Letter from Father Willie Doyle S.J. to Hugh Doyle, 30 December 1915 Letters 1916-1923 Willie Doyle

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Letter from Irish Jesuit Chaplain, Fr Willie Doyle SJ (1873-1917) to his father, Hugh Doyle, regarding his activities before being sent to the front. Doyle recounts his first Christmas in the camp and remarks that camp life does not lend itself to the celebration of the Lord's nativity. After detailing the damage caused by the rain Doyle takes comfort in the fact that he spent the previous night sleeping in a proper bed with actual linen sheets. Before signing off Doyle informs his father that they are to march to Bordon camp on 1 January. 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.

 Irish Jesuit Archives IE-IJA-J2-83-11 https://letters1916.ie/item/3882 English Willie Doyle 1915-12-30 Witley Camp, Surrey, England Hugh Doyle Melrose, Dalkey, Dublin, Ireland Male 1917 World War I (1914-1918) Faith World War I (1914-1918)

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 If cook wants ajob just sendher along here —not too much todo and 100,000husbands. long &short, fat or thinto pick from.She must learnthe German goosestep first, however. Witley CampSurrey. 30/12/15. My dear Father, I have spent a few strange ChristmasDays in my life, but I can safely say thatlast Dec 25th in the wilds of Surrey will takesome beating. My first Xmas on the Continentat Enghien was a memorable one, chiefly forthe absence of all one had been accustomed toassociate with this festive season, and Fr Chas.will tell you that it was not a very gay timeat Tronchiennes after you had disposed ofyour Christmas dinner, a dinner minus theturkey, roast beef + plum pudding, at twelveo'clock. Still these were red letter days comparedto this year. Camp life does not apparentlylend itself to the due celebration of our Lord'sNativity, and in addition nearly all theofficers had leave of absence, of which Icould not avail myself; but to crown allthe rain seemed quite determined to makean impression not only on the country but but on us as well. With the help oftop-hats, a military coat and a water-proof I manage to reach the hut, whereI celebrate Mass, fairly dry in spots.Then just as I was beginning to preach,the flood gates were opened on the tin roofof my church, and a master-piece ofpulpit eloquence was lost & much to myregret, you can imagine, as I wasquite ready for breakfast. I fancy, asit was nearing the end of the year, theAngels must have been having a wash-upand pulled up the plugs of their wash tubsall together; at least that is what itsounded like. All the same I was neverin better spirits; I suppose the Lordwas making up in one way for whatHe had taken in another. I have had my reward for these privationsalready in a way you will hardlyguess; I slept last night in a springbed with real sheets !! Just think ofthat luxury — clean, linen sheets !!! Ifelt as happy as a sow half buriedin a manure heap, and absolutely wallowed. You could not picture my happinessunless you had been sleeping for thepast month with an army blanket tuckedunder your chin; what material they aremade of I do not know, but when morningcomes you find there is little need toshave as they have pretty well taken all thebeard, not to speak of skin, off your face.My good fortune was the result of a visitto the Jesuit home, or rather convalescent home,at , some 15 miles from here, whereI had a very pleasant day with old friendsand a glorious night minus military blanketsbut plus sheets — two of them !! — their memoryhaunts me still. I generally get a good walk in the morningso as to keep myself fit and in conditon forthe tramping before me. I have been able tosee a good deal of the country which isvery beautiful, even at this time of theyear, and in addition there is a magnificentdemesne belonging to Lord Pirrie just beside us, famous(or infamous?) for the fact that it was theresidence of Whittaker Wright who spent tensof thousands of other people's money on theplace. Not far away lives Major Rushhook, an excellent Catholic, who owns a districtbearing his name, not far from Queenstown.It is a small world after all, so I thoughtonce more when I met Richard Nolan ofKilliney on the road this evening. We have just got orders to march to BordonCamp, Hants, on Saturday, the 1st, much tothe indignation of both officers and menwho will lose their holiday and Sunday'sleave into the bargain. Bordon is about14 miles from here but I am all rightas I intend to ride on my charger,devoutlyhoping that the beast won'tmind the charging part for one day atleast; if he does I will put him intoa few mud swamps which will soonbring him to his senses. We join theother three battalions of the 49th Brigade atBordon, so I suppose we shall not have towait very long now for a move frontwards.I have quite got over my cold now thoughit was bad enough while it lasted; it wasbound to come so I am not sorry to have it over. Wishing you every happiness and blessing inthe New Year, with let us hope a speedy peace tounite us all again,As ever, dearest FatherYour loving sonWillie. Witley Camp, Surrey, England Letter 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 1915 Melrose, Dalkey, Dublin, Ireland Letter from Father Willie Doyle to Hugh Doyle, 10 March 1916Letter 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 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 1916 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