Loyola College - Review Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

Page 28 text:

18 LOYOLA COLLEGE REVIEW FROM AN OFFICER AT THE FRONT Somewhere in France, I9th, June 1916. . . . From information I have since gathered the 28th went into action about the 2nd of June. Тћеу lost several men going to the trenches and found things warm when they got there. Тће Huns blew up a couple of mines on them . . . which wiped out half the battalion. I believe there are only five or six survivors of the Port Arthur and Fort William Company left . . . Poor Art. McGovern was fatally wounded, just previous to the mine explosions, and was alive when carried to the rear. I have been unable to find out for certain, but there is every reason to believe he received the Last Sacraments. When my own battalion came out three days ago, after a few hours' rest, I started to hunt up poor Art’s grave, and at last found it at a place called Reninghelst. Have enclosed a P.C. of the church at Reninghelst. Arthur is not buried in the churchyard, but in a military graveyard not а stone's throw from the church, so I thought it might interest you. Further, he must have often visited the church, for it is at no great distance from his rest camp. As soon as 1 located the grave, I had а wreath made and placed it on the grave, with a short note stating that it was from Leo Council, Knights of Columbus. . . . P.S. I hate postcripts, but I feel I have not paid sufficient tribute to the memory of poor Art. He was a great favourite amongst the men and officers of his Battalion—always cheery, and looked upon as a good soldier. In fact, I learn he was to have taken command of a Company, but for his untimely end. However, he died like a soldier and a man, facing the enemy and fighting for the right. FROM AN ANGLICAN CHAPLAIN 1 n is with the greatest difficulty that I attempt to express to you my sincere sympathy in your sad loss. I have very naturally been interested in the 28th Battalion, and have from time to time visited them, when they have been anywhere near me, and on each occasion I have seen Capt. McGovern, together with the other Port Arthur and Fort William boys. Less than two weeks ago, I saw them all, near our Advance Dressing Station, and they were all in their usual good spirits, happy and cheerful under such adverse circumstances. I was very upset to hear that they had suffered so heavily. Visiting the Battalion a few days ago, as far as I could gather, Capt. McGovern suffered no pain at all, and they were able to bring the body out of the trench. I was talking to Father de Jaddine this afternoon, and he it was who buried him in our Military Cemetery in Ren- inghelst. Е А cross will be erected in a few days, bearing the date, пате and Battalion, so that everything that could be done was done. Please accept my sincere and heartfelt sympathy in your sad bereavement. FROM A PORT ARTHUR BOY I feel, though, that it is a duty I owe to endeavor to give you some of the details regarding Capt. Terry McGovern, and, if I don't geta chance to write any of theother boys of Leo Council, you can pass it along to them. То begin with, I can tell you our boys were called on to hold one of the warmest corners on this front. “А” and “B” company were in the front line and “C” and “D” in supports. Terry was in charge of “С,” for this trip, and Capt. Milne of “A.” It seems to be usual luck of our battalions when anything is doing, to be intoit. This particular day, Fritz shelled the supreme dickens out of our trenches. The boys who were in it and fortunate enough to return say the whole place was like a scrap—iron heap. Of all the propositions they have been up against, this certainly was the worst. Then, on top of all thisshelling, a mine was blown up on them. Fritz came over and took a few of them prisoners. You will have to learn that from the local papers. Terry being in “C” company, was not blown up in the mine, but the same afternoon was hit with shrapnel, below the heart, and killed instantly. At first he was buried just behind the communication trench, but the same night was taken out and was brought down to the battalion on the transport. At this time we were a couple of miles from the battalion camp. Twenty-four of us were sent up to duty and for a couple of days I was detonating bombs with brigade bombers. I arrived at the camp just as they were taking Terry away to be buried in the cemetery, but too late to have a last look at him, nor was I able to attend the funeral, being for immediate duty. The priest was there, Bill, so he was given a decent burial, and now rests in the military cemetery not far from our present camp. We certainly have lost one of our very best officers in Terry. He sure was the most popular with the boys and right in his glory when catching for the battalion baseball team. у d T

Page 27 text:

