michel knockaert Posted 6 June , 2007 Share Posted 6 June , 2007 Hi all, This Monday June 4 in the morning, I had the immense privilege to guide along "la rue du bois" with Richebourg a group of about thirty inhabitant of Bandon Co Cork Ireland, come to collect itself on the place of “ the last absolution ”. This photograph was taken with “Cinder Track” which was on May 9, 1915 in the morning the right limit of the position of the Munsters before the attack of Aubers Ridge. The group was under the direction of Mr Billy Good from Bandon War Memorial Committee. Thank you very much Billy to have trusted me. Michel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 6 June , 2007 Share Posted 6 June , 2007 Bet you enjoyed that day, Michel! Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michel knockaert Posted 6 June , 2007 Share Posted 6 June , 2007 Bet you enjoyed that day, Michel! Marina oh yes Marina, you cannot imagine at which point !!! very friendly Michel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michel knockaert Posted 6 June , 2007 Share Posted 6 June , 2007 Michel, Just catching up with the posts to GWF. Many thanks for the photo of Private Borrowdale,s grave. After so many years his name has not been forgotten. Regards, James. It is my great pleasure James, best wishes Michel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liverpool annie Posted 7 June , 2007 Share Posted 7 June , 2007 How cool that is Michel ! ......... ( You and Billy together - what a twosome !! ) Was it very emotional ? .... I can imagine it would be ! Annie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michel knockaert Posted 7 June , 2007 Share Posted 7 June , 2007 How cool that is Michel ! ......... ( You and Billy together - what a twosome !! ) Was it very emotional ? .... I can imagine it would be ! Annie Oh Annie... Very emotional you said... the word is weak, I can not still to believe in it !!! It was a marvellous moment... I hope to remake as soon possible ! Michel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean G Posted 13 June , 2007 Share Posted 13 June , 2007 My name is Paul C. Gleason, here in Bethlehem, Pennysylvania in the U. S. I have been trying to get on to this web site to give a little bit of information on my Uncle Father Frank or Francis Gleeson of the Munsters. I had some difficulty logging in so I am using the access of my nephew Sean Gleason up in Haverhill, Mass. Father Frank as he was spoken of in our house was the brother of my father, Benedict F. Gleason. My father Ben G. was the 7th son and the eleventh child of Rody and Margaret (Williams) Gleeson. Father Frank was the next child after my father therefore number 12. there were two more after that for a total of 14 children. Fr. Frank and three sisters also joined the Religious. Sister Mary Thomas, Sisters of Mercy, Sister Mary Elizabeth (I think) Sisters of St John of God in Wexford and Sister Veronica, Sister of St. Joseph's of Newark, here in the States. For your further information, my parents had seven sons of which I am the seventh. Therefore, from my experiences in Ireland, I point out that I happen to be a 7th son of a 7th son. Somewhat rare in Ireland or anywhere. I have read thru much of the webb site but not all. I did see a picture of myself when I was in Ireland visting with members of the officers of the Munster Fusiliers Society. A question was posed why is my name spelled Gleason with an "a". I think I know the answer but I am not sure. Here it goes. I often asked my dad why the letters from Ire. always spelled "our name" Gleeson instead of Gleason as we did. His answer was that when he came thru Ellis Island in New York City, the people in Immigration changed his name by spelling it with the "A" and he never changed it. I have visited the archives in Ellis Island and found the manifest of the ship that my dad arrived on. It was the SS Celtic and arrived in NYC in October of 1906. On the manifest it was spelled Gleeson, but thereafter on all of his Citizenship papers it read Gleason. Here is where I am making a guess, but three others in the family also arrived in NYC. Uncle Pat, Uncle Paul and Aunt Bridget (Sister Veronica) All of them as they lived out their lives in the USA used the name Gleason. It is my belief and guess, that as imigrants coming here to the US they wished to become "Americanized" as quickly as they could and so they changed their names to the American spelling of their name Gleeson. It is clearly the most dominent spelling of the name and you seldom see the Gleeson over here. All of this is a guess, but I think a good one. In my visit to Ellis Island, I tried to clarify this but had no luck at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liverpool annie Posted 14 June , 2007 Share Posted 14 June , 2007 Hi Paul ! Nice to meet you and welcome to the Forum !! Thank you so much for sharing your family with us ! ....... I was just thinking about your question about the spelling of Gleeson ..... I know my family were unable to read and write ... so through the years I have 8 different spellings of their name ..... and as they were unable to read - even after they saw their paperwork they didn't know it was spelt wrong ! plus they were apprehensive of authority figures ( even priests !!!!!! ! ) I for one - would love to hear the family stories about Father Frank ........ did you ever hear the story of the Absolution ?? Annie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean G Posted 14 June , 2007 Share Posted 14 June , 2007 This is Paul Gleason again about my Uncle Father Gleeson. I really don't have too much to report from my recollection in my father's discussion of his brother but it was very clear and obvious that he held him in the highest esteem. My father returned to Ireland in 1955 after being away from Ireland for 50 years. I have a copy of his trip in a daily diary that he kept and his trip was spent pretty much totally with his brother Fr. Frank. I recall that Fr. Frank was a non drinker and my father was not a heavy drinker in any manner but he did enjoy a daily libation. generally no more than one though. In the diary he commented about how he would sorta sneak into a pub while they were driving around. He noted that at 1st his brother did not think well of these stops but he further commented that when he saw that my dad was just bracing himself against the cool Irish weather, his fears went away. They spent a bit of time touring but most of the time in their home town of Templemore. I do recall my father talking about his brother having been "gassed" during one of the battles with the Fusiliers. It apparently was not very serious lasting effects, but any of that is too much. I think I read something in the blog a question about where he is burried. I did visit his old Parish on Meath Street in the old Guiness's part of Dublin. St. Catherine's. It was then run by an Order group of Priests. I believe Redempturist's. The pastor told me that Cannon Gleeson was burried in Dublin in , I believe Glasniven Cemetary where a lot of priests are burried. He added that "properly" , he was burried between two Bishops. I did visit his grave and it is a flat grave with his name on the top of the flat stone. I do believe that somewhere in my records I did take a picture of his grave. He did come to visit our family where we lived in Coney Island in Brooklyn New York which is part of NYC. It was in 1927, so at that time I was only 2 years old and can not recall any of that trip. He and my Dad did keep in touch via mail over the years and they were very fond of each other. I did meet the two ladies that worked in the Church, one in charge of the Grotto attached to the Church and the other a cleaning lady that noted it was Cannon G. who hired her.One of the ladies said I looked like my uncle and when I laughed she said "She could hear him in the same tone of my laughter." I was flattered to hear that. I will continue at another time. PCG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 14 June , 2007 Share Posted 14 June , 2007 Hw nice to hear all this. I'd love to hear a laugh from 1914! Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michel knockaert Posted 14 June , 2007 Share Posted 14 June , 2007 Hi Paul, very happy to read you here Thank you very much for talking to us about Father Gleeson and your family. Michel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liverpool annie Posted 9 July , 2007 Share Posted 9 July , 2007 Hi Everybody ! I don't know if you guys have all seen this already .... but I hadn't ! http://limerickcity.ie/media/Media,4025,en.pdf On page 163 ...... two things strike me ......... 1. Fr. (later Canon) Gleeson, served for many years in Dublin and donated the stole used at Rue du Bois to a Munsters' museum. Has anybody seen it or are there any photos of it ?? 2. After the war - the shrine at Rue du Bois was bulldozed into a pile of rubble to make way for a road. In the 1930's the owner of the land built a little wayside memorial chapel on this new road from Bethune and krmentiers. In 1971, it was discovered that the owner of a nearby cottage had the original plaque that had been placed at the shrine to commemorate the Munsters. Annie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michel knockaert Posted 9 July , 2007 Share Posted 9 July , 2007 Hello Annie, wonderful document ! It would be indeed very interesting to see Father Gleeson's stole. For the second point that confirm what we say since the beginning, thank you very much Michel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wdragon Posted 4 August , 2007 Share Posted 4 August , 2007 Earlier in this thread someone was trying to locate