Letter from Fr Austin Hartigan SJ to Fr Thomas V Nolan SJ, May 1916 Letters 1916-1923 Jeremiah Austin Hartigan

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Letter from Fr Austin Hartigan SJ (1882-1916) to Fr Thomas V Nolan SJ (1867-1941), ca end of May 1916 in which he describes his journey up the Tigris river, Mesopotamia. He describes been help up on account of his health, enteritis, and that the Basra climate is 'very trying'. He writes about difficulties in finding drinkable water.Jeremiah Augustine (Austin) Hartigan was ordained a priest in Milltown Park on 26th of July, 1914. On completing his theology studies he returned to Tullabeg for Tertianship in the autumn of 1915. In January 1916 he volunteered to go as a chaplain in the war and was assigned to that task. The Hartigan family made a very considerable contribution to the war effort. Fr Hartigan’s brother, Dr. Joseph (Mungret 1891-95) served as a surgeon with the navy on the coast of East Africa and he died of pneumonia in Port Said on May 30th, 1918, aged 39. Another brother, Patrick (Mungret 1892-96), also served in the war, as did another brother, Martin George (Crescent 1902-03). Martin served in the 13th Hussars in Mesopotamia and was awarded the Military Cross for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. Fr Hartigan died of jaundice in the Amara War Hospital on July 16, 1916.

 Irish Jesuit Archives IE IJA/CHP1/33/6, IE IJA/CHP1/33/6 https://letters1916.ie/item/602 English Jeremiah Austin Hartigan 1916-05 Tigris, Mesopotamia Thomas V Nolan St Stanislaus College, Tullamore, Kings County Male World War I (1914-1918)

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 Dear Rev. Father Provincial P.C. CHPI/33 (6) I am writing on board a transport on my way up the Tigris to join the Connaught Rangers in what remains of them My transfer was expected long ago but the doctors kept me back in Basra owing to a touch of enteritis - now happily well over me. The Basra climate is very trying, averaging 102o in shade of tents, but very damp & ene- vanting. Up at the front the heat is slightly greater but more tolerable on account of the its dryness. The great trouble is to get drinkable water. The Tigris is yellow with mud and unsafe till boiled - & even then you have the mud difficulty. I am quite happy &foresee plenty of work. E Colley of English province is somewhere about. Fr Peal had to go back to India with rheumatism. There is a dearth of chaplains. Only a foreign Carmelite missionary at each of the principal hospital towns. Basra & Amara. The river journey takes 7 or 8 days owing to the difficulty of navigation, but is very interesting for me with the reminiscences of Babylon and Assyria. Arabic prove very useful here & probably still more at the front in a day or so. The hot wind is parching these last days. My boy washed my things yesterday at 10.0, & by twelve they were perfectly dry ready for wear. Unfortunately I have had to miss Mass since I came on board this little steamer. Please till Fr Farley to put me down for full share up to the end of April. I have written McFarley to pay him his due. best & asking an occasional memento Yours sincerely in Xt J.A. Hartigan SJ CF On Active Service V.Rev. T.V. Nolan St Francis Xavier's Up Gardiner St Dublin St. Stanislaus Coll. Tullamore King's Co Ireland JA Hartigan CF Officers' Mess 1/2 Connaught Rangers IEFD c/o India Office Tigris, Mesopotamia Letter from Fr Austin Hartigan SJ to Fr Thomas V Nolan SJ, May 1916 St Stanislaus College, Tullamore, Kings County Letter from Fr Austin Hartigan SJ to Fr Thomas V Nolan SJ, May 1916 Jeremiah Austin Hartigan Letter from Fr Austin Hartigan SJ to Fr Thomas V Nolan SJ, May 1916