The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1919-01-11
BRAVERY SHOWN BY IRISH ON EVERY BATTLEFIELD
Distinguished Themselves m~sh WAR; Says Irish Officer

some regiments like the Vancouver
Irish Fusiliers, the Quebec Irish, a
South African Irish regiment. And
from Australia came others, some SO
per cent of the men from there being
of that race. And we had thousands
in the navy.
eve raised the 10th, the 10th and
the Seth Irish Divisions, and we sent
thousands across to keep up the
strength of our units. Yet few days
ago I read in paper here that Ire
land had contributed but 10 per cent
of soldiers, while Scotland and other
places had contributed 40 per cent.
Official figures available show that
up to January last Erin had contribut-
ed ISL per cent of her available man.
power. Now these figures mean only
the men who were listed following a
military census. II does not include
the men who were in the English
AI1uy duu NAVY WITCH Iuc WAL UIOho
out.
"Nor does it include those Irishmen
working in Britain who swelled the
ranks of the units across the Channel,
men who if at home would have gone
into Irish regiments. And they were
all volunteers. Thousands have en-
listed since the Dublin uprising"
Capt. MacMahon drew out some
maps and we pored over them. He
pointed out spots here and there.
There's not a part of the line where
the British flag waved that Irishmen
were not fighting" he said Cali over
the Belgian-French field they fought.
"In Italy they have been helping to
stem the Austrian tide. They were In
the thick of the Dardanelles-G allipoli
slaughter. They fought at Saloniki;
helped chase the Turks out Of Jeru.
salem; in the Mesopotamia campaign
their names came through with the
dead and wounded. Their blood has
seeped through many mile, and
their bones lie under the sod wher
ever a gun has been fired, followers
| alike of Green and Orange Irishmen,
all, fighters all,
~As for their accomplishments, We
let others tell it, like an officer of the
Australians at Suvia Bay, who de
scribed the taking of v beach by the
i Irish by saying, AS the land lay
climbing Into hell on an aereplane
1 seemed an easier proposition thar
taking that hill Ben Hunter said i
was without parallel in the history o
the feats of arms.
In the camps where we have hat
chances to talk and where merit get
it's due there was no stintfhg of prais'
for our men. In France Me heard O
what was happening in the Medite1
ranean; and over there they knew
what was taking place across tn
Channel; to report what was saa
many times would seem like boasting
when I merely want to make clea
that the great majority of the Iris
1aave lived up to the reputation of TIL
fighting race.
4 "a trooper of the Irish Dragon
4 fired the first Shot that opened tn
war, between Germany and Englan
when the Huns started their big drive
, and the retreat from Mons was or
, The Irish Guards broke up the wfiir
, ing charges of the mounted LILLIAN:
| The End Royal Irish Regiment wa
| terribly cut up yten1ming the tide
And the End Comaugft Rangers, ou
numbered five to one, at the word c
Col. Abercrombie, made "a charge tha
, scattered the Huns like sheep.
Ellis words OF that occasion ar
quoted yet. He skid, Rangers of Coz
naught, while you have a heart
: you and fist with you, fight like Hell
You never could disgrace the old >coul
al try by letting the Germans beat yo,
If you don't give them the soundes
J thrashing they ever got you> :needn
I Hook me in the face again In this worl
:I-or the next
ii "Of course, the otaer British unit
, lwere doing their share n0b1y, fC
J ,every one had to fight for all that wa
in him. Just figure out what It mean
to have $4,000 against 100000 TIL
Germans had the latter humble
against us. For IL days and night
, it was one continuous rear guard ta
tie.
ut was in that retreat that the 2
, MINISTER'S were lost. They had tough
glorious1y all along, saving the gun
, of battery by taking the places {
horses, bringing the pieces back fv
, miles. Acting as rear guard to the Is
Army Corps, they held a couple G
, cross roads.
t Fighting determinedly, they wer
surrounded 1ocauce mpcSeneers S,r