Biography
Flaherty, Charles Alexander (O’Flaherty); b. October 26, 1904, Norwood, Massachusetts; Irish American, Father William W. Flaherty (1875-?), mother Mary R. Flaherty (1880-?); Prior service US Army; CP 1932, member district bureau; Received Passport# 3989, Boston series, on January 6, 1937, which listed his address as 1083 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts; 34 years old; Sailed January 9, 1937, aboard the Lafayette; Served with the XV BDE, Lincoln BN, Co. 1, Section 2; Later promoted to Company Commander; Served at Jarama; Recommended for OTS; Company Commissar; WIA; Repatriated political; Returned to the US on July 31, 1937, aboard the President Roosevelt; WWII Merchant Marine; d. June 28, 1984, Newark, Essex, New Jersey.Siblings: brothers William J. Flaherty, Jr. (1902-?), veteran Francis Patrick Flaherty (1908-?), veteran Edward Coleman Flaherty (1910-1978), sisters Annie Flaherty (1901-?), Eleanor M. Flaherty (1907-?).
Sources: Sail; Scope of Soviet Activity; RGASPI (under Flaherty) Fond 545, Opis 6, Delo 849, ll 21, List of American Comrades that have been Repatriated as per October 15 1937;); Opis 6, Delo 890, ll. 1; Voros-Jarama; USSDA (under Flaherty) 54:0193; Good Fight C; L-W Tree Ancestry. Code A
Photographs: Charles Flaherty, Photograph from New England Fights for Democracy; and from Seaman’s Protection Certificate 1930.
