3 days before his death - Speech made by Major William Hoey Kearney Redmond. 'B' Company of the 6th Battalion Royal Irish Regiment. Brother of MP John Redmond.
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The diary page of the 7 Battalion Leinster Regiment mentions Major William Hoey Kearney Redmond. 'B' Company of the 6th Battalion Royal Irish Regiment.
On 4 June 1917, three days before his death, at a dinner organised by officers of the 7th Leinsters, he made a very meaningful speech. Page link: https://talk.operationwardiary.org/#/subjects/AWD0003hat
The night before the planned assault of 7 June 1917, during that night he went around the Regiment and visited all four companies of the 6th R.I.R. and, according to his commanding officer Major Charles Taylor, 'spoke to every man'. Before he returned to the front for the last time he had told a friend of a feeling he had that "I'm going back to get killed". He was the Brother of MP John Redmond.
The Irish troops of the 16th and 36th Divisions made a shoulder-to-shoulder successful advance in the great attack on the Messines Ridge towards the small village of Wytschaete (now Wijtschate) next to Messines. On going over the top Redmond, leading his men, was one of the first out of the trenches. He was hit by German defensive fire almost immediately in the wrist, and then further on in the leg, falling to the ground he urged his men on as they flowed forward about him towards the German line. Stretcher bearers from the 36th (Ulster) Division, one of them Private John Meeke of the 11th Inniskillings, who was himself wounded, brought him back into the British lines from No Man's Land, and he was conveyed to a Casualty Clearing Station at the Catholic Hospice at Locre (now Loker) in Dranoutre. Redmond died there from his wounds later that afternoon.
Article link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Redmond
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cyngast
moderator
Very moving story, Marie. Thanks for highlighting it.
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Bideford
If he had survived the course of Anglo-Irish politics could....Could....have been so much better. A brave and good man. Thanks Marie
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cyngast
moderator
His own unit's diary says only that he died of wounds on 7 June 1917. I think it is the ONLY time he was mentioned.
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