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National Archives via Website

A snapshot of the Irish in World War I

The National Archives has digitised the wills of 9,000 soldiers killed in action during the Great War.

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES has digitised and released copies of more than 9,000 wills belonging to Irish soldiers who fought for the British Army in World War I.

Although about 35,000 Irish men died in action, only 9,000 wills have survived. These are the only official documents held in the National Archives which directly concern the soldiers of World War I. There are plans for the English and Scottish equivalents to be put online shortly but the Irish project is the first to be completed.

Archivist Hazel Menton told TheJournal.ie that the project took four years and involved the individual scanning of each envelope and piece of paper.

The British Army provided several alternative ways of making a will, including forms in their service book and separate pre-printed forms. Soldiers were encouraged to make wills because it simplified the settling of their affairs after their deaths.

Included in the collection are 29 wills from soldiers who died in the South African war of 1899-1902. These are quite different from the wills of soldiers of World War I as many are accompanied by letters to their families and loved ones.

The archivists describe them as “newsy, informative missives” from the soldier to his mother, girlfriend, sister or brother that give an insight into the lives of the men fighting in South Africa, their family, home life and concerns.

Most of the soldiers were very young and did not have wives or children, and in many cases the beneficiary was their mother or father, siblings or the friends serving with them.

The poignant moments captured in the letters that have survived give us unprecedented access into the hearts and minds of Irish soldiers who fought during the two wars. The whole collection can be perused here.

Letters and wills

On 23 November 1899, Patrick Campion wrote to his mother to wish her a ‘Happy Xmas’.

…do not fight on Sunday, they might not fight on Xmas day…

He died less than a month later, on 15 December 1899.

Joseph Robinson died in South Africa on 23 September 1901. In his emotional October 1899 letters to his sweetheart Susan in Virginia, Cavan, he asks her to stay faithful and not to marry until he returns.

He was also fond of marking his pages with x’s (or kisses).

Jack Madden wrote numerous letters to a Biddy Whelan of 24 Castle Street, Bray before his death on 27 October 1914. In one note, he showed his Irish side by telling his love he missed his cup of tea.

Others are more serious as he talks about orders and feeling “much happier” for taking her advice and going to his duty. It is clear from one of his notes that his mother had died and he was not coping with the news.

The page that marks him calling Biddy his “heir” is denoted with an X.

In the next page, he asks her not to think bad of him and that she may as well have the money he earns. He also returned two pawn tickets and orders to “tell the man I am gone to the front and I would not like to lose it”.

In the 12-page run-on letter, he enclosed photos and asked Biddy to show them to his father and tell him to “keep the heart up”. “We will all meet again I hope,” he added.

Biddy I do miss you fighting with me now. No matter we will fight again please god. Biddy don’t forget about what I say about the letter sa soon as you read this don’t forget forget me.

World War I soldier Michael Egan of the Irish Guards 1st Battalion asked his sister to pray for him every day until she heard of his death. “For I am going to the front. I am leaving London the morning I am going to France…”

The handwriting changes on page two and the soldier explains he had “his chum” write the first page.

He was killed in action on 1 November 1914.

Private James O’Connell, who died on 15 August 1915, wrote to his mother on 20 April of the same year.

I have a nice time of it here nothing dont trouble me and very fond of the army. It would be a lot better for me that I listed years a go if I come home safe…

The ‘will’ part of the letter was then underlined.

James Purvis gives an insight the process of drawing up wills.

Dear Mother we have got everything ready we have got our field badges sewed into our coats and we have got our small book and the little disks for going round your neck it is about the size of a penny with you…

And in the small book there is a place for making your will so I am making mine out for to leave to you so you can divide it the way you think fit if anything happens to me you would have all the money and clothing that belongs to me.

Purvis, who was part of B Company of the 6th Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers, also described the women up in Dublin. He claimed they would miss his company when they left because they feed and clothe them.

However, most of the correspondence from World War I was more simple, and often, was just a form filled in by soldiers. This will for James Delaney was simply signed with ‘his mark’ X.

Visit the National Archives website of Soldiers’ wills here>

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    Mute Eoin Fleming
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    Feb 1st 2016, 6:47 AM

    It’s not that confusing. Just think that some of its a little long winded and old fashioned.

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    Mute Paul Mc Manus
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    Feb 1st 2016, 7:36 AM

    We’re talking about Americans here. They will find it confusing.

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    Mute Seán O'Ceallaghan
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    Feb 1st 2016, 9:13 AM

    Long winded but it makes sense, members of the party choose their nominee

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    Mute Nigel O'Neill
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    Feb 1st 2016, 9:45 AM

    Fianna Fail HQ take note!! Party members/supporters electing candidates at grass roots level…this may seem alien to you but worth noting

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    Mute ScewMadd
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    Feb 1st 2016, 12:09 PM

    Big talk Paul. Like we’re any better.

