Francis Gleeson (priest)

Father Francis Gleeson (28 May 1884 – 26 June 1959) was an Irish Roman Catholic priest who served as a British Army chaplain during the First World War. Educated at seminaries near Dublin, Gleeson was ordained in 1910 and worked at a home for the blind before volunteering for service upon the outbreak of war. Commissioned into the Army Chaplains' Department and attached to the 2nd Battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers he served with them at the First Battle of Ypres. During this battle Gleeson is said to have taken command of the battalion after all the officers were incapacitated by the enemy. He was highly regarded by his men for tending to the wounded under fire, visiting the frontline trenches, and bringing gifts.

On 8 May 1915, on the eve of the Battle of Aubers Ridge, Gleeson addressed the assembled battalion at a roadside shrine and gave the general absolution. The battalion suffered heavily in the battle and when paraded again afterwards only 200 men were assembled. Gleeson's absolution was the subject of a painting by Fortunino Matania that was made at the request of the widow of the battalion's commanding officer. At the end of his year's service in 1915 Gleeson returned to Dublin and became a curate but rejoined the army as a Chaplain in 1917 and remained for a further two years. After the war he returned once more to Ireland, becoming a priest at churches near to Dublin and being elected canon of the Metropolitan Chapter of the Archdiocese of Dublin before his death on 26 June 1959.

Early life
Gleeson was born on 28 May 1884 at Templemore, County Tipperary in Ireland, one of thirteen children. Gleeson decided to become a Catholic priest and was educated at the Holy Cross College in Dublin and St Patrick's College in Maynooth. He was ordained as a priest in 1910 and went to live in Glasnevin before going to St. Mary's Home for the Blind in March 1912.

Outbreak of war
On the outbreak of the First World War in July 1914 Gleeson volunteered for service with the British Army. He was commissioned into the Army Chaplains' Department and was soon serving as the chaplain of the 2nd battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers on the Western Front in France. The battalion, regular troops who formed part of the 3rd Infantry Brigade of the 1st Infantry Division, were amongst the first British troops to be deployed to France, seeing action during the Battle of Mons, and after Gleeson joined them they participated in the First Battle of Ypres. British officer and poet Robert Graves recalled in his autobiography Good-Bye to All That that during this battle Gleeson found himself the only unwounded officer of the battalion and, having removed his chaplain's insignia that indicated his non-combatant status, took command of the unit and held until relieved. On Christmas Day 1914 the Munsters were in part of the front line unaffected by the Christmas Truce and Gleeson chose to conduct a mass in one of the front line trenches that was frequently under fire.

Gleeson was an advisor to men of all faiths in the regiment and kept careful records of their names and addresses so that he could write to the families of those that died. He ended each letter with the words "They paid a great sacrifice", which was later used as the title of a book published in 2010 that details the wartime service records of men from Cork. Gleeson made frequent visits to the front lines and often conducted burial services there with wooden grave marker crosses that he made himself. His men said that they were always sure of a cup of tea from him when he visited the trenches late at night and he was certain to check that they were not short of ammunition. Gleeson sent requests to Ireland for hymn books for the men in the field and also bought mouth organs for their entertainment. One of Gleeson's men said "He's a warrior and no mistake. There's no man at the Front more brave or cooler. Why, it is in the hottest place up in the firing line he do be to give comfort to the boys that are dying."

Aubers Ridge
Whilst moving forwards to the trenches on 8 May 1915, in preparation for the Battle of Aubers Ridge, Lieutenant-Colonel Victor Rickard ordered the battalion to halt at a roadside shrine in Rue du Bois, near Fleurbaix. Gleeson, who had ridden at the front of the column, addressed the assembled 800 men and gave them the general absolution whilst still mounted on his horse. The men then sang the hymn "Hail, Queen of Heaven" before Gleeson moved along the ranks bidding farewell to the officers and encouraging the men to maintain the honour of the regiment. The battalion then moved off to the trenches from which they launched their attack at 5.30 the next morning. The Munsters were largely cut down by machine gun fire before they had advanced more than a few yards although enough men survived to capture the German trenches, the only unit to do so that day, before being forced to withdraw.

Casualties in the battalion amounted to 11 officers and 140 men killed, including Lieutenant-Colonel Rickard, in addition to 8 officers and 230 men wounded. Gleeson made it his duty to attend to the wounded and dying, comforting them and delivering the last rites, despite German shells landing close by him. After the battle the Munsters once again assembled at the Rue de Bois, though only three officers and 200 men were found fit to parade. Rickard's widow, Jessie Louisa Rickard, requested that war artist Fortunino Matania immortalise the parade at Rue de Bois in a painting that centred on Gleeson delivering the absolution (Rickard is also depicted in the background). Gleeson later donated the stole he wore for the parade to the regimental museum.

Having originally agreed to serve for a year Gleeson returned to Ireland in 1915 stating that "I am sorry to be leaving the dear old Munster lads, but I really can't stand it any longer. I do not like the life, though I love the poor men ever so much". He became a curate at the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes in Dublin but later volunteered to return to army service. He was recommissioned as a Chaplain 4th Class (equivalent to a Captain) on 15 May 1917 and served another two years. When the Royal Munster Fusiliers were transferred to the 48th Brigade, 16th (Irish) Division on 29 January 1918 Gleeson remained with the 1st Infantry Division.

Post-war
After the Armistice with Germany Gleeson returned once more to Ireland. Gleeson encountered hostility with Irish republicans after the war due to his association with the British Army. On 4 June 1922 he attended the dedication of Étreux British Cemetery which holds the remains of 110 men of the Royal Munster Fusiliers who were killed in the defence of Étreux against superior German forces whilst acting as a rearguard for the Great Retreat of August 1914. Gleeson served as a chaplain to the armed forces of the Irish Free State after its independence from Britain in 1922 and later as a priest at Bray, Aughrim and a church in Meath Street, Dublin. He was elected a canon of the Metropolitan Chapter of the Archdiocese of Dublin on 7 May 1956 and died on 26 June 1959. Gleeson was buried at the Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin. A stone tablet at the Island of Ireland Peace Park near Ypres, Belgium is inscribed with a quote from Gleeson describing his efforts to comfort the wounded.