Michael Dragonetti 1897-1917

Michael was born in Belfast in June, 1897. He lived at 16 Little Patrick Street from what I can work out. His had an older brother Luigi, also from Belfast (1895).

Michael's father's name was Pasquale Dragonetti and his mother was Mary. They were married in Belfast in 1892. Pasquale went on later in life to marry my grandmother Margaret-Ann, hence my connection.

Michael joined the Royal Irish Fusillers in August 1914 in Dundalk as a Volunteer to go to fight the Germans in World War One. He died on the 11th of April, 1917 near the town of Roeux in France. He is buried at Brown's Copse Cemetary, Fampoux near Roeux grave number 3 F34.

The reason why I have remembered Michael in this way on this site is because he had been basically forgotten over time by his family. This was not intentional, it was just that his memory became a myth in that we knew someone in the family died in WW1 but did not know a name, a regiment, a place in fact no details at all.

It was because of Dominic Magliocco from Belfast who had been tracing his family which had linked Michael's Mother to the Dragonetti family that I found out about Michael in May 2003 and where he was buried. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dominic for this information. I was finally able to visit Michael's grave in France in June 2003, possibly the first family member to ever visit.

I dedicate this site to the memory of Michael and for his sacrifice as if it were not for him I would not have had the idea to start the genealogy trail, the website and everything that this entails. RIP


Paul Dragonetti ( Belfast, N. Ireland )