Father Browne's First World War by E E O'Donnell

Author:E E O'Donnell [O'Donnell, E E]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780306821738
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: Hachette Books
Published: 2014-10-28T00:00:00+00:00

It was with a heavy heart, therefore, that Fr Browne returned to his own Battalion and to the series of battles in which it was engaged, as listed above. He was slightly wounded at the Battle of Poelkapelle in September, but he did not write home about it. As the Guards moved on towards Passchendaele on 9 October, however, he did write home to the Provincial to say: “This is only a warning note. You will see my name once more in the ‘Roll of Honours’ [i.e. on the list of those Injured in Action], but you must not be anxious about me. I am rather annoyed at being ‘sent in’, for really my wound is nothing”.34

On his return from the dressing-station, behind the lines, he received bad news and wrote to the Provincial again on 12 October: “Only about two hours ago, I heard of the death of Fr Bergin. He was hit through the shoulder and lung and lived for only a few minutes”.35 Fr Michael Bergin SJ was the Tipperary man who belonged to the Lyon Province of the Jesuits and who served with the Australian forces. He was buried in the war cemetery at Runninghelst, Belgium, not far from where the 2nd Battalion of the Irish Guards was fighting its way towards Passchendaele.

At the beginning of November 1917, Fr Browne reported that “Father Lane Fox is going away sick and Fr Rawlinson [the Head Chaplain back in England] has made me Senior (Non C of E!!) Chaplain to the Irish Guards”.36 His new position carried the rank of Major and his promotion entailed a move to the south where the Irish Guards were engaged in another move towards Cambrai.

In the latter half of November 1917 Major Browne’s regiment was fully engaged on the outskirts of Cambrai, having been transported there for the fight. His men were responsible for the successful defence of Bourlon Wood which stands a little to the north-west of Cambrai itself. He reported to the Provincial as follows: “I find I am entered as having got a Bar to my MC – for what I cannot tell you. Probably because I made a fool of myself at the Battle of Bourlon Wood and very narrowly escaped being taken prisoner”.37 It was in this laconic way that the chaplain acknowledged the receipt of an Honour that has been conferred on relatively few people during the First Word War.

On 16 December Fr Browne wrote home to say: “I have been through a good deal but my last experience really caps it all. But we hope to spend Christmas in peace”.38 Their hope came to fruition, but in early January of the New Year things were as bad as ever and the chaplain only had time to send a postcard with the cryptic message: “My work is rather heavy just now”.39

The official schedule for operations of the 2nd Battalion of the Irish Guards for the year 1918 reads as follows:

Battle of Saint Quentin

Battle of Nieppe Forest

Battle

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