IRISH HEROES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1543, 27 April 1916, Page 4

IRISH HEROES.

THEIR GLORIOUS PART IN THE WAR. MR REDMOND LIFTS THE VEIL. Mr Redmond has written for "The Irish at the Front,” by Michael Macdonagh, a preface which, says the British Weekly, will rank with Mr Lloyd George's famous introduction to ‘‘Through. Terror to Triumph” as a work of real historical importance. It will be quoted with his great speech at tho outbreak of war by every writer who attempts to picture the maimer in whielr a really United Kingdom met the Prussian challenge. It is. says Mr Redmond, these soldiers of ours, with their astonishing courage and their beautiful faith, with their natural military genius, with their tenderness as well as strength ; carrying with them their green flags and their Irish war-pipes; advancing to the charge, their tearless officers at their head, and followed by their beloved chaplains as great-hearted as themselves: bringing with them a. quality all their own to the sordid modern battlefield ; exhibiting the character of the Irishman at its noblest and greatest—t is these soldiers of ours to whoso keeping tho Cause of Ireland has passed to-day.

It was never in worthier, holier keeping than that of these hoys, offering np their supreme sacrifice of life Avith a smile on their lips because it was ftiven for Ireland. May Cod bless them! THE FAMOUS FOOTBALL CHARGE.

The Irish Guards at Mens, the Royal Irish Regiment at Ypres, the London Irish at Loos (dribbling a football before them as they charged, the boys in the trenches before the charge holding out the matches with which they had lit their cigarettes to show each other that their hands were not (shaking), the regular battalions at ‘‘V” Beach, the new ‘‘service” battalions of the Tenth Division at Snvla. 1 name out of a loiip; list.

To General Mahon’s Division, composed exclusively of new levies who were civilians when the Avar began—thousands of Nationalist families in Leinster, Munster, and Connaught represented' its ranks—the terrific open fighting at Snvla Bay (which began with the shelling of the lighters at the landing and the bursting of chains of contact mines as they set foot on shore) Avas their first experience of being under fire. Undismayed, their coolness undisturbed, they formed for attack as if on the parade ground. “LIKE CLIMBING INTO HADES.” Captain Thornhill, himself a representative of those magnificent Australian and Noav Zealand troops Avhose proAvess has been another of the revelations of the Avar, Avrote, of the Irish:— Their landing at Snvla Bay was the greatest thing you Avill ever lead of in books by highbroAvs. Those that Avitnessed the advance Avill never forgot it. Bullets and shrapnel rained on them, yet they never Avavered. The Avay they took that hill (hoav called Dublin Hill) Avas the kind of thing that Avould make you pinch yourself to prove, that it was not a cheap Avine aftermath. Hoav they got there Heaven only knoAvs. As the land lay, climbing into hell on an aeroplane seemed an easier proposition than taking that hill. hen it Avas decided to occupy Salonika and to march to the aid of the Serbian army it was to the Irish Division, under their splendid Irish commander, Gen. Sir Bryan Mahon, that the place ot honour lor this desperate enterprise Avas given. Acting as a rearguard against an army ten times their number, they did tv hat Avas neither expected nor counth! upon. But their instinctive military genius, as avoll as their courage ami determination, came into play, and they held up the overwhelming enemy for so long and Avith sneli skill that the entire French and British forces were able to AA’ithdraw safely to their defensive posilions Avithout the hiss of a single gun or a single transport Avagon.