LOYOLA COLLEGE REVIEW 17 Am getting on fine with my men, and am very proud of them, as they are excellent in every respect: cheerfully enduring hardship, ever ready to undertake any work, and eagerly awaiting a chance to have а go at the Germans. On my return (from the Hospital) to my own men, I got so enthusiastic a reception that I was indeed greatly touched. у February 12th, 1916. . . - A few days before we quitted the trenches, а party of our boys and a party of the 29th crawled out to the German barbed wire, which protects their, front, cut same and entered the German trenches, taking a number of prisoners, and inflicting great loss on the enemy. Our Battalion has received considerable praise for the work and we are all justly proud of the men, 39 in number, who took part in this attack. We were rather surprised when we received the order to move back for a period of rest, as we had grown so used to the routine, trenches, billets, trenches, billets, that we were unprepared for a change. So we find ourselves now in the same position, relatively speaking, as we were in, nearly five months ago, when we landed in France, and had been transported to within about ten miles of the firing line. Once again we are billeted in an old French farm house, our men occupying the barns and adjoining buildings. The weather has been very cold and wet, and our men have had rather a hard time of it, as the barns are very cold, and the work is rather severe. Alas! whata change. Of the number of officers who arrived in France with us, twelve are not with us to-day, by reason of wounds, illness, transfer and other causes, and many of our brave lads, who greeted “ Іа belle France with a smile, have found their last resting place in Belgian soil. After nearly five months, we find ourselves as a battalion far better acquainted with each other than in the olden days at Winnipeg, and in training camp in England. We have gradually weeded out the unfit and the sloper and find ourselves to-day as fine a body of men as wear the King’s uniform. When you have slept, eaten, fought and fasted with men for such a period; when you have seen them with the shells bursting close by, or the sniper's bullet skimming over their heads; when you have seen them cheerfully erecting barbed-wire entanglements in the open, about 125 yards from the Huns; when you have seen all these things, you are proud to belong to such a Battalion, very proud of your men, and your only ambition is that in the time of trial they will have no reason to be ashamed of you . . . FROM A FORMER MASTER . . . I cannot convince myself that poor Arthur has been cut down on the threshold of man- hood. I had always counted upon him, more perhaps than upon any of my former pupils, to have a brilliant and useful career. But God ordained otherwise. The poor boy had many noble impuls and a high sense of honour. It was for them I loved him so much. He was a good friend. ... FROM ANOTHER FORMER TEACHER I recently received the very sad news about your dear Arthur, and immediately my thoughts were directed to his parents, and chiefly to you. You may rest assured that we share your loss, and that you have our deepest sympathy. Some consolation may be derived from the fact that your beloved son has done his duty to his country heroically. A halo of glory will shine around his name. Noble motives had a great power over his noble heart, and his patriotic conduct isa credit to his parents and to those who have contributed to the formation of his character. s x У ` Mayor's Office, Port Arthur, Aug. 15th, 1916. I am instructed by the Council to convey to you the sympathy of this community in the loss of your son. As an officer, born and bred in Port Arthur, we had followed his career at the front with keen interest. Many of the boys in his Company sent word back in private letters, telling of the grip he had secured on the affections of his men, and of the confidence they had in his ability as a leader. We feel that, when his youthfulness is taken into consideration, the above testimony to his qualities points out that, had he been spared, he would have gone far, and even had we not known him personally, we should have felt that in losing him the country was probably poorer than it would have been by the loss of a hundred men in the ranks. . . T У У Argonaut Rowing Club, Toronto, Aug. 215+, 1916. I bave been directed by the Argonaut Committee to extend to you our deepest sympathy in the loss of your dear, dear son, Arthur. He was one of our best beloved members—gentle, kind and altogether Aristotle's true gentleman. He heard the call of Country and “ greater love no man hath than this, . . . . and it isin this heroism, we trust, that you will find your truest comfort . . . Meanwhile, Arthur's noble life will remain a symbol and sign for us of the Argonauts. -

Page 29 text:

LOYOLA COLLEGE REVIEW 19 CAPTAIN JOHN P. WALSH, C. A. M. С: Captain John P. Walsh was the first of Loyola's pioneers to give his life for the Empire. Не came to the College in 1896 and entered the class of Rudi- ments in the old building on St. Catherine Street. He remained with us until 1904, when he graduated with the degree of B. A. He wasa shy, delicate-looking boy, but his gentle manner and apparently frail build veiled a considerable strength of character, a coolness of determination, and a toughness of constitution, which his career both at the College and afterwards, and especially at the front, amply demonstrated. It was some time before the boys became acquainted with the real Jack Walsh, and still longer before his many qualities were fully appreciated. He was not brilliant, he never thrust himself on the notice of others, and consequently he passed at first for a very ordinary, quiet, pleasant student. As time went on, however, his amiability and really merry disposition made him popular with everyone, and, as he became better known, he won respect and esteem, and began to hold among the boys the position to which his solid traits of character entitled him. He was a conscientious persevering student, a self-sacrificing and enthu- siastic, though not demonstrative college man, a good all-round, though, if we except hockey, not a remarkable athlete. As a hockey-player he was certainly above the ordinary: a cool, tricky, hard-working, unselfish forward, with a fast, dangerous shot. At various times he held several positions on the Athletic Committee, and in the different Societies of the College and was towards he end of his course an officer in the Sodality of Our Lady. On leaving Loyola, Captain Walsh entered Medicine at McGill and graduated in 1908. Не practised in Quebec, his native city, and his life as a Doctor seems to have been to a great extent a repetition of his life as a student. The quality of his work was such as gradually to earn for him a large practice. He was always thorough, painstaking, cool and conscientious in the discharge of his professional duties. In the subjoined account from the ‘Quebec Chronicle will be found a brief outline of his active life before going to the front. In February, 1915, he went overseas with No. 2 Canadian General Hospital. After serving for five months at Le Tréport he was, at his own request, transferred to a combatant unit. The letters which follow bear ample testimony to his courage and determination and devotion to duty, both asa soldier and asaCatholic. “We shall merely add a few words in connection with the deed which earned such high praise for himin May, 1916. In the Eye-witness’ despatches graphically describing the heroism of the Canadian troops in defending a crater on their front against violent German attacks, the папе of Captain Walsh was mentioned for valorous conduct. The Canadians were depleted to a mere handful by the intense bombardment of the Germans, and the remnant of the garrison forced to retreat on their battalion. The Canadian Artillery, however, soon drove the enemy out of the crater, and a bombing party from the battalion again occupied the position, rescued the wounded, and restored the entrenchments. Many instances of individual bravery and conspicuous service are given in the despatch, several notable instances of self-sacrifice being mentioned, and among them is the heroic deed of Captain Walsh who fearlessly exposed himself to the