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9781449513146

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We are about to give excerpts from a biography written by Alfred O'Rahilly on Fr. William Doyle S.J. This is what was reported in the newspaper about what happened to Fr. Doyle. All through the worst hours an Irish padre went about among the dead and dying giving absolution to his boys. Once he came back to head quarters, but he would not take a bite of food or stay, though his friends urged him. He went back to the field to minister to those who were glad to see him bending over them in their last agony. Four men were killed by shell fire as he knelt beside them, and he was not touched not touched until his own turn came. A shell burst close by, and the padre fell dead. Fr. Doyle had found the wounded officer lying far out in a shellcrater. He crawled out to him, absolved and anointed him, and then, half dragging, half carrying the dying man, managed to get him within the line. Three officers came up at this moment, and Mclnespie was sent for some water. This he got and was handing it to Fr. Doyle when a shell burst in the midst of the group, killing Fr. Doyle and the three officers instantaneously, and hurling Mclnespie violently to the ground. Later in the day some of the Dublins when retiring came across the bodies of all four. Recognizing Fr. Doyle, they placed hint and a Private Meehan, whom they were carrying back dead, behind a portion of the Frezenberg. Fr. Doyle met his death assigned to his Irish flock in spite of what they had suffered during the previous day. On 16th August 1917 the 16th Division made an advance along the Frezenberg ridge behind Ypres, where English Divisions had already failed several times.

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