Father Finn 273 



Kitchener's warning, failed to recognise the enormous under- 

 taking ahead of us. 



Each CathoHc priest has been paid by the Enghsh Govern- 

 ment and everything provided for him at the pubHc expense, 

 even a portable altar and all things necessary for the celebration 

 of the Holy Communion in the field. 



The first army chaplain of any denomination to fall in the 

 war was Father Finn, who was attached to the 1st Dublin 

 Fusiliers. He was killed on April 25, 1915, at Sedd-el-Bahr 

 at the mouth of the Straits — ^" the worst and bloodiest of all 

 the landings," according to John Masefield. 



On the Ides of March, 1915, heedless of Caesar's warning, 

 the 1st Dublin Fusiliers, who had been training at Kenilworth, 

 left that town with their officers and chaplain by the 10.30 p.m. 

 train, for they knew not where. 



All Kenilworth used to run to their garden gates when they 

 heard the " Dubs " (as they affectionately called the Dublin 

 Fusiliers) marching along and trying to keep their hearts up by 

 singing " It's a Long, Long Way to Tipperary." No one in 

 Kenilworth can bear to hear it now. After the dark night of 

 March 15th had swallowed up those cheery lads who had won 

 the hearts of Kenilworth, all was wrapped in mystery. No 

 little bird whispered where they were, no little bird even pre- 

 tended to know, and for all Kenilworth knew the " Dubs " 

 might have been swept off the face of the earth, until the 

 papers arrived one bright May morning — I think it was the 4th 

 — the newspapers arrived blazing with the account of the 

 brilliant and successful landing of the heroic " Dubs " at the 

 Dardanelles, a feat of arms " that will add lustre to the glorious 

 records of the British Army " : so said the papers. 



In General Sir Ian Hamilton's vividly-written despatch 

 picturing those landing operations he says, "It is my firm 

 conviction that no finer feat of arms has ever been achieved by 

 the British soldiers or any other soldiers than the storming of 

 those trenches from the open boats on the morning of April 25th, 

 1915." 



That was the date of the landing of the 29th Division on the 

 Gallipoli peninsula. These troops were especially assigned that 

 almost impossible task, being well-seasoned men, the last large 

 unit remaining of the old regular army. 



T 



