WITH THE IRISH BRIGADE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 150, 26 June 1915, Page 16

WITH THE IRISH BRIGADE.

In hi» recently published "The Irish Abroad," the author (Elliot O'Donnell) tells a story of the Irish Brigade in the French service : — It was in Flanders that an incident is said to have occurred relating to Villeroi and a lieutenant of the Irish^ Brigade. Seeing one of the French regiments in front of him begin to waver, Villeroi in vain tried to rally them by his example and command. At length, finding it still inclined to retreat, he turned to a young officer of the O'Brien Regiment, who was hurrying past with a message to the colonel of the Dillon Corps "Come here," he shouted. "See > if you cannot infuse some of your Irish dash and courage into these faint-heart-ed countrymen of mine." "Willingly, sir," the Irish officer replied, and tearing off his sword*belt he threw it into the ranks of the on-press-ing enemy. "Now to recover it," he exclaimed, and pushing past the faltering Frenchmen, he hurled himself into the thickest of the fray. Those who witnessed the feat were ashamed to desert him. They followed, leading others, for courage is infectious, and what had, at one time, looked like a certain retreat, rapidly became an assured victory. Villeroi was delighted, and immediately after the battle dispatched one of his aides-de-camp to search for the heroic Irishman. lAfter being a long time away, the aide-de-camp returned with, the news that the young officer was dead. "Dead," said Villeroi, bitterly, "a thousand pities. Had he survived today, he would have lived to be a marshal !"