Joseph Heapes was my father in law. He joined the Royal Irish Rifles in 1906 and stayed until 1913. In that period he was posted in India and Burma. After that he worked in the Slieve Russell but he rejoined the Royal Irish Rifles in 1914 and went to France. Joseph was a prisoner of war in Limburg. He wrote to his sister Teresa, who worked as a housemaid in Dublin. She encouraged her co-workers to write to the prisoners, and one of them, Mary Fearon a cook from Dundalk, wrote to Joeseph. He became pen pals with Mary and sent her letters and a photo of himself. He came home in 1919 and they married around1920/21, having met at first only by letter.
Joseph was also a prisoner of war in Linburg when Roger Casement tried to enlist Irishmen to fight against the British Army. Over the course of the war Joseph has been gassed, shot and captured.
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