Patrick Grimes was born on 29th June 1891 at Cloughfin, Kildress. He was the son of Charles Grimes and Mary Grimes (nee Donnelly), and brother of Sarah, Kate, Anne, Joseph, Charles and Reverend Father Michael Grimes. He immigrated to New York where he worked as a barman. Patrick Grimes’ draft card shows that he was 5 feet, 8 and half inches tall, blue eyes, brown hair. Private Grimes is thought to have died of wounds received in action sometime around June or July 1918. He is listed among the casualty list of the American Expeditionary Force published on 18th August 1918, but his date of death is not determined. His remains were returned home to Kildress.
Further Information
Private Patrick Grimes was born on 29th June 1891 at Cloughfin, Kildress, County Tyrone. He was the son of Charles Grimes and Mary Grimes (nee Donnelly), and brother of Sarah, Kate, Anne, Joseph, Charles and Reverend Father Michael Grimes.
He eimmigrated to the United States, settling in New York where he worked as a barman for Robert Byrne in Manhattan.
When the United States of America entered the First World War he was among the 24 million men eligible for the draft. Patrick Grimes’ draft card shows that he was 5 feet, 8 and half inches tall, blue eyes, brown hair and lists his mother, brothers and sisters as his dependants, and was signed by Peter Cusack, (registrar) on the 5th June 1917.
The U.S. Army mobilized an estimated 4,355,000 personnel during the First World War.
The American Expeditionary Force began arriving in France in June 1917 and by March 1918 there were 250,000 service personnel there; this number increased to 1 million by July and 2 million by November and the armistice. Two thirds of American service personnel would see action in 29 Divisions.
Patrick Grimes is thought to have died of wounds received in action sometime around June or July 1918. He is listed among the casualty list of the American Expeditionary Force published on 18th August 1918, but his date of death is not determined. The records of U.S. service personnel who served during the First World War were lost as the result of a fire in 1973.
His next of kin was given as Mrs Mary Grimes of Cloughkin, Gortreagh, Cookstown, Co Tyrone.
Patrick Grime’s remains were returned to Dublin aboard the SS Millwater (an Ipswich based coal freighter) from Antwerp on Sunday 7th May 1920.
His remains were returned home to Kildress, where he was buried in the Graham / Grimes family plot, in St Joseph’s, Kileenan Roman Catholic Churchyard.
Also on board the Millwater were the remains of 61 other Irish/American Irish Soldiers who perished in WW1 fighting for the AEF. Six of these men where taken to Tyrone for burial. Thomas G Doris to Ardboe, Patrick Grimes to Killeenan (Kildress), William Tally Mallon to Galbally, Stephen Morris to Greencastle, Frank McDermott to Dunmoyle (Ballygawley) and Michael Kearney to Drumquin.
He is commemorated in United States of America, Soldiers of The Great War - Volume 2 – New York
