Loyalty Called Him to His Death

Camp News, Volume 1, Issue 16, 29 March 1940, Page 3

Loyalty Called Him to His Death

They thought he was a “deserter,” it he proved himself a loyal soldier. J died at his post. That could be ivate William Quinn’s epitaph. It is a simple story. He came to gland from Ireland several . years o, prospered, and married a girl o lived at Chilcompton, near Bath. ere he settled down and became the Jher of two children. He joined an Iglish regiment last July. .n August he took his young wife 11 two children to Eire to see his Vents for the first time.

While he was there the war broke I. Although he could have remained |Eire in safety until the war ended, Iwanted to rejoin his .regiment and it for Britain. '* They Sent Him Aid. aiut there were financial difficulties, me of his regimental comrades d rd of his plight. /hey sent him £7 from battalion ( .ds so that he could buy railway eri steamer tickets for himself and m family. <e rejoined his pals, and donned ? orm—but he was a month late. He brought before a regimental jj't, accused of being an absentee, use he had not rejoined his regijgt on mobilisation. Mhen the officers learned the facts V dismissed the charge and praised [fl for his spirit of loyalty. * TI He Was Reliable. had rejoined his regiment only weeks when he was knocked and killed by an electric train -he main Portsmouth-Waterloo : was at his post as sentry at a Le. He wanted to cross the line. I waited for one train to pass, but lot hear nor see the approach of either. lie of his comrades said: “Private n joined the regiment with me. Mas a reliable young man. He was nous. His death has hit his pals A: ue could have stayed in Eire if he ;ed to, but he preferred to come * and join us.” | If