"DEATH OR GLORY".

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2582, 2 October 1915, Page 6

"DEATH OR GLORY".

HOWi'THE MUNSTERS PREPARED FOR "BATTLE.^ 'A' 6oldier in tho Royal Munstcr Fusiliers in'a letter to his brother, Mr. Leahy,' of Monkstown, which has appeared in the "Freeman's Journal," has given an account of -the glorious | work-of- the, regiment on May _9:— .. .. i "We-have'had. a fearful time. No ] doubt' you: saw in tho papers the glorious name: again earned by the regiment. I Well; :if '.were i -.hbrnrthe_ i fel-1 lows-were, il h;ivo:bcen in fiOTHO dirty. : wbrk ? sinceV-^e''ißtari§i.l>iitr! 9tli- of May; will-ever -.live in ..my memory.' . It was tho '-spirit .of oyeryone that was -so astonishing.- Sovoral days before; w&Mew,;ffia'64t- : 5.'37.-'a.ni; on May o—it wasideath^orglory^—that the. German trenches,which were'impregnable since October, were to be assaulted, jet. there. a,happy,- laughing crowd. The: day previous to tho charge close on 800 men received Holy Communion, and- wTote their names and home, addresses.-; on their hymn-books. I have seen sights, but the faith, piety, and sincerity'.of.that congregation, each man knowing that death was staring him in the face,' would make anyone ju this worhl proud to be a Catholic. | The, night before the. charge, as we lay ion the road a short way from the .trenches, Father Gleoson. went down the ranks,, saying words of, comfort, bidding good-bye .to the officers, and telling the men to keep up the honour of the regiment.- 'At'dawn, then, . on that ' lonely,dark roadside/ lit up now and then .by. intermittent flashes from our o«ti or German flames, roso to heaven the. voices of 800 men singing that glorious hymn, "Hail, Queen. ■ of. Heaven!" -'There we're no ribald jests or courage buoyed up with alcohol, Kme of the fanciful pictures which imagination!'conjures up of-soldiers going to a desperate,'charge; no, , there were brave hearts' without fear, only hope 'that God would bring them through, and if tlie end—well, only f a little shortened, of'the allotted span. Every man had his rosary out Teciting, the prayers -in response to Father Glceson, just as if <at- the Confraternity at home, instead of having to face death in a thousand hideous forms the following morning." -