1 23rd Field Ambulance, B.E.F. France. My dear Fr Nolan - I have completed a full week
at the Front and although I was twice daily on my
horse, I have not been able to get to see the R.C's
in my inspection of the Division. They are scattered in all
directions in and out of the trenches + some of them
miles apart. However I was able to hear quite
a number of confessions on last Thursday, Friday and
Saturday - under the most extraordinary circumstances
& in all kinds of places. My first day in the trenches was decidedly
interesting but not by any means what one would
call comfortable, as a certain amount of
shelling was going on, though none dropped
nearer to me than about 100 yards away. One day I was going up when I met two
poor fellows coming down on stretchers both
badly wounded; but before we reached the
'dug outs' one of them - the catholic - had died, as
I had to go back + get him buried. The burial service was quite reverential
ceremonious though many could not
attend it, because a crowd would invite
shelling. The poor fellow was buried within
an hour after he died, and a nice
cross was being prepared for him as I left
that evening. The two places where I had 'service' - 12 Mass
Sermon, Confessions & Communion - were about
seven miles apart. In one place I heard Confession
the day before; while on Sunday I heard them
in the more distant places, then having preached
for about 10 minutes on Confession, I got quite a
number to Confession after Mass, comprising
mostly men who had accidentally heard of my
Mass; as it was impossible to get round or even
to discover where all the different sections are
burrowed. For instance my labours lie with
four full regiments, not to mention Flying Corps men
R.F.A. men of which, there are 200 R.C.'s alone. - Grenade
comp. Scout + mining comps. R.H.A. Comps.
R.A.M.C. Corps. - Supply Columns - several odds and ends.
All of these are spread out over a large area + I have
been told that if I see all every two months 2 should feel quite happy. Where I had to say Mass on Sunday had been
shelled before I arrived & a portion of the roof was
shattered; but as I could not send word to all
concerned we held our service & in perfect peace. A few days ago after returning from the trenches
I called into a barn where there was another officer
whom I knew, in order to secure a cup of tea, -
a little refresher after six hours in the trenches - we
were about to feel comfortable when a shell
burst in the garden outside, just fifteen yards
away. It appear the Germans were finding the
range of the road but to no effect. Although
mighty nervous I did not move, but enjoyed my
tea as best I could & cleared out a few minutes
later. As far as men & officers are concerned they could
not be nicer to me, and most obliging, although
there are only two Catholic officers, as far as I can
find out, in all the different sections. But the
number of different 'Padres' in comparison to
Priests is simply prodigious, they are to be found
everywhere & overlapping one another. There are
two in my Mess & they have about one tenth of the
number of men to look after. I must now close, as I am rather tired & I
want to be up early to try & manage a 'Service'
of some kind for St Patrick's Day: but I fear it is
hopeless & I don't want to get on the officers nerves. In conclusion I may say that I am quite
happy & in the very best of health. With very best wishes etc. to fathers Brown & Darby
I remain
Your obedient child in Xt, J. FitzGibbon S.J. 14/3/16