Following his mother's death, Conrad travelled to his ancestral homeland in Ireland and joined The Tipperary Militia, a special reserve unit of the Royal Irish Regiment.
In August 1914 he was promoted to Captain and engaged in the Battle of Mons with his regiment as part of the British Expeditionary Force.
On the first day of battle he was severely wounded, captured and taken prisoner.
He was held first at Torgau, a Bismarckian fortress, and then at Burg de Magdeburg POW camp.

After numerous failed escape attempts, he was transferred to what was considered an escape-proof camp at Augustabad.
Here Conrad began an exchange of letters with his friend Cathleen Mann, and through the use of invisible ink, transmitted details of troop movements and other strategic information gathered from incoming prisoners.
One communication included information about a prototype German Bomber that he obtained from a captured British pilot.
Her job as secretary to Stewart Menzies of British counterintelligence, allowed a speedy relay of information through Menzies to Field Marshal Douglas Haig.
Attempts were made to extract Conrad and the pilot to London, but these failed and Conrad remained in Augustabad.
Following his mother's death, Conrad travelled to his ancestral homeland in Ireland and joined The Tipperary Militia, a special reserve unit of the Royal Irish Regiment. In August 1914 he was promoted to Captain and engaged in the Battle of Mons with his regiment as part of the British Expeditionary Force. On the first day of battle he was severely wounded, captured and taken prisoner. He was held first at Torgau, a Bismarckian fortress, and then at Burg de Magdeburg POW camp.
After numerous failed escape attempts, he was transferred to what was considered an escape-proof camp at Augustabad. Here Conrad began an exchange of letters with his friend Cathleen Mann, and through the use of invisible ink, transmitted details of troop movements and other strategic information gathered from incoming prisoners. One communication included information about a prototype German Bomber that he obtained from a captured British pilot. Her job as secretary to Stewart Menzies of British counterintelligence, allowed a speedy relay of information through Menzies to Field Marshal Douglas Haig. Attempts were made to extract Conrad and the pilot to London, but these failed and Conrad remained in Augustabad.
Conrad O'Brien-ffrench