Letter from Father Willie Doyle S.J. to Fr Provincial Thomas V. Nolan, 25 February 1916 Letters 1916-1923 Willie Doyle

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Letter from Irish Jesuit Chaplain, Fr Willie Doyle SJ (1873-1917) to Father Provincial Thomas V. Nolan SJ (1867-1941) informing Nolan of his safe arrival in France. Fr Willie Doyle served as a military chaplain with the 8th Battalion of the Royal Irish Fusiliers, 16th Irish Division. In April 1916 he was recommended for the Military Cross (MC) for helping to dig wounded men out of a collapsed shelter under fire. He moved to the 8th Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers around Christmas, 1916. He was killed during the third battle of Ypres while going to the aid of a wounded man near Frezenberg and his body was never recovered. His name is commemorated on the Tyne Cot memorial, Zonnebeke, Belgium. Fr. Thomas V Nolan was the Provincial of the Irish Province of the Society of Jesus (1912-1922) and was a member of the Distribution Committee which looked after the welfare and distribution of the the Belgian refugees who arrived in Ireland as a consequence of the First World War. During the Easter Rising Nolan was based at St Francis Xavier’s, Upper Gardiner Street and, alongside Rector Fr John Fahy SJ, risked his life in aiding the wounded and supplying local areas with food and milk.

 Irish Jesuit Archives IE-IJA-CHP1-14-4 https://letters1916.ie/item/3873 English Willie Doyle 1916-02-25 8th Royal Dublin Fusiliers, British Expeditionary Force, France Thomas V. Nolan Ireland Male 1917 World War I (1914-1918) Faith World War I (1914-1918)

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 CHPI/14 (4) B.E.Force8th R.I.Fusiliers 25/2/'16 Dear Fr ProvincialP.C. A line to letyou know of my safearrival in France. Afteran uneventful crossing followedby a 23 hour journey in thetrain we reached our destinationat eleven at night, only to findthat we had a twelve milemarch before we reached ourbilllets. On the road, one ofthe officers suggested that Ishould get off on one of the 4 (4) very comfortable quarters in asmall convent, the good Sistersbeing kindness itself. Unfortunatelywe leave tomorrow as it is snowingheavily and it is intensely cold. I heard yesterday that Fr Wraterhas just met with a nasty accident.His horse backed into a river,reared up and fell on him,cutting his head rather badly,though nothing serious, but hemight very easily have beendrowned. I am very glad to be out,though our experience so far hasbeen very trying & we are evidentlyin for a hard time and, as faras I can judge, I shall haveabundance of work Asking a remembrance in yourReverence's holy sacrifice Believe meYours obediently in xTW.Doyle S.J. 8th Royal Dublin Fusiliers, British Expeditionary Force, France Letter from Father Willie Doyle S.J. to Fr Provincial Thomas V. Nolan, 25 February 1916 Ireland Letter from George A. Lyons to the Honorary Secretary of Sinn Féin, 5 April 1916Letter from Seán Mac Diarmada to Tom Clake, 5 April 1916Letter from Michael O'Riordan to Bishop E. T. O'Dwyer, 12 May 1916Letter from Eoin McNeill to Bishop E. T. O'Dwyer, 18 April 1916Letter from R. Barry O'Brien to Bishop Edward Thomas O'Dwyer, 12 February 1916Letter from Mairín Ní Ribhógh to James Ryan, 2 August 1916Letter from ‘One of the Hard Pressed’ to Mr. Samuel, 28 July 1916Letter from Emma Duffin to her aunts, 9 January 1916, Letter from Arthur to Bishop E. T. O'Dwyer, 14 January 1916Letter from Fr. C. F. Maher to Bishop E. T. O'Dwyer, 16 April 1916Letter from Michael O'Riordan to Bishop E. T. O'Dwyer, 23 October 1916Letter from Michael O'Riordan to the Right Rev. Monsignor Denis Hallinan, 23 October 1916Letter from Peter Mooney to his sister Katie Mooney, 4 February 1916.Letter from Father Willie Doyle S.J. to Fr Provincial Thomas V. Nolan, 25 January 1916Letter from Father Willie Doyle S.J. to Fr Provincial Thomas V. Nolan, 25 February 1916Letter from Father Willie Doyle S.J. to Fr Provincial Thomas V. Nolan, 31 December 1915Letter from Father Willie Doyle S.J. to Mai, 22 January 1916Letter from Father Willie Doyle S.J. to Mai, 11 February 1916Letter from MW O'Reilly to 'A Cara', 1 June 1916Letter from Francis M. Shaw to Fr Provincial Thomas V. Nolan, 1 March 1916Letter from Francis M. Shaw to Fr Provincial Thomas V. Nolan, 10 March 1916Letter from Nora Ring to Susan Daly, March 1923Letter from Douglas Campbell (later Major General Sir Douglas Campbell) to his sister Catherine Agnes Meta Campbell (later Wetherall), 28 October 1917Letter from William Upton Tyrrell to Victoria Mary Tyrrell, 19 November 1919Letter from Mary McDonagh to her daughter-in-law Annie McDonagh, early 1920 Willie Doyle Letter from Father Willie Doyle to Hugh Doyle, 10 March 1916Letter from Father Willie Doyle S.J. to Hugh Doyle, 20 July 1916Letter from Father Willie Doyle S.J. to Hugh Doyle, 23 September 1916Letter from Fr Willie Doyle SJ to Provincial Thomas Nolan, 13 May 1916Letter from Father Willie Doyle S.J. to Fr Provincial Thomas V. Nolan, 25 January 1916Letter from Father Willie Doyle S.J. to Fr Provincial Thomas V. Nolan, 25 February 1916Letter from Father Willie Doyle S.J. to Hugh Doyle, 1 December 1915Letter from Father Willie Doyle S.J. to Hugh Doyle, 10 December 1915Letter from Father Willie Doyle S.J. to Fr Provincial Thomas V. Nolan, 31 December 1915Letter from Father Willie Doyle S.J. to Hugh Doyle, 30 December 1915Letter from Father Willie Doyle S.J. to Hugh Doyle, 15 January 1916Letter from Father Willie Doyle S.J. to Mai, 22 January 1916Letter from Father Willie Doyle S.J. to Hugh Doyle, 25 January 1916Letter from Father Willie Doyle S.J. to Hugh Doyle, 4 February 1916Letter from Father Willie Doyle S.J. to Hugh Doyle, 10 February 1916Letter from Father Willie Doyle S.J. to Mai, 11 February 1916Letter from Father Willie Doyle S.J. to Hugh Doyle, 17 March 1916Letter from Father Willie Doyle S.J. to Hugh Doyle, 24 March 1916Letter from Father Willie Doyle S.J. to Hugh Doyle, 29 April 1916Letter from Father Willie Doyle S.J. to Hugh Doyle, 19 June 1916Letter from Father Willie Doyle S.J. to Hugh Doyle, 26 October 1916Letter from Father Willie Doyle S.J., 16 April 1916Letter from Father Willie Doyle S.J. to Fr Provincial Thomas V. Nolan, 12 December 1915Postcard from Fr Willie Doyle SJ to Sister M. Anthony, 7 April 1916