Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-06-25
VICTORIA CROSS
AWARDED CHAPLAIN
Brings In Wounded Men From
Ground Swept by Machine
Gun Fire.
RISKS HIS LIFE REPEATEDLY
Story OF Death Of Father Finn, OF
Dublin Fusiliers, at Gal
liDoli Landing.
RISKS HIS LIFE REPEATEDLY

severa! have los, their lives in this
war The padres arc popular with
the Tommies. even those who arc not
won, to follow their good prccepts
with regularity The army waE
pleased when IL heard the Victoria
Cross most priced OF all British war
decorations. had been bestowed on the
Rev Edward Noel Mcilish. FOR most
cons picuous bravery"
During heavy fighting on three con-
secutive days the Official record
states. "hc repeatedly went backward
and forward under continuous and
heavy shell and machine gun fire be-
tween our original trenches and those
ca ptured from the enemy. in order TO
tend and rescue. He brought in ten
badly wounded men in one day from
ground swept by machinc-gun fire. and
three were actually killed while he
was dressing their wounds"
The battalion to which he was at
tached was relieved on the second day.
but ne went back and brought in
twelve more wounded men. On the
night Of the third day he took charge
Of "a party OF volunteers. and once more
returned TO the trenches 20 rescue the
remaining wounded.
Among the chaplains who have died
on the UcI1 OF pdttlc arc captain the
Rev. A ellison, a Scotchman. OF the
Fourteenth Australian Battalion, and
Captain Grant "a New Zealand cha pla n.
both Of whom fell AZ the Dardaneiles;
Father Gwynn, chaplain of the Irish
Guards. who was killed in Flanders:
Father Finn. chaplain of the Royal
Dublin Fusliers. who heroically died
at the landing at Sedd-el- Bahr. IN the
Gal!ipoli Peninsula. and Rev. Guy Ford,
chaplain Of the London Scottish, who
met his fate at the hands Of German
sn!per.
The story OF Ford's heroic death is
told In a letter from one Of the London
Scottish.
"a man was lying wounded in the
open. and the chaplain went out to
attend TO him. in full sight Of the Ger
man lines. They must have seen the
red cross on his arm, nevertheless he
was sniped shot through the heart.
and died with a smile on his face. Our
battalion mourns for him. for he was
a splendid man and very popular. The
Black Watch called him the big meen-
ister.'"
How Rev. 4. Gill!son laid down his
life for a wounded Tommy was told
In this dispatch from the Dardanelles:
1T was just ten days after the first
big battle which followed the Sulva
landing that Knoll 50 fell. 1t was a
victory won by heroic lighting. charge
after charge every inch OF the way. and
II cost the Anzacs many gallant men.
During the night after the battle there
were many Australian wounded lying
out on the forward slope of the gully.
exposed 10 rife Are. The chaplain, Cap
tain Gillison, worked through the night
bringing the wounded out of harms
way.
Next morning he was waiting under
the sheltered slope Of the hill to read
the burial service when he heard the
cries OF wounded man over the crest
OF the hill. He went out. and found
that II was wounded British soldier.
who was being troubled by ants. He
vent back and got TWO stretchcr-
bearers to follow him. The three crept
forward and reached the wounded man.
Who was lying opposite the enemy's
trenches, and managed 10 drag him
about yard. when Captain Gillson
jumped up and stumbled a few yards
into the gully. A bullet had severed
all the ribs down one side of his sp!re.
lie died in the casualty station on the
beach.
After our men had taken most o.
the redoubt. though the Turks still held
some trenches near the center Of il.
Captain Grant, n New Zealand chaplain,
with friend, made his way down one
shallow trench in search of a wounded
man The trench was choked with
wounded Turks. and he dressed their
wounds and was going on when strange
r,1 l;e,a al
the voices sounded like those of Turks
Wen go little farther and see if
We can hnd him Grant said. and they
went on. AT the turn of the trench
there was a life shot. and Grant fell
forward dead. 4 fusillade broke out,
and he could not be reached without
certain death, although several at
tcmpts were made. The trench down
Turkish one"
TELLS STORY or DEATH
OF FATHER FINN
In the great landing at Galipoli no
regiment displayed more courage than
the Dublin Fusiliers. but the men who
lived to tell of The deeds of that oc-
casion maintain the most dauntlcss hero
Of the lot was their little chaplain.
Father William Finn. beloved TO all
as Father Billy O'Flynn." Rev H..
c. Foster, chaplain of the Second Naval
brigade, who went with Father Finn
out TO the Dardanelles tells the story
Of this priests glorious end.
It was on Sunday morning that the
Dublin Fusilers commenced TO land on
the peninsula. On the previous day
Father Finn heard confession, said
mass, and gave communion. He was
told that he was not to go ashore until
the men had made a landing, but when
the boats put off and the terrible fire
from the Turkish batteries began to
find them. when the few leaders who
had managed to reach the shore were
moved down by the iron hail. he
rushed to the commanding officer and
asked his permission to follow his
boys He was not forbidden TO so
ashore. hut was appealed to not to
risk his life until the bayonets had
cleared out at least the first trenches,
and had cut through the harbed wire
Continued on Tenth Page.)