2740, PTE ANDREW SHAW

Andrew Shaw was born in Little Heart’s Ease on 30^th September 1893.  He was the second son of Thomas and Margaret (Walsh) Shaw. On 12^th May 1916 Andrew enlisted in the Newfoundland Regiment at St John’s.  Private Andrew Shaw, Regimental Number 2740, embarked aboard the  S S Sicilian on 19^th July to England and then to a training base at Ayr, Scotland.  On 14^th October 1916, Private Shaw embarked Southampton to join his regiment in France.

Pte Andrew Shaw, Regimental Number 2740

August 1917 saw Shaw fighting in Belgium.  On 13^th of that month, at the Battle of Langemarck,  he received a serious wound to his right leg.  

After months of recuperation in England and Scotland, Pte Shaw rejoined his battalion at the Front on 6^th February 1918.  On 12^th  April 1918 he was reported missing in action.  In May it was learned that Pte Shaw had been wounded and was now in enemy hands as a Prisoner of War at Soltau. Soltau, built in 1914, was the largest of Germany’s P O W camps.  In September, after months of suffering, Pte Shaw was released and repatriated to hospital in England.

At long last, Pte Shaw was on his way home! On 22^nd May 1919, he embarked for St John’s aboard the S S Corsican, arriving in St John's on 1^st June.  He was issued discharge certificate number 2908 on 10^th July 1919.  Pte Andrew Shaw had served for approximately three years and two months.  He carried the results of his wounds for the rest of his life.

In 1921, on 15^th June, Andrew Shaw married Mary Stanford of St John’s. Andrew and Mary lived in the west end and were faithful members of St Patrick’s Parish.  They raised a large family and their daughters, Angela, Mary, Imelda and Isabel, all attended St Patrick’s Convent Schools.

After a long life well lived, Andrew Shaw passed away in St John’s on 10^th April 1976. He rests in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, St John’s.

“LEST WE FORGET”