05/06/2026
Born in Ireland, Patrick Curran came to Australia and found his way to the Darling Downs, working as a labourer and building a life in the local community.
At 35 years and 5 months old, he enlisted on 7 December 1915, naming his mother Mary, living in Charlton near Toowoomba, as his next of kin.
Patrick joined the 42nd Battalion as a Private and was sent to the Western Front in France, where conditions were tough, relentless, and unforgiving.
By May 1918, his battalion was fighting in the Somme region near Villers-Bretonneux, during the German Spring Offensive.
It was here, on 27 May 1918, that Patrick was wounded.
His records later show he was suffering from severe gassing, one of the most feared injuries of the war. He was evacuated from the front and taken to England for treatment.
Not long after, he was discharged from service and made his way home, arriving back in Australia on 4 December 1918.
Patrick lived on after the war, carrying the effects of his service, until his passing on 31 May 1963 at Greenslopes Military Hospital.
A man who left Ireland, made a life here, and endured the harsh realities of war.
Remembered by the Oakey and Toowoomba community.
Lest we forget.
