BRAVE PRIEST KILLED.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 December 1915, Page 2

BRAVE PRIEST KILLED.

STORY OF FATHER GWYNN'S DEVOTION TO DUTY. London, Novenil., 1. Rev. John Gwynn, C.J., chaplain '.O the Irish Guards, whose death was announced on October IS, died of wounds which he received while in a dug out with tile i'olonel. The following account of his heroic devotion during the lignt,ing round Hill 70 is given by an Trisii Guardsman:— '■father Ow.vnn was known among the boys as 'The Brave Little Priest.' Early in the war he was spnotisly wounded, but refused to return to England. During the terrible righting re-, eently Father Gwynn was again at his post. I saw him just before he died. Shrapnel and bullets were iieing showered upon us ill all directions. "Hundreds of our lads dropped. Father Gwynn was undismayed, ile seemed to be all over the place trying to give the Last Sacrament to th.- dyiii". Once [ thought he was buried alive, for a shell exploded within a few yards of where lie was, and the next moment I saw nothing but n great heap of earth. The plight of the wounded onceal.rl beneath was harrowing. Out of the ground came cries of 'Father, Father, Father!' from those who were in their death agonies. Then, as if by a miracle, Father Gwynn was seen to fight his way through the earth. He must have been severely injured, 'jut he went on blessing the wounded and hearing their confessions. The last T -;rv of him he was kneeling by tne side of a German soldjer. It was a scene to make von erv. The shells continued to explode about the wounded, but the>• conM not stop a little English priest from doing his duty even to dying German'. 1 '