Shaw, Denis De Courcey
Second Corporal
No. 51899, ‘M’ Depot Company, Royal Engineers
Died of disease on Thursday 18 July 1918 (aged 35)
Buried:
Manchester (Philips Park) Cemetery, England (Grave H. CE. 487)
Commemorated:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
BIOGRAPHY
In some records his forename is spelt Dennis.
Denis De Courcey Shaw was born on 10 January 1883 in Kircubbin and he was a son of Christopher and Catherine Shaw (formerly Hughes, nee Dawson) who were married on 26 July 1870 in Newtownhamilton Parish Church of Ireland Church (St John’s), County Armagh. Christopher Shaw from Newtownhamilton was a son of David Shaw. Catherine Hughes, a widow, was a daughter of James Dawson.
Christopher Shaw worked as a labourer and groom and he and Catherine had three children who were baptised in Kircubbin Parish Church of Ireland Church:
Elizabeth (born 1 November 1880 in Kircubbin)
Denis De Courcey (born 10 January 1883 in Kircubbin)
Joseph Stevenson (born 2 July 1885 in Kircubbin)
Denis De Courcey Shaw worked as a boilermaker and he and Annie Elizabeth Currie were married on 13 October 1906 in All Saints Church, Newtown Heath, Manchester.
Denis De Courcey Shaw and Annie Elizabeth Shaw (nee Currie) had five children:
John (born 18 April 1907)
Richard (born 29 July 1909)
Florence (born 2 February 1912)
De Courcey (born 10 April 1914)
Phyllis (born 16 August 1916)
Denis De Courcey Shaw enlisted on 4 September 1914 in Manchester and it was noted in his attestation papers that he was 5 feet 7¾ inches tall with a fresh complexion, grey eyes and red hair. He served with the Royal Engineers.
Sapper Denis De Courcey Shaw went to France on 30 August 1915 and was invalided home to England on 29 February 1916 after he sustained a gunshot wound to the neck. Thereafter he did munitions work for Robinson & Kershaw, Temple Iron Works, Temple Street, Manchester and then for Grayson Ltd in Birkenhead.
Denis De Courcey Shaw died of pneumonia on 17 July 1918 at 45 Buckley Street, Newtown Heath, Manchester and in 1920 his widow made a statement of the names and addresses of all his relatives who were then still living:
Widow
Annie Elizabeth Shaw, 45 Buckley Street, Newtown Heath, Manchester
Children
John Shaw, Richard Shaw, Florence Shaw, De Courcey Shaw and Phyllis Shaw, 45 Buckley Street, Newtown Heath, Manchester
Father
Christopher Shaw, 27 Lancashire Street, Newtown Heath, Manchester
Brothers (Full Blood)
James Shaw (aged 46), 27 Lancashire Street, Newtown Heath, Manchester (James was born 25 March 1874 in Newtownhamilton, Co Armagh)
David Shaw (aged 44), 7 Lancashire Street, Newtown Heath, Manchester (David was born 1 May 1876 in Newtownhamilton, Co Armagh)
Harry Shaw (aged 42), 64 Loftus Terrace Pontyclun, Llantrisant, Wales (Henry was born 15 October 1878 in Newtownhamilton, Co Armagh)
Brothers (Half Blood)
John Hughes aged 52 (born around 1868), 12 Stewart Street, Belfast
Sisters (Full Blood)
Sarah Bolton aged 48 (born around 1872), 20 Fletcher Street, Newtown Heath, Manchester
Elizabeth Flemming aged 40 (born around 1880), 20 Winterdine Street, Moston, Manchester
Sisters (Half Blood)
Maria Dobbins aged 52 (born around 1868), 85 Market Street, Belfast
It is of interest to note that Denis De Courcey Shaw died on 17 July 1918 and yet, for official purposes thereafter, the Army used the date 18 July 1918 – the date that they received notification of his death.
After Second Corporal Denis De Courcey Shaw died, his widow asked for a military funeral and her request was granted. In one record her address was 8 Hall Street, Newton Heath, Manchester.
Second Corporal Denis De Courcey Shaw was buried in Manchester (Philips Park) Cemetery, England and there is an inscription on his CWGC headstone:
PEACE PERFECT PEACE
In 1921 his widow acknowledged receipt of the trio of service medals to which he was entitled.