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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

'Last Absolution of the Munsters'


Mark Hone

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<<Thank you very much for your kind comment... and wait for few days, I will speak about Adèle's missal... it is incredible !!!

Very friendly

Michel>>

Hi Michel, I look forward to 'hearing' about the missal.

<<we will never forget them, you can be very proud of them, and it is better late that never.

Michel

PS : how lovely was your grand'mother>>

Michel,

Better late than never indeed. And thank you for the compliment for my grandmother.

<<Hi JPC,

I note from the photo of ancestor Doyle, he is displaying two wound stripes on lower left sleeve.

Sullivan.>>

Thanks for the tip, Sullivan. I am not entirely sure of his surname, it was either Doyle or Moore. I am inclined to think it was Moore as my grandmother said that her mother's family, the Moores, were all tall and fair, just like the man in the picture. I also think that he may have survived the war as there is no record of a Royal Irish Regiment casualty of the name of Sergeant Michael Doyle or Michael Doyle - unless, of course, he switched regiment towards the end of the war. JPC

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I must have missed this thread, or I've been asleep!

If anyone is interested, I did some research on a soldier from the 2/RMF and have the war diaries from October 1914 to October 1915, although October in both years is not complete as that's when the soldier I looked at joined and was then killed.

They're all hi-res photo so if you'd like copies let me know.

Take care,

Steve

Many thanks to Steve for sharing the war diaries with me when i asked. It's quite an event even on a quick glance to read the day to day routine of the battalion.

Thanks, Steve!

Marina

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Hello Michel and All,

I read today in the 'Irish Times' an article about the 'Société d'études militaires franco-irlandaises' (SEMFI) and their interesting conference recently -

http://calenda.revues.org/nouvelle8833.html

The article says that France again contemplated liberating Ireland in the early 20th century - which makes for interesting speculation - and reproduces this photograph, below. I wonder if you have seen this before, or even come across similar? The cap badges would seem to be obscured. JPC

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  • 2 weeks later...

Pat,

I understand that you served Mass for Father Frank and are over in Ireland. My family is at St. Catherine's this week for a special Mass. I'm sure they would be interested in meeting with you. My Uncle Paul (Gleason) will be there with my brother Mick and other family members as well. I don't know what there itinerary is but you should be able to find my Uncle quickly. He'll be the one talking. God love him.

Sean G

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  • 2 weeks later...
And we have time to listen if you will share!

Marina

hi marina

sorry i have been away so long unfortunatly my eldest brother died in dublin,

he was the brother who with me served fr. gleesons requem mass

while in dublin I photographed fr. gleesons grave in glaseneven cemetry

i will try to post it for you

regards

pat saunders

post-24667-1191607679.jpg

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Pat,

Sorry to hear about your brother. But thank you for posting the picture that you took of Fr. Gleeson's grave in Glasnevin, good to know where he is buried. JPC

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[quote name='paddy13' my eldest brother died in dublin,

he was the brother who with me served fr. gleesons requem mass

while in dublin I photographed fr. gleesons grave in glaseneven cemetry

i will try to post it for you

regards

pat saunders

I have several photos of the grave i will post the others in due course,

the inscription reads PLEASE PRAY FOR PTHE REPOSE OFTHE SOUL OF

VERY REV. CANON FRANCES ANTHONY GLEESON

PARISH PRIEST ST CATHERINES MEATH ST DUBLIN

DIED 26 JUNE 1959

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Yes thank you Paddy for the photo - it brings us closer somehow !with the royal Dublin fus

My thoughts are with you !

Annie

thank you annie

while I am a native of dublin 20 years ago i moved to Manchester

My Grandfather (Mothers side ) came from birkenhead

he served as a stretcher bearer during 14-18 war Ithink (not sure)he

was in the Royal Dublin Fusaliers

his name was Christopher May

Try as i may I can not trace him

he died in Dublin circa 1948

regards pat

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Hi Pat !

I don't mean to hijack this thread but I just wanted to say to Pat .........

I found a Francis May in the Pension papers with a brother Christopher at 15 Gloucester Place Dublin !

Couldn't find anything else though !

You might want to start a new thread for Christopher .... maybe somebody will be able to help you !

Annie :)

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Hi Pat !

I don't mean to hijack this thread but I just wanted to say to Pat .........

I found a Francis May in the Pension papers with a brother Christopher at 15 Gloucester Place Dublin !

Couldn't find anything else though !

You might want to start a new thread for Christopher .... maybe somebody will be able to help you !

Annie :)

Thank you Annie

Pat,

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Hi Pat,

which sad news to read about your brother's death, please accept my saddened condolences.

Thank you very much for the picture of Father Gleeson's grave.

very friendly

Michel

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hello everyone,

I have been following this fascinating and at times very moving thread. My special interest is about chaplains in WW1 and WW2. I am an occasional contributor to "Ireland's Own" magazine and I have been in contact with the editor about writing a small article about "The Last Absolution" and Fr. GLEESON and he has asked me to submit about 800 words. Does anyone on the thread have any objection to my using some of the information in the thread?

