By karen
The St Martin’s Banner.
The Church Lads’ & Church Girls’ Brigade is embarking on a project to commemorate the contribution of Irish Church Lads to The Great War.
Brigade lads from Ireland joined with members from all parts of the world to provide a remarkable story involving great courage and sacrifice.
It is estimated that a quarter of a million former members of the CLB volunteered for service during World War One. Virtually every Brigade member of appropriate age joined the Colours immediately. Many younger lads lied about their age and soon found themselves facing danger at the front.
Hundreds of Brigade lads from Belfast, over one hundred from Limerick, and dozens more from Armagh, Ballymena, Cork, Drogheda, Enniskillen, Lisburn, Londonderry, Portadown and Portrush joined up, eager to do their duty. Those who wavered were told by the Chief Staff Officer, Walter Gee, ‘Don’t hesitate. For Church and Country throw up your job and be a man.’
Mostly they fought with the famous Irish regiments but many served with English or Scottish regiments. Others, who had emigrated to Australia, Canada or New Zealand in search of a better life, returned to fight with the armed forces of their adopted countries.
Along with more …read more
Read the full article here: http://connor.anglican.org/2014/11/05/commemorating-the-contribution-of-irish-church-lads-to-the-great-war/
