Rev James Stack - Chaplain

[liverpool annie]

I'm trying to find some information about this Chaplain from Limerick .. I found his medal card at TNA ... and I know he was with the Redemptionist Order but thats all I know ... I'd be grateful for any help !

Thanking you in advance !

Annie

Medal card of Stack, James

Army Chaplain's Department Temporary Chaplain 4th Class

Army Chaplain's Department Acting Chaplain 2nd Class

Date

1914-1920

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...p;resultcount=1

[Tyrim]

I'm trying to find some information about this Chaplain from Limerick .. I found his medal card at TNA ... and I know he was with the Redemptionist Order but thats all I know ... I'd be grateful for any help !

Thanking you in advance !

Annie

Medal card of Stack, James

Army Chaplain's Department Temporary Chaplain 4th Class

Army Chaplain's Department Acting Chaplain 2nd Class

Date

1914-1920

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...p;resultcount=1

[Tyrim]

Annie,

I'm not doing too well replying here but let me try it again.

I googled "James Stack"redemptorist and found some info for you.

"The wonder, indeed, is that many more Catholic

chaplains have not been killed. Father James Stack,

of the Redemptorist Order — a County Limerick man

— had a narrow escape from being killed by German

rifle fire as he was attending to a dying Irish soldier

between the opposing lines. The soldier was heard

in the British trenches calling for a priest. Father

Stack crept out to him, heard his confession, anointed

him, and lay by his side praying until he passed away.

While he was engaged on this sublime errand of

mercy the priest was fired on by the Germans, but

he got back unhurt. He was mentioned in Sir John

French's valedictory despatch."

This was at http://www.archive.org/stream/irishatfront...cduoft_djvu.txt

Just edit search on his name and it will take you to the entry.

The same book also appears here but cannot be copied.

http://books.google.com/books?id=poibAAAAM...lt&resnum=1

There are other listings but except for a Rector of the same name at a St. Benets Parish in Sunderland in 1930 they don't come near his age.

Bob

[liverpool annie]

Thanks Bob ! I appreciate your help .... Sounds like a brave man doesn't he ?

Now I have to find that despatch !!

I'm still looking !!

[Tunsilk]

Hello

Try mailing Phil Hall at Phil.Hall@sunderland.gov.uk/. He works in Local studies section of library. He is the man for WW1

Regards

david

[liverpool annie]

Thank you David .... I don't think my man is the one in Sunderland though !

but I'll certainly keep Phil Hall in mind if I'm proved wrong !!

Thanks again

Annie

[Phil Evans]

Hello Annie,

One mention in the London Gazette, that I can find so far.

Issue 28995 Page 10298 (4th December 1914)

The undermentioned to be temporary Chaplains to the Forces, 4th Class............ The Reverend James Stack. Dated 21st September, 1914.

Phil

[Phil Evans]

London Gazette Issue 29422 Page 72 (31st December 1915)

Mentioned in Despatches

Phil

[liverpool annie]

Thanks Phil !

Wonder why he was mentioned in despatches ??

Probably like a lot of the Chaplains .... taking a lot of risks for the men !!

Annie

[mgthegarty]

I am also interested in some information in Rev. Fr. James Stack O.B.E., he was army chaplain in the Great War, in the Royal Munster Fusiliers. I am his grand-niece and would love some information for my father who remembers him. He got an O.B.E after the war, is it possible to get hold of the documentation showing this award, as the medal didn't go to his family, I think it is with the Redemptorist order in Bishop's Stortford where he died.

I would be grateful for any information you can provide..

[museumtom]

He attended the funeral of McAULIFFE, The Reverend, CORNELIUS. Also known as Fr Raphael, O. F. M. Rank: Chaplain/Reverend/Franciscan Friar, who was a cousin of his. He cam back from the battlefields to attend the funeral. He had recovered from his wounds at this time.

[museumtom]

He was MID by Sir John French and was born in Drumcollagher. Wounded in Sept-1916 in the leg and recovered in a Hospital in Manchester.Volunteered at the outbreak of the war and in Nov and Dec was in Flanders, in Jan 1917 he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.

[mgthegarty]

He attended the funeral of McAULIFFE, The Reverend, CORNELIUS. Also known as Fr Raphael, O. F. M. Rank: Chaplain/Reverend/Franciscan Friar, who was a cousin of his. He cam back from the battlefields to attend the funeral. He had recovered from his wounds at this time.

Thank you for your prompt response!

Do you mind me asking how do you know this information, is it recorded somewhere, would it be a link I could follow to find out some more?

As you can appreciate, it opens up other questions for me, what wounds?, did he return to the battlefields?