Bob DENNIS (bobdennis9@btinternet.com)

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Feel free, Bob, and I will look forward to the article - do let us know when it is to be published. JPC

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Hello Bob,

There is of course no problem for me, could we simply read the contents of your article before its publication?

very friendly

Michel

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Hello all,

I told you there was some time that I would tell you about the history of the missal of Adele, I think the photograph of this newspaper article will do much better than me.

Not bad eh ?

If you want the picture in normal size, please pm me.

very friendly

Michel

post-10155-1193753492.jpg

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Hello all,

I told you there was some time that I would tell you about the history of the missal of Adele, I think the photograph of this newspaper article will do much better than me.

Not bad eh ?

If you want the picture in normal size, please pm me.

very friendly

Michel

Michel,

This is wonderful. Is there any writing inside the missal. Fr. GLEESON had missals sent over from Ireland for the regiment just before the attack on the 9th May 1915 (see post 551 - page 23). Could this be one os the Munsters Missals. If there is writing could you post a photo of it?

Bon chance mon ami

Bob DENNIS

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Bob,

sorry but the missal did not come from Irland and he was not one of the Munsters missals.

He was and he is Adèle's property since her birth.

very friendly

Michel

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Michel !

Adele looks lovely ! .... how nice to see her smiling face ! :)

I'd love to see the paper .... I'll send you a PM !

Thanks for sharing her with us !

Annie :)

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The person who was trying to locate it was me, the originator of this whole thread, in preparation for my school battlefields tour to the area. The tour took place two years ago, but I'd still be very interested in a copy of the picture.

A little bit more on the 'missing' German painting of the 9th May 1915 action.

I have having a stab at translating the history of the 55th Infantry Regiment. It is hard work as the thing was written in gothic German. Here is the German account of the attack which includes a description of the painting. The translation is a bit stilted at times, I have tried to stick to the original as closely as I could. the German language has changed considerably since the late 1920s. The author refers to the British as 'English' throughout.

Here goes;

Only in isolated locations did the enemy manage to get into the German trenches, and here a bloody execution took place. The most intense hand-to-hand fighting took place on the regiment’s left wing. The third platoon of the 11/55 had that morning been almost wiped out to the last man by the bombardment that also killed its brave leader, deputy officer Sefting. The first enemy attack at 06:30 in the morning was bloodily defeated by two sections of the first platoon under sergeant Pruessner, who had hurried to the threatened position with his troops. Now the enemy attacking with overwhelming strength managed to penetrate the trenches held by the 57th Infantry Regiment and from there to completely encircle the 11th company. Approximately fifty Englishmen [sic] assaulted the flank and the rear of the company. However the troops from Lippe under the excellent leadership of Oberleutenant Herbert Reuter proved themselves able to fulfil their orders. This heroic combat has been captured by war artist Weinberg in his picture (See picture; The 11/55 in the May 1915 battle near La Bassee). We see the remains of the 11th company in the ruins of their trenches firing to both the front and to the rear and in the middle Oberleutenant Reuter as he throws hand grenades at the English attackers. From the other combatants ensign von Scheven, tambour Haase, trumpet corporal Hagemeister, corporals Staab and Pruessner and the riflemen Guellvold and Laukamp. In the background the remains of Richebourg are visible and in front of the village the British trenches, also further to the left in the cover of a stream bed the enemy creeping forward. Eight of these were captured; all of the rest were killed. In this battle Corporal Ziegenbein from Hiddesen also distinguished himself. He was always at the side of his company commander every shot he made hit its target. He fell with the words ‘ Oberleutenant the English are behind us’.

At another position the Indians managed to break in. The Ghurkhas and Sikhs with their weapons from the homeland, the fighting knife clutched in the fist jumped wildly into the weakened German positions. But, this did not provoke the men from Westfalen. With bayonets and rifle butts they went at the coloured men. After a short time the fight was over, the English attack had failed.

Regards

David

.[/[/size]color]

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Hello David,

what a good work you did ! very interesting to read the german "feeling" of the battle.

I am searching infomation about Weinberg war artist and the "missing" painting, because, you know I am very interested by that battle.

Do yo think possible the name "Weinberg" could be "Werrenberg" ?

Very friendly

Michel

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I enjoyed seeing that, david. Sometims I forget there was in fact another army with fles and blood men in it.

Marina

Hello Marina,

I agree totally with you, let us never forget in each war there is an other army with husbands, sons and brothers, etc.... and also many suffering and families tears....

Michel

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Hello David,

what a good work you did ! very interesting to read the german "feeling" of the battle.

I am searching infomation about Weinberg war artist and the "missing" painting, because, you know I am very interested by that battle.

Do yo think possible the name "Weinberg" could be "Werrenberg" ?

Very friendly

Michel

Hello Michel,

The name is quite clearly Weinberg. I have made another better copy of the illustration of the painting unfortunately I seem to have lost the ability to post images on this site. I have tried to Google the painting but have not found anything. If it survived WW2 (lots of things didn't) it is possibly somewhere in the Lippe area where the regiment was based.

Regards

David

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