My grandfather Billy Coffey served witht he R.A.S.C. in France and Mesopotamia during WWI. During his period of basic training he received word that his 31 year old wife had died in Dublin leaving their six children in the care of extended family. While serving in Mesopotamia in 1918 he was assigned to drive his commanding officer into Baghdad. An old beggar man fell in front of the car my grandfather was driving and was killed. My grandfather went to stop the car when his commanding officer let out a roar for him to step on it. They were chased down the street by a raging mob seeking revenge for the death of the old man.
