We have been contacted by the family of 7010933 Rifleman Michael Foley who served with the 2nd Battalion London Irish Rifles (2 LIR) in Italy. He was married to Annie and came from Killann, County Wexford.
According to the CWGC records, when he died on 11 January 1945, Michael Foley was aged 48, a remarkably old age for a servicemen on active duty.
On review, it seems that Rifleman Foley was the oldest man who had died whilst serving with the Irish Brigade and in fact was the oldest man, listed by CWGC as serving with British Army with the rank of “Rifleman” and buried outside the British Isles.
We continue to remember Michael Foley, one of the few men born in the 19th century who served with the Irish Brigade.