FOLEY, Michael Vincent
(Service number 6/454 (NZ); 1756 (AUS))
| First Rank | Private | Last Rank | Private |
|---|
Birth
| Date | 08/07/1891 | Place of Birth | (1) Waimate; (2) Hobart, Tasmania |
|---|
Enlistment Information
| Date | (1) 14 August 1914 (NZ); (2) 12 January 1915 (AUS) | Age | 23 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address at Enlistment | (1) Waimate | ||
| Occupation | (1) Farm labourer; (2) Labourer | ||
| Previous Military Experience | |||
| Marital Status | Stated single but married. | ||
| Next of Kin | Harry HOSKINS, Cliff Road, Hobart, Tasmania | ||
Military Service
| Served with | Australian Imperial Forces | Served in | Army |
|---|
Embarkation Information
| Body on Embarkation | 2nd Australian Infantry Battalion | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit, Squadron, or Ship | |||
| Date | |||
| Transport | |||
| Embarked From | Destination | ||
| Other Units Served With | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Unit Served With | 2nd Australian Infantry Battalion | ||
Military Awards
| Campaigns | Balkans (Gallipoli) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Medals | |||
Award Circumstances and Date
No information
Prisoner of War Information
| Date of Capture | |
|---|---|
| Where Captured and by Whom | |
| Actions Prior to Capture | |
| PoW Serial Number | |
| PoW Camps | |
| Days Interned | |
| Liberation Date |
Death
| Date | 7 August 1915 | Age | 24 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Death | Gallipoli | ||
| Cause | Killed in action | ||
| Memorial or Cemetery | Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli; Waimate Old Cemetery - memorial on parents' headstone | ||
| New Zealand Memorials | Timaru Memorial Wall; Waimate War Memorial | ||
Biographical Notes
Michael Vincent Foley was the third son of John and Honorah (Norah née Leonard). He was one of the Territorials who volunteered on the outbreak of war and passed the medical test at Timaru on 14 August 1914. On 12 January 1915 at Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia, Michael Vincent Foley enlisted with the Australian Forces, giving false details – as William Hoskins, single, born at Hobart, Tasmania, next-of-kin – Harry Hoskins, Cliff Road, Hobart, Tasmania. Michael was born in 1891 at Waimate; he married Catherine Mulvena on 27 August 1914 at the Christchurch Catholic Cathedral. They had a child born January 1915. On 19 January 1915 a warrant was issued for Michael Vincent Foley for failing to maintain his wife and his child. The complainant was Catherine Foley, and it was thought that he may have joined the Expeditionary Force under the name of Leonard. Michael, however, had already enlisted in Australia, under an assumed name. Why? There were likely problems between Michael and Catherine. In March 1916, Catherine went to court, claiming maintenance for herself and her baby from her father-in-law. She was awarded 5 shillings a week. Michael’s brother, Timothy Joseph (Ted) Foley was called up in 1917 and enlisted.
Sources
The Australian War Memorial (www.awm.gov.au) [22 March 2020]; NZBDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [22 March 2020]; Waimate Old Cemetery headstone transcription & image [22 March 2020]; Timaru Herald, 15 August 1914, Waimate Daily Advertiser, 29 December 1915, 3 February 1916, 21 March 1916 (Papers Past) [March 2020]
External Links
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Researched and Written by
Teresa Scott, SC branch NZSG
Currently Assigned to
Not assigned.
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License unless otherwise stated.
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