one survived. Joseph Lyons did not, nor was his body recovered. His name is recorded on the Hollybrook Memorial in Southampton.