Egypt Medal to PTE D FITZGIBBON 1/YORKS R

Egypt Medal (1882). Correctly engraved  2279. PTE. D. FITZGIBBON. 1/YORKS:R.

Condtion NEF ( Pawnbrokers mark to reverse)

Daniel was born in Leeds in May 1863. By the age of 18, he had enlisted into the army (service number 2279) and was serving with 2/19th Regiment - The Princess of Wales’s Own (Yorkshire Regiment). In 1888, he was serving with the 1st Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment and was probably stationed at Malta. From here, the battalion saw active service in Egypt. By the time his medal was issued, he had transferred to the Army Reserve and was probably working as a labourer.

On 22 May 1919, Daniel reenlisted into the army, joining the Labour Corps (service number 694622). He gave his age as 50, but he was in fact 56 years old. On his attestation paperwork, his previous service with the Yorkshire Regiment is annotated.

On 26 May, he was posted to the Labour Centre of Northern Command at Rippon, and on 8 June, he embarked at Folkstone for France. In France he joined 728 Labour Corps, but by October, he was suffering from bronchitis and unfit for military service. On 29 October, he returned to Ripon, after 145 days in France, and was discharged from the army on 8 November. As his condition was aggravated by his military service, he appears to have been granted an army pension.

However, on 2 May 1924, he died at 5 Hanover Place, Leeds, of heart failure due to bronchitis. His age was recorded as 61. He was laid to rest at Killingbeck Cemetery, Leeds.