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Sapper Daniel Flanagan
Description
TitleSapper Daniel FlanaganSummaryA soldier in World War One. DescriptionDaniel was born in Canterbury on 19th October 1886, third son of Daniel and Alulie Flanagan, of Doyleston. In his youth he was a very successful bicycle rider at local sports meetings. Previous to enlistment he had been engaged in mining for M. F. Moore at Nukumaru, North Island. He was 5ft 11 in tall with a “fairish” complexion, blueish grey eyes and light brown hair.
Daniel enlisted on 3rd January 1917 and was assigned to the New Zealand Engineers, Tunnelling Company, 4th Reinforcements. His Attestation papers show a date of 28 December 1916 and Whanganui as the place of enlistment. His obituary notes that he had enlisted in the early days of the war, but owing to an over-supply of recruits offering for the Tunnelling Corps, he was obliged to put off training. After waiting some considerable time, he received orders to report, and entered camp on January 4th, 1917. He embarked 16 February 1917 on board the Aparima. He was admitted to hospital whilst at sea with bronchitis on 27th February, being discharged on 3rd March. He disembarked at Devonport on 2nd May and marched into the Engineers camp at Christchurch, Dorset. He left from there for France on 4th June and marched into camp at Etaples on 7th June then out to join the Division in the field on 10th June where he was posted to the Tunnelling Company. He was evacuated to no 37 Field Ambulance on 30th June sick with tonsillitis, returning to his unit 15th July. However he was once again admitted for tonsillitis on 8th October passing through a number of medical units until he was discharged back to his unit on 26th October. He had another bout of what appeared to be bronchitis being evacuated to No 47 Field Ambulance on 28 March 1918 but was diagnosed on the 29th to have been gassed by shell. This would probably have been what was known as mustard gas.
Mustard gas, while not a particularly effective killing agent can be used to harass and disable the enemy. Delivered in artillery shells, mustard gas was heavier than air, and it settled to the ground. The victims of mustard gas developed blisters, sore eyes and often vomited. Mustard gas also attacked the bronchial tubes, stripping off the mucous membrane and victims sometimes took four or five weeks to die.
Daniel's previous episode of bronchitis on board ship may indicate a susceptibility to the lung damaging effects of the gas. Exactly a month after he first showed symptons he was placed on the dangerously ill list with Broncho Pneumonia having been transferred to No 24 General Hospital at Etaples. He was still dangerously ill on 5th May and died on 8th May at Etaples, aged 30. He was buried in the Etaples Cemetery, Pas de Calais, plot LXVII. B. 7. In New Zealand Daniel is remembered on the Leeston Plaque of the Ellesmere County War Memorial.
CWGC Cemetery locale history: During the First World War, the area around Etaples was the scene of immense concentrations of Commonwealth Reinforcement camps and hospitals. It was remote from attack, except from aircraft, and accessible by railway from both the Northern or the Southern battlefields. In 1917, 100,000 troops were camped among the sand dunes and the hospitals, which included eleven General, one Stationary, four Red Cross Hospitals and a Convalescent Depot, could deal with 22,000 wounded or sick. In September 1919, ten months after the Armistice, three hospitals and the Q.M.A.A.C. Convalescent Depot remained. The cemetery contains 10,773 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, the earliest dating from May 1915. 35 of these burials are unidentified.First NameDanielLast NameFlanaganFamilySingleDaniel and Alulie Flanagan, of DoylestonDate of Birth19 October 1888Place of BirthCanterburyDate of Death8 May 1918Place of DeathEtaplesCause of DeathBroncho PneumoniaAge at Death30
Daniel enlisted on 3rd January 1917 and was assigned to the New Zealand Engineers, Tunnelling Company, 4th Reinforcements. His Attestation papers show a date of 28 December 1916 and Whanganui as the place of enlistment. His obituary notes that he had enlisted in the early days of the war, but owing to an over-supply of recruits offering for the Tunnelling Corps, he was obliged to put off training. After waiting some considerable time, he received orders to report, and entered camp on January 4th, 1917. He embarked 16 February 1917 on board the Aparima. He was admitted to hospital whilst at sea with bronchitis on 27th February, being discharged on 3rd March. He disembarked at Devonport on 2nd May and marched into the Engineers camp at Christchurch, Dorset. He left from there for France on 4th June and marched into camp at Etaples on 7th June then out to join the Division in the field on 10th June where he was posted to the Tunnelling Company. He was evacuated to no 37 Field Ambulance on 30th June sick with tonsillitis, returning to his unit 15th July. However he was once again admitted for tonsillitis on 8th October passing through a number of medical units until he was discharged back to his unit on 26th October. He had another bout of what appeared to be bronchitis being evacuated to No 47 Field Ambulance on 28 March 1918 but was diagnosed on the 29th to have been gassed by shell. This would probably have been what was known as mustard gas.
Mustard gas, while not a particularly effective killing agent can be used to harass and disable the enemy. Delivered in artillery shells, mustard gas was heavier than air, and it settled to the ground. The victims of mustard gas developed blisters, sore eyes and often vomited. Mustard gas also attacked the bronchial tubes, stripping off the mucous membrane and victims sometimes took four or five weeks to die.
Daniel's previous episode of bronchitis on board ship may indicate a susceptibility to the lung damaging effects of the gas. Exactly a month after he first showed symptons he was placed on the dangerously ill list with Broncho Pneumonia having been transferred to No 24 General Hospital at Etaples. He was still dangerously ill on 5th May and died on 8th May at Etaples, aged 30. He was buried in the Etaples Cemetery, Pas de Calais, plot LXVII. B. 7. In New Zealand Daniel is remembered on the Leeston Plaque of the Ellesmere County War Memorial.
CWGC Cemetery locale history: During the First World War, the area around Etaples was the scene of immense concentrations of Commonwealth Reinforcement camps and hospitals. It was remote from attack, except from aircraft, and accessible by railway from both the Northern or the Southern battlefields. In 1917, 100,000 troops were camped among the sand dunes and the hospitals, which included eleven General, one Stationary, four Red Cross Hospitals and a Convalescent Depot, could deal with 22,000 wounded or sick. In September 1919, ten months after the Armistice, three hospitals and the Q.M.A.A.C. Convalescent Depot remained. The cemetery contains 10,773 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, the earliest dating from May 1915. 35 of these burials are unidentified.First NameDanielLast NameFlanaganFamilySingleDaniel and Alulie Flanagan, of DoylestonDate of Birth19 October 1888Place of BirthCanterburyDate of Death8 May 1918Place of DeathEtaplesCause of DeathBroncho PneumoniaAge at Death30
Connections
CollectionSoldiers of Selwyn World War OneImageLeeston and Ellesmere County War MemorialMore InformationAuckland War Memorial Cenotaph
Military Service
Memorial or CemeteryEtaples CemeteryEllesmere County War MemorialOccupation before EnlistingMiner Regiment or ServiceNew Zealand EngineersEnlistment Details3rd January 1917Service Number37563 Embarkation16th February 1917Place of EmbarkationWellingtonTransportAparimaTheatre of WarGallipoliReinforcement4th ReinforcementsCountryNew Zealand
Attribution
Researched ByL. M. Seaton
Sapper Daniel Flanagan. Selwyn Stories, accessed 08/12/2025, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/215