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    Mute NO 2 FF/FG/LAB
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    Feb 1st 2016, 6:18 AM

    #FeelTheBern

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    Mute Drew TheChinaman :)
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    Feb 1st 2016, 6:52 AM

    This time next year… Hashtag #HandedIt2TheTrump

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    Mute NO 2 FF/FG/LAB
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    Feb 1st 2016, 7:35 AM

    Actually national polling of likely voters has bernie beating trump by 13%. The only challange to bernie is Clinton. #walkinthepark

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    Mute Jurgen Remak
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    Feb 1st 2016, 7:54 AM

    Hillary or Sanders, it’s going to be no walk in the park against Trump. Too early for GOP vs Dem polls to be reliable. It will be one of the nastiest campaigns in memory, courtesy of Trump.

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    Mute Drew TheChinaman :)
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    Feb 1st 2016, 8:07 AM

    Polls are irrelevant… They assume a two party race where the GOP has yet to launch any counter campaign against Bernie.

    If the GOP pick another candidate, The Trump will likely run independently. If it’s Bernie vs. Trump Bloomberg will run independently.

    In a 4 way race.
    Bloomberg
    Trump
    Bernie
    Another GOP candidate.

    It’s anybody’s game. But I’d put the beloved leftie Bernie Sanders last.

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    Mute Jurgen Remak
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    Feb 1st 2016, 8:24 AM

    Agreed. Trump will hammer home the tag of ‘socialist’ against Sanders. Like it or not that remains a dirty word for many Americans – and not just the GOP faithful. Bloomberg’s effect will be interesting if he runs.

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    Mute Seán O'Ceallaghan
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    Feb 1st 2016, 9:15 AM

    The word that Trump will use though is Communist. There’s a good 40% of Americans that will never vote for a socialist

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    Mute Rob Cahill
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    Feb 1st 2016, 9:40 AM

    And evwn more of them don’t seem to know what a socialist or a communist is in the first place!!

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    Mute ScewMadd
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    Feb 1st 2016, 12:16 PM

    -90% tax on the richest (ie the richest move all money to the Cayman Islands)
    -Follow the national model of Sweden, a country that won’t be considered developed in twenty years
    -Pay the university bills of all citizens in a country with a massive population where college is extortionately expensive
    -Moronic ‘wage gap’ legislation
    -All of this at a time when the US is in trillions of debt and the stock market is permanently teetering

    I like a lot of what Sanders professes, I don’t think he’s a bad person, but I don’t think much of it is realistic or viable, particularly given the situation economically. Much as I’d like to take money from people that screwed the workers over, you have to be careful in how you do it. If they get spooked, they’ll hide all their money so well you’ll never see a penny.

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Feb 1st 2016, 1:40 PM

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vt-vG_TdOT4
    “In 1988, high school senior Ted Cruz reflected on his life’s ambitions while attending Second Baptist School in Houston, TX. Now, he is a Republican Senator running for the office of the President of the United States of America.”

    Like Pinky and the Brain? lol.

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    Mute Marg murphy
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    Feb 1st 2016, 7:40 AM

    Bernie Saunders is a mystery to me. A died in the wool socialist getting within an asses roared of the White House. George soros, the insidious globalist one worlder and hater of western civilisation has a hand in this I’ve no doubt. There’s strings being pulled here that have one aim. The destruction of western civilisation by flooding all successful, western functional countries with migrants from dysfunctional, third world countries with a handy dose of oppositional culture and religion thrown into the mix to ensure societal breakdown. Add to this the left’s propensity to muzzle dissent by screeching racism at every turn has cowed the citizenry , we are like deer in the headlights in the face of this invasion and the unwillingness of our elected leaders and media do call it like it is. Angela Merkyl, Bernie Saunders are tools of this agenda. This compliance in our own destruction makes no sense.

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    Mute Sinead O'Callaghan
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    Feb 1st 2016, 8:19 AM

    I hear it’s termed “white guilt” …a terrible affliction.

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    Mute trebloc01
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    Feb 1st 2016, 7:42 AM

    What about those registered as independents

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    Mute John Galvin
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    Feb 1st 2016, 11:47 AM

    I can tell you what happens in Oklahoma. Independents have no say in the primaries. You have to either be a registered democrat or Republican.

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    Mute Rosie Gluten
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    Feb 1st 2016, 9:20 AM

    “Donald Trump is a carnival man,an entertainer, a buffoon.

    His fans are white,scared and angry. He will never be elected,not so long as minorities,liberals and educated people vote,but he has certainly exposed the ugly underbelly of conservatives in America today.” -Stephen King

    They haven’t got the majority of women voting for them either -and as long as they keep on attacking Roe v Wade ( even though the majority 70% want it to stay ) and Planned Parenthood -then they will continue in the wilderness …

    Have a nice day folks..

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    Mute Aidan Finn
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    Feb 1st 2016, 9:35 AM

    It’s a simple and democratic process; you move an ass until it is in the correct position, and tickle it’s testicles with a turkey feather until it kicks out at the sheet of paper with the X made by your favored candidate, just as the forefathers foresaw it.

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    Mute Zx5vZulB
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    Feb 1st 2016, 1:38 PM

    Thanks for the insight into foreign electoral processes, I’m still getting my head around the order in which to vote for my chosen candidates in wicklow to really care though!

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Feb 1st 2016, 1:35 PM

    “How do Republicans do it? ” In the dark and using Foxy Noise, sorry that should be Fox News lol.

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Feb 1st 2016, 1:32 PM

    “Eeny, meeny, miny, moe”, is another way to explain it lol.

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