Military: Aherne, Jeremiah Francis WWII Pioneer Auxiliary Corps 

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Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives
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File contributed by: John Brennan john.brennan@welfare.ie 
November 30, 2015, 8:29 am

AHERNE, JEREMIAH FRANCIS WWII PIONEER AUXILIARY CORPS

At the outbreak of WWII, Jeremiah Aherne returned to 
military service having remained on the British Army reserve 
list after his service during WWI in teh Royal Engineers. 
Between October 1939 and 11 September 1944 he served with 68 
Coy, 128 Coy and 832 Coy of the Auxiliary Pioneer Corps (now 
the Royal Pioneer Corps) largely in Scotland. The War 
Diaries of the Auxiliary Pioneer Corps show that Jeremiah 
travelled to Cherbourg, France on 9 December 1939 before 
proceeding to Boulogne. Jeremiah was evacuated with the rest 
of his company under heavy shelling and fire from Boulogne 
on 23 May 1940. The Company reached Dover on 24 May 1940. 
The War Diaries of the Royal Pioneer Corps also show 
Jeremiah with 68 Coy from October 1939 to August 1940, with 
128 Coy from August 1940 until January 1941, then with 68 
Coy again, firstly as a Captain (Second in Command), later 
promoted Major and Officer Commanding, then with 832 Coy in 
August 1942 as Officer Commanding until 11 September 1944 
when he was posted to the Unemployed List of Officers. His 
Auxiliary Pioneer Corps service number was 45532. 

In 1943 he was listed on the Regular Army Reserve of 
Officers in the Auxiliary Pioneer Corps as a Class II 2nd 
Lieutenant 18 January 1940 (War Substantive Captain 22 July 
1941). He was awarded the 1939-1945 Service Medal at the end 
of his service during WWII.


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