On Mother's Day .... Remembering a soldier who sent greetings from the WWI front

The idea of Mother's Day was only in its infancy when the First World War broke out, but in March 1917, his mother was to the fore of the thoughts of the young Navan soldier fighting on the front.
Still in the possession of his family is Private Patrick Brennan's card, sent to his mother, Mary, at Athlumney, Navan, in March 1917, when he was 28.

Private Brennan was a member of the 10th Hussars, Prince of Wales Own Royal Regiment, a cavalryman, as his father was a stable hand who worked with horses, and he had knowledge and experience of horses as a result.
The card he sent home to Navan was made in France by VISU Paris, and was silk in front, with forget-me-not flowers, embroidered with 'To my dear mother from your loving son'. The green embroidered line opened and inside was a small card with a water colour of a lady, saying 'from your soldier boy'.

Paddy wrote 'To mother from Paddy' and it is dated March 1917.

The Brennans were full sure that with the news in 1918 that the Great War was to end, that their beloved Patrick would be home to them, but it was not to be.
For just a month before the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, Pvt Brennan was killed in action, on 9th October 1918.

He is buried in Honnechy British Cemetery, Nord, France. Honnechy was part of the battlefield of Le Cateau in August 1914, and from that time it remained in German hands until the 9th October 1918, when the 25th Division and the 6th Cavalry Brigade captured it. Patrick died in the battle. It had been a German Hospital centre, and from its capture until the end of October it was a British Field Ambulance centre. The village was inhabited by civilians during the whole of the War.
The card is now treasured by Patrick's niece, Mary Leontia Reid, Newtown Platten, Drogheda.