Captain
George C. DUGGAN, born in County Wicklow Ireland. Earned BA at
Trinity College, Dublin. International cross-country runner. Resided
in Dublin. Died of wounds at Gallipoli on August 16 1915, aged 29. No
known grave, commemorated on Helles Memorial.
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Padre
G.A. STUDDERT KENNEDY (1883-1929).
Born in Leeds. Educated Trinity College, Dublin. Ordained as
Anglican minister 1908; became an Army chaplin Dec 1915.
Served in France 1916-1918. Became known as "Woodbine Willie" for his habit of handing
out Woodbine cigarettes to the troops, among whom he was well-
known and well-liked for sharing their hardships. Wrote ballads
in the style of Kipling, and dialect poems. His war poems appeared
in
Rough Rhymes of a Padre (1918),
More Rough Rhymes of a Padre (1920) and
The Unutterable Beauty (1927). After the war he worked on behalf
of the underprivileged.
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Tom KETTLE.
Born February 9, 1880, in Artane, County Dublin. Irish patriot & resolute advocate of Home Rule for a united Ireland. Despite his sympathies, Kettle volunteered for military service during WWI and was killed fighting for England in the Somme offensive of September 1916. "If I live, I mean to spend the rest of my life working for perpetual peace. I have seen war and faced modern artillery and know what an outrage it is against simple men."
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Francis LEDWIDGE, born in Slane, County Meath, Ireland,
19 August 1887. Educated Slane Board School. Was befriended by
Lord Dunsany, who introduced him to other Irish literati. Worked on
the roads and in a copper mine. One of the founding members of the
Slane branch of the Meath Labour Union. Served with 5th Battalion
Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers in the Dardanelles in August 1915, during
which time his battalion lost half its men in nine days fighting.
Served in Salonika in late 1915. In December, while in a six-day
forced retreat under severe attacks from the Bulgarians, Ledwidge lost
all his manuscripts save a few rain-soaked remnants. He suffered a
severe inflamation in his back which caused his collapse and four
months hospitalization in Cairo. Was sent to hospital in Manchester
in April 1916, where news of the Easter Rising, and the death of his
friend and fellow poet Thomas MacDonagh upset him deeply. Was
court-martialled and stripped of his rank in May for overstaying
his leave and insubordination. Spent next seven months in
Ebrington Barracks, Derry. Rejoined his Battalion in the village of
Picquigny, north of Amiens, in December 1916. In early 1917 was
drafted to "B" Company, 1st Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers,
part of the 29th Division, and sent first to Carnoy, then to a camp
in Le Neuville, near Corbie. While there he began a correspondence
with the Irish poetess, Katherine Tynan. The Battalion was in billets
at Le Neuville in early March, 1917. In early April the 1st Battalion
arrived in Arras; it moved to Proven in the Ypres area on 27 June, and
served intermittantly in trenches for the next seven months.
Ledwidge was killed on 31 July on the opening day of the third Battle of Ypres by
an exploding shell.
~~~
THE COMPLETE POEMS OF FRANCIS LEDWIDGE. With Introductions
by Lord Dunsany. Herbert Jenkins, 1919 .
~~~ Alice Curtayne,
FRANCIS LEDWIDGE: A LIFE OF THE POET (1887-1917). Martin Brian & O'Keeffe, 1972.
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Patrick MacGILL (1890-?).
Born in Donegal. No formal education; worked as labourer from
age of 12 to 19. Worked for Daily Express beginning in
1911, on editorial staff. Joined up as soon as war was declared.
Promoted to Sergeant in 1/18th Battalion, London Irish Rifles.
To France, March 1915; wounded at Loos, October 1915. Wrote about
his war experiences in
The Amateur Army (1915),
The Red Horizon (1916), and
The Great Push (1916). His war poems appeared in
Soldier Songs (1916).
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