Father Finn ' 279 



The study, rather than the battlefield, seemed more suited 

 to him. 



An oil-painting of Father Finn has been presented to the 

 College at Ushaw bearing the inscription, " The Rev. W. J. 

 Finn, C.F., attached to the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, who fell at 

 Sedd-el-Bahr, April 25th, 1915. The first Army Chaplain of 

 any denomination to give his life in the Great War. 



" Presented by his sister." 



I am sorry there has been no official recognition of Father 

 Finn's glorious death, and I know my regret was shared by Mr. 

 John Redmond, who exerted himself in every possible way to 

 obtain this recognition, meeting with the most sympathetic 

 reception in the matter both from General Sir Ian Hamilton and 

 General Sir Hunter Weston, each of them describing Father 

 Finn's gallantry as worthy of the highest recognition. 



Mr. Redmond tells me the only reason why such recognition 

 was not given was because it was impossible to obtain the two 

 living witnesses who were necessary in order that the Victoria 

 Cross might be conferred on him after his death, and that the 

 other decorations at the disposal of the War Office cannot, 

 according to the rules and regulations, be conferred posthu- 

 mously. 



I doubt if Father Finn would have cared for worldly 

 recognition of anything he had done, and it certanily cannot 

 matter to him now, but it is a duty and a pleasure for the living 

 to keep ever green in their hearts and minds the heroic deeds of 

 those who have gone, and it would have been a great pleasure 

 to his friends and to the regiments he served so faithfully, to 

 the members of the parishes where he had worked, and to 

 Ireland generally. 



Since writing this chapter Mr. John Redmond has died 

 One of the last letters he wrote before his operation, was to me, 

 and dated from the House of Commons, expressing his admira- 

 tion of Father Finn and his pleasure that I was writing of his 

 gallantry, and saying how sorry he was that it had been im- 

 possible to gain any public recognition of his bravery. Every- 

 thing connected with Ireland and the Irish was dear to the 

 heart of Mr. Redmond. 



^^ The Roman Catholic chaplains have a fine and honourable 

 record. Father Finn was the first to fall on the Eastern front 