a painting called The 11/51 in the May battle near La Bassee (this is the German title of the battle known as Aubers Ridge by the British). I have located a history of the 51st Infantry it includes a black and white picture of the painting. The quality is very poor I will try and get a copy of it next week and if it is reproducible post it here. The unit defending the front against the Munster's attack was the 5th Company of the 51st Regiment. There were two machine gun emplacements directly opposite the Munsters. The 5th Company lost eight men killed on 9th May 1915. I have a copy of a map of the German positions on the day but it is too large to upload. Regards David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Hone Posted 4 August , 2007 Author Share Posted 4 August , 2007 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wdragon Posted 4 August , 2007 Share Posted 4 August , 2007 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. Hello Mark, I did make a photocopy of the picture but it is too dark and shows almost nothing, there was a long queue at the copy machine I did not have any opportunity to play with the contrast controls, I hope to go back next week and do just that. The book was published in 1929 and does not include any acknowledgement for the illustrations. Regards David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michel knockaert Posted 8 August , 2007 Share Posted 8 August , 2007 Hello David, I think that all the friends who took part in this thread would be very interested by the copy of painting, even those which are not “the originitor of this whole thread”… very in a friendly way Michel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michel knockaert Posted 8 August , 2007 Share Posted 8 August , 2007 Hello all, Here a new photograph of the Chapel “Notre-Dame de Séez” which recently Simone lent to me. She is on photograph, she is the girl who holds the little girl by the hand. Simone lived a long time with her husband Emile in the farm in the back of the Chapel,she cleaned and maintained it until its destruction in 1970 Michel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michel knockaert Posted 8 August , 2007 Share Posted 8 August , 2007 And now here Simone today in her house of "la rue de l'Epinette" where she benefits from a well deserved retirement with her husband Emile. All her life she contributed to the homage paid to Munster and their sacrifice. Thank you Simone. Michel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 8 August , 2007 Share Posted 8 August , 2007 Cheers, Simone! And Michel - good to see you back! Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greyhound Posted 8 August , 2007 Share Posted 8 August , 2007 How marvellous! Simone looks like a lovely lady. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckop4 Posted 9 August , 2007 Share Posted 9 August , 2007 Michel, Wonderful to see you back indeed! And a coincidence because I too was thinking of the lads'today as I read through the 'In Memoriam' column of the 'Cork Examiner' for the 9th of May, 1917. Some of the little 'poems' that accompany them are very touching, like this one, for Private Denis Hogan, who was an only son:- 'Far from home and friends and country, And the joys of manhood's day. Beneath the sky of sunny France, That fair Sabbath morn in May, Mid the Munsters' bayonet gleaming, In the vanguard of the fight, From strife of war and wounds and death, You passed to peace and light' (Inserted by his sorrowing mother and sisters) JPC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian turner Posted 9 August , 2007 Share Posted 9 August , 2007 Thanks Michel, It is gratifying to know of such people as Simone. For passing info: There is a thread under 'Soldiers' concerning a Private Patrick Barry who appears to have served in the 2RMF. He survived the war. Just to avoid confusion, it appears that this was a popular name from the recruiting area and needless to say there were more than one Patrick Barry in Irish regiments and the 2RMF! Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wdragon Posted 9 August , 2007 Share Posted 9 August , 2007 I apologise for the quality of this, but it is the best I can produce. It seems to show a small party of British troops (with flat topped caps) making a close assault on a German position. Behind the position there is a mass of men advancing and behind them a row of buildings. I suspect that this may be the Rue du Bois. Regards David 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian turner Posted 9 August , 2007 Share Posted 9 August , 2007 Cannot do much to improve it - just more B+W, but loosing some detail. Anyway, thanks for the post of this picture, another angle on this topic. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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