Cymro Posted 10 May , 2004 Share Posted 10 May , 2004 Dear all, Many years ago I was given by an old man in my village, a bible which his brother had brought back with him from Gallipoli. His brother (an S. Jones in the RAMC) has inscribed (barely legible) on the inside cover 'found on chocolate hill on 22.8.15 Gallipoli. The bible is a catholic version of the active service testament and has some Irish Gaelic writing in it as well as some English. The soldier who owned it has written inside it ' a present from mother in dear old Donegal, Lans Cpl (it looks like O'Neel, but I'm not sure) No 16756 A Coy RIF, Tipperary'. I believe that an Irish Brigade made an assault on Chocolate hill the previous day (21st) in which a couple of battalions of the Royal Iniskilling Fusiliers and the Royal Irish Fusiliers took part (could be either). The amazing thing about the bible is that there is still (a presumably turkish bullet) lodged inside it. The bullet has entered the back of the bible and pierced all the way through to a couple of pages from the front - a distance of 3/4 of an inch. The name is clear but I'm not very good with handwriting so it looks as if I'm down to the number and RIF. I'm just beginning to research this most evocative of items. Can any of the pals help on the number (I havent got SDGW yet), or suggest some avenues of investigation. I shall try to put some photos on this thread. Many thanks indeed Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
museumtom Posted 10 May , 2004 Share Posted 10 May , 2004 You will be happy to know he is not in SDGW. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cymro Posted 10 May , 2004 Author Share Posted 10 May , 2004 Here's a view of the inscription Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cymro Posted 10 May , 2004 Author Share Posted 10 May , 2004 And the bullet entry point.....! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cymro Posted 10 May , 2004 Author Share Posted 10 May , 2004 Many thanks Tom - back to the drawing board! J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Desmond6 Posted 10 May , 2004 Share Posted 10 May , 2004 Cymro - try a search for the name 'M. Neely' - that's is what it looks like to me. it's a very common name 'over here', north and south. best wishes with your research into a fantastic article. Des Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cymro Posted 10 May , 2004 Author Share Posted 10 May , 2004 Des - I think you're right - I didn't know that Neely was a common name in the Emerald Isle. It gives me somewhere to start - I'm very grateful. You don't speak Gaelic do you? I'm a Welsh speaker but the two languages are different and I cant translate the word after what I presume is Eire on the bottom of the page... Thanks again Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
museumtom Posted 10 May , 2004 Share Posted 10 May , 2004 This is an old Irish saying means Erin the beautifull, can also mean Erin the New. Written in the old Gaelic lettering. Other ways of spelling it is Erin Go Breagh. It was also used and still used by the American Irish. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cymro Posted 10 May , 2004 Author Share Posted 10 May , 2004 Tom, that's marvellous - there's not much the members of this forum can't find out! Diolch yn fawr iawn! Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
museumtom Posted 10 May , 2004 Share Posted 10 May , 2004 If Irish is starnge to you then Welsh is double Dutch to me. Slan mo Sean Blaith. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cymro Posted 10 May , 2004 Author Share Posted 10 May , 2004 If Irish is starnge to you then Welsh is double Dutch to me. Slan mo Sean Blaith. Tom P Celts and Q Celts and all that.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 10 May , 2004 Share Posted 10 May , 2004 Tom - could it also be translated as 'Ireland Forever'? Believe it or not the same slogan was used by the pre-Great War Unionist Party when they were opposing home rule!? Now there's one for you! Best wishes to all - I tried the M. Neely for you but there was nowt on CWGC. Then I tried M'Neely McNeely, Meneely .... talk about variations on a theme. Des Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cymro Posted 10 May , 2004 Author Share Posted 10 May , 2004 Des - many thanks for your efforts. I'm very grateful. It looks like a long day at the PRO going through the Neely's trying to match up the number...... And the Battalion......! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
museumtom Posted 10 May , 2004 Share Posted 10 May , 2004 The Irish for forever is choíche; go héag, and go deo. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.TIERNEY. Posted 10 May , 2004 Share Posted 10 May , 2004 Jonathon, Go brágh = for eternity, can be loosely interpreted as "forever". Are you sure the name is Neely, could it be Feely? A good read on this campaign is "The 10th (Irish) division at Gallipoli" first published 1917, I can't recall the author it was reprinted about 1999(?). I hope this helps, lets not get hung up on linguistics. C.T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cymro Posted 11 May , 2004 Author Share Posted 11 May , 2004 Hi C.T - yes, it could be but I suspect the horizontal line is the underlining of Donegal on the upper line. I'll try both at the PRO though! Thanks Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
museumtom Posted 11 May , 2004 Share Posted 11 May , 2004 The irish for eternoty is síoraíocht. Tom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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