Fr Willie Doyle M.C.

R.Dub.Fusilier

I was at the talk about Fr Willie Doyle that was given by th WFA Dublin branch last Saturday. It was very interesting and there seems to be a new book being published in the future. I have attached some pictures of his medals. sorry they are not great.

enfield

In Memoriam. Father William Doyle, S.J., Chaplain to the Dublin Fusiliers, killed in action August 17th, 1917.

We have loved him as a father,
Thought of him as brother dear;
We forgot our pain and trouble
When we saw him coming near,
Or his pleasant voice could hear

From the day he joined the Dublins
He was aye the soldier’s friend;
Never heeding his own danger
If the wounded he could tend.
Or be with them to the end.

‘Twas a stirring sight to witness
when the waves of khaki broke
O’er the top, into the open,
And when gun and maxim spoke
Amid clouds of densest smoke.

Every man was fully armed
With the weapons of the day,
And each heart was full of courage
As they mass’d in a strong array,
Each one ready for the fray.

One there who bore no weapon,
Just his crucifix and brad;
For he would not leave his children,
Who relied on him, indeed,
To assist them in their need.

Vain to try to write the story
Of that great and splendid fight,
When the Dublins and their brothers
Put forth all their main and might
To achieve the goal in sight;

For their gallant charge at Menin
Is a record that will stand,
E’en amid the many marvels
Of this war by air and land
As a something that was grand.

“We have taken our objective”—
So the meagre message ran
Though one well could fill a volume
With the doings of each man
From the time the charge began

Moving with amazing swiftness
O’er the rough and broken ground,
Father Doyle, the zealous chaplain,
With them everywhere was found
Spreading peace and hope around.

With bullets flying round him
He could linger, undeterred,
As he bent his head to gather
The last, faintly-uttered word.
From some lips that scarcely stirred.

Till from out the rain of missiles
One at length has found its goal,
And the sweet and gentle Pastor
Passed beyond this earth’s control,
Yielded up to God his soul.

Though your body may be renting
In a distant foreign grave,
And your soul has gone to heaven
With the souls you helped to save
Through the graces that God gave.

In the hearts of all your children,
Father Doyle, you’re living still;
They do know, in God’s high union,
They your wishes best fulfil
By contentment with His will.

enfield

Roll of Honour.
In their despatches which were publicised on Wednesday last describing the fighting at Ypres, correspondents of the newspapers with the British Army in France especially referred to the devotion tp duty of an Irish Roman Catholic chaplain, who went forward with his men, cheering them on, and remaining with them until he was killed. The news reached Dublin yesterday of the death in action on the 17th inst of the Rev William J Gabriel Doyle, M.C, chaplain to the Royal Dublin Fusiliers. Father Doyle, who was a member of the Jesuit Order, was 44 years of age. He was educated at Radcliffe College, Leicester, and afterwards spent some years on the staff of Clongowes Wood College. Later he was sent to the houses of his Order at Limerick and Rathfarnham, County Dublin, and in November, 1915, he became an Army Chaplain. He went to France in February, 1916, and in the same year was mentioned in despatches and awarded the Military Cross.

kabakuyu

R.Dub.Fusilier wrote: »

I was at the talk about Fr Willie Doyle that was given by th WFA Dublin branch last Saturday. It was very interesting and there seems to be a new book being published in the future. I have attached some pictures of his medals. sorry they are not great.

Thanks for the pics RDF.I had read that Fr.Willie had been reccommended for the VC(but I could never confirm it)I also read that the triple disqualification of being an Irishman, a catholic,and a Jesuit proved insurmountable(this could be sour grapes by the writer)but if he had been recommended for the VC, another lesser award would usually be approved, I am just wondering was any other award made in lieu of the VC.
Regards,
KK.

Snickers Man

There was another Catholic chaplain, killed at Gallipoli, called Father Finn who many people believed should have been decorated for his bravery.

Being of the calibre of chaplain who felt that their proper place was at the side of a dying soldier, he had insisted on going ashore at V Beach with the Dublin Fusiliers on the first day of the landings.

The two Irish batallions that landed on V beach, the 1st Dublins and 1st Munsters, suffered such heavy casualties in the first few days that the two batallions were temporarily amalgamated into a unit named the "Dubsters".

Among the dead was Father Finn, who had been seen adminstering to several fatally wounded soldiers near the shore line before he was eventually killed.

One of those calling for his bravery to be marked with a posthumous decoration was John Redmond, who was outraged by the comparative lack of recognition of the courage of soldiers of the Irish regiments which had suffered so heavily. His calls fell on deaf ears.

Apparently, one of the arguments against decoration was that there was no eyewitness testimony to his bravery from an officer. Easy way to explain that; most of them had been killed.

It took a special sort of courage to be a chaplain under fire. Several Irish chaplains were noted for it, not least Willie Doyle. Although I think Finn was English born, he obviously had Irish heritage.

Another famous chaplain was Father Brown, the renowned photographer whose photographs of the Titanic are still remembered today. He was considered by Field Marshall Alexander, who attended his funeral, as the bravest man he ever met.

And more recently, the former Irish rugby international Robin Roe, an Anglican vicar from Carlow, won the Military Cross in Aden for rescuing men under fire while serving as a chaplain.

R.Dub.Fusilier

kabakuyu wrote: »

Thanks for the pics RDF.I had read that Fr.Willie had been reccommended for the VC(but I could never confirm it)I also read that the triple disqualification of being an Irishman, a catholic,and a Jesuit proved insurmountable(this could be sour grapes by the writer)but if he had been recommended for the VC, another lesser award would usually be approved, I am just wondering was any other award made in lieu of the VC.
Regards,
KK.

It is my understanding he was passed over for the VC despite it being endorsed by high ranking British officers.

Fr Finn mentioned above is another example of a brave man passed over for the VC.

Rev Gwynn of the Irish Guards was killed in action but dont know if he was Irish.

3 Church of England vicars received the VC.

kabakuyu

Thanks for the replies Gents.I do recall reading that the Irish Regiments in the 29th Division who were engaged at Gallipoli felt they were overlooked when it came to awards for that campaign(but Cosgrove of the RMF did get the VC)The 10th Irish division also felt they were overlooked for the Gallipoli campaign(maybe the War office were not inclined to decorate too many because the whole affair was a failure?)