October 1, by Jim Doyle Leave a comment. Cosgrove is the son of Michael and Mary Cosgrove. While they are still young their father emigrates to Australia , but later returns. In the meantime, his mother moves with his siblings to a cottage in nearby Peafield and they attend school at the National School , Ballinrostig.
He begins work as an apprentice butcher at Whitegate. One of his daily chores is a morning delivery to Fort Carlisle now Fort Davis with a consignment of meat for the troops. It is from Fort Carlisle that he joins the army.
Cosgrove enlists in the Royal Munster Fusiliers on March 24, , and is given the regimental number At the outbreak of war, the 1st Battalion of the Munster Fusiliers is stationed in Rangoon , Burma , as regular battalions are routinely stationed overseas.
They leave Rangoon on November 21, , and Cosgrove, now a corporal, lands in England on January 10, Upon landing they still wear their Indian issue uniforms and stand on the cold quay in their khaki drill shorts.
The battalion is then assigned to the 86th Brigade of the 29th Division United Kingdom , in preparation for the landings at the Dardanelles in Turkey. They are unable to advance due to the withering Turkish fire.
