Loyola College - Review Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

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CAPTAIN ARTHUR L. McGOVERN, 28th Battalion, B.A. 1909. Killed in Action, June 6th, 1916.

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LOYOLA COLLEGE REVIEW 15 the finest officers ever sent out. Another adds: ‘‘He was a favourite with every one from the Colonel to the теп.” The following extract from a Port Arthur paper is an eloquent testimonial to the high repute in which our graduate was held by his fellow-citizens. His name is fittingly coupled therein with that of his close friend. Port Arthur mourns the loss of two gallant sons. Arthur McGovern, a Port Arthur boy by birth, is dead. Clarence Milne, a Port Arthur boy by years of residence, is missing and supposed dead. No two officers among all who have gone from this city were better known than these, and the report of what has happened drives home to this city the fact of the war, more than anything that has happened since the St. Julien, in April, 1915, when the first big casualty list came in with many Port Arthur names on it. Clarence Milne and Arthur McGovern were both of the highest type of citizenship, young, vigorous, capable, and even brilliant in their civil life occupations. They might easily and even reasonably held back at least until the demand for men was greater, but those qualities which made them good citizens in times of peace were just those to hear the call of duty in time of war. No tribute that can be put in mere words on paper is too good to pay to these young men from Port Arthur who will never come back. To sorrowing relatives a whole city extends sincerest sympathy. Later, in a stirring appeal for recruits, the same paper says: ‘‘ Voices from over in France are calling you: voices of Clarence Milne and Arthur McGovern, men of honour, men of integrity, of ability, and men with a sense of public duty, who have left as much as or more than is keeping you. To Arthur's mother—a kind friend of Loyola—we offer our heartfelt’ con- dolence in her two-fold bereavement for Mr. McGovern died not long after the death in action of his noble son. LETTER FROM CAPTAIN ARTHUR L. McGOVERN Otterpool Camp, Sept. 16+Ь, 1915. I am leaving here this afternoon, at 5 p.m., on my way to France, and am writing this little note of farewell . . . The King reviewed us on September 2nd, and was very pleased with our appearance and good bearing. Lord Kitchener was also present and complimented us on our men... We expect to make a good showing. Belgium, Oct. 15th, 1915. · · . I wrote you from the trenches while we were doing our first spell, and in haste sent you a card when leaving to re-enter the trenches, after being out for six days. After the completion of our first spell, when we came out of the trenches for the first time, we marched to a little village about six miles behind the line for a rest. Alas! for our men, the proposed rest was one in name only, as they were kept continually employed on fatigue work, that is, carrying food to the troops in the trenches, etc. However, we “ rested for six days and re-entered the trenches on Wednesday, to take our second spell. Sad to say, our second venture was not as fortunate as the first, and we had a great number of casualties. The Germans very unkindly exploded a mine under a portion of our trenches and caused considerable loss of life. We were also shelled very heavily, and in connection with this shelling I had a fortunate escape, the particulars of which were as follows: А large German shell dropped in the trenches occupied by my platoon, and, while doing consid- erable damage to the trench itself, did not, luckily, cause any casualties. I took an officer of the Engineers down to look at the damage, and, while we were both examining same, the Germans landed another shell about ten yards in front of us, outside the trench. We heard the shell hit the ground and rebound along the ground until it struck the parapet with a shock that caused the whole section of parapet to shake, but luckily the shell did not explode. As we were standing right behind the place where it struck the parapet, we had a close shave, but we both laughed and promptly forgot all about it.