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Recruit Harry Gillespie had only joined the RAF on the 11th October 1918, he passed away 18 days later in Blandford Military Hospital, England. He was the son of William and Catherine Gillespie, of Rossnagalliah, Newbuildings, Co. Londonderry.

Harry Gillespie and Patrick O’Donnell are buried in the same cemetery. They both joined the RAF only one day apart, served in the same training camp, and both passed away one day apart in the same hospital. He died from influenza, as did Patrick.

It is more than likely that he may have died from the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic.[1]

The Spanish flu is rather deceiving as it did not originate in that country of its namesake. Spain though was the first country to openly report on the pandemic due to its neutrality in the war. Therefore, the illness received its name by this association.

The outbreak began around January 1918 and ended at the end of 1920. There were three major outbreaks, each deadlier than the previous. Great efforts were made to suppress the news, but so many people were affected that it became pointless as the flu crept through the armies and into the villages, towns, and cities of Europe. There were no vaccines to protect against this flu virus or the infections, no antiviral drugs to treat it and no antibiotics to treat secondary bacterial infections like pneumonia. The only tools that authorities could implement was the promotion of good personal hygiene, isolation, and quarantine of the ill, along with the closures of public places.

There are several servicemen in the county’s cemeteries who possibly died of the illness, most of whom were diagnosed with meningitis, flu, or pneumonia. It especially affected young adults.

Date of Death: 29/10/1918 (Aged 18)

Service: Royal Air Force, Recruits’ Training Wing (Blandford)

Service Number: 308295

Burial Location: Ardmore Roman Catholic Cemetery, In North-West quarter.


[1] Spanish Flu: 50 to 100,000,000 deaths

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