Many thanks, Margaret

[mgthegarty]

Thank you museumtom. It is wonderful that you have this information on my grand-uncle Fr. James, is there any more information I can access? I have passed on the information you gave me to my father (his nephew) and he is delighted with it. He was awarded a O.B.E, I was wondering is it possible to see a record of this somewhere..? Tks again

[museumtom]

I forgot to add he was a son of Mr and Mrs R Stack, Dromcollogher.

below is a part of the funeral report;

Limerick Leader, October, 1916.

'After the hearse walked the chief mourners—Messrs Denis and Lawrence McAuliffe (brothers), Rev. J. Begley; OFM, Waterford, and Daniel Begley, Camas (uncles); Rev Father Stack, C SS R; J. Mangan, Mrs D. Begley (aunt), Ita and Nora Begley, Camas; Mrs L.McAuliffe (sister-in-law); Madge and Lena O’Sullivan, Abbeyfeale, Michael O’Regan, JP, HC, Cork; W.N.Herlihy, Cork; Wm Enright, Thomas Enrught, Cornelius O’Sullivan. Timothy O’Sullivan, Maurice Woulfe, Wm McAuliffe, D. Sheehan, Michael Dore, LPSI; C. O’;Sullivan, Ballinvullen; Jerh O’Brien, P. Dore, J. Stack (cousins). Then came a large number of the citizens, in addition to those who joined the side walks and joined in the cortege to the cemetery. As the funeral passed along the greatest respect was shown for the dead, the doors of the business houses being closed and window blinds drawn. It was a truly impressive spectacle and a striking manifestation of reverence and sorrow. On reaching the cemetery the coffin, after the final prayers, recited by the Rev. Father Leonard, OFM, was lowered into the grave, in the plot which the Franciscan Fathers have at St Lawrence’s for deceased clergymen of the Order.'

[mgthegarty]

Wow! I am amazed at the amount of detail you have been able to supply me with so far, thank you so much. Is there more, or are there links, or documents I can refer to, for more detail?

We do really appreciate your input so far.

Margaret.

[Phil Evans]

There is a service record at Kew, which is probably his: WO339/72931

Click here

The WO 338 entry shows it as a J Stack, Chaplain to the Forces (Reverend).

He also has two medal index cards:

Click here

Phil

[museumtom]

The only information I have is above, taken from the Limerick newspapers, however there is more on his cousin Father Raphael in them.

Cheers.

Tom.

[mgthegarty]

The only information I have is above, taken from the Limerick newspapers, however there is more on his cousin Father Raphael in them.

Cheers.

Tom.

Thanks Tom, I appreciate the information you gave me, I have today posted the information to my parents and lets see if that jogs their memory.

All the best, Margaret.

[mgthegarty]

There is a service record at Kew, which is probably his: WO339/72931

Click here

The WO 338 entry shows it as a J Stack, Chaplain to the Forces (Reverend).

He also has two medal index cards:

Click here

Phil

Thank you Phil, I have requested the service record at Kew, and already had one of the two medal index card, I downloaded the one I was missing.

Thank you for your help, if you come across anything else, I'd be grateful for it.

Margaret.

[mgthegarty]

QUOTE (liverpool annie @ Jun 15 2009, 10:23 PM) I'm trying to find some information about this Chaplain from Limerick .. I found his medal card at TNA ... and I know he was with the Redemptionist Order but thats all I know ... I'd be grateful for any help !

Thanking you in advance !

Annie

Medal card of Stack, James

Army Chaplain's Department Temporary Chaplain 4th Class

Army Chaplain's Department Acting Chaplain 2nd Class

Date

1914-1920

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...p;resultcount=1

Annie, Just to let you know, I found your queries and links most helpful and they actually kicked off my search for information on Rev James Stack on this forum, it has since proved to be quite fruitful. I must admit I was most anxious to know why you were looking for Fr James? are you related to him, I am his grand-niece, or maybe you were searching for somebody else..

Margaret.

[mgthegarty]

The only information I have is above, taken from the Limerick newspapers, however there is more on his cousin Father Raphael in them.

Cheers.

Tom.

Tom, is it possible to access the funeral report you mentioned online, I googled funeral reports, and I can only get a listing (with Father Raphael in it), but the only funeral reports I could find were death notices in the limerick Chronicle, which do not include 1916.

~All the best, Margaret.

[museumtom]

PM sent

[mgthegarty]

Thank you Phil, I have requested the service record at Kew, and already had one of the two medal index card, I downloaded the one I was missing.

Thank you for your help, if you come across anything else, I'd be grateful for it.

Margaret.

Hi Phil, I received my quote for costs in obtaining the photocopied service record - it was a whopping £180 ! Can you tell me what exactly will be included in this service record, I currently don't know what exactly I would be paying for and would like to know that it was worth it before I pay!

Thanks

Margaret

[David_Underdown]

It's very difficult to say with officers' records. What survives are actually correspondence files, so the content can be very variable. You can see photos of one chaplain's record at http://www.flickr.com/photos/11226331@N05/sets/72157625255364412/ (and there are various other officer's records in my photo stream)