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Rue du Bois on 8 May 1915. Two web pages are presented to the subject of the Last Absolution administered to the 2nd battalion Munster Fusiliers by the Rev. F. Gleeson on 8 May 2023 at Rue du Bois, namely a brief history of the painting followed by directions to the location of the event. About the painting. The painting of the Last General Absolution was the work of WW1 artist Fortunino Matania, he was noted for his extraordinary finish and detail and to achieve this he visited the Western Front on many occasions. However he did not witness the Last Absolution ceremony. According to one informant, Monsignor John Moran, former Principal Roman Catholic Chaplain (Army) -
description obtained by Mrs. Rickard.1 It was such a poignant scene, the officers and soldiers from all walks of life, thinking of loved ones back home, making their peace before entering battle. The ambiance of this peaceful looking scene broken only perhaps by the distant sounds of artillery from the battle-front. The original chapel was built by the Leroy-Pottier family in 1867 and was destroyed during the ebb and flow of battle in the early part of the Great war. It would seem no photo or illustration of the original chapel has been found. The chapel was rebuilt in 1929 and once again suffered the fate of being demolished to make way for road realignment works during the 1970's. There is general consensus among some very elderly locals of Richebourg area, that the shrine rebuilt in 1929 was along the lines of the original structure. Some research was commenced in 1971 to identify the actual site of the Last Absolution. Little was known outside of France other than the site was somewhere on Rue du Bois. Initially the following publications and photocopies of articles were researched, only one clue was found from Mrs. Victor Rickard's History of The Munsters. McCance history of the RMF published 1927. Extract from history of the 1st & 2nd battalions RMFby McCance & Jervis. 17 March 1915. 8 May 1915. 8 May 1915. Extract from 2nd Bn. War Diary May 1915.
8th - Left billets at 7.15 pm on the road at the first halt Father Gleeson gave absolution. Battalion relieved the Cold Stream guards in D3 line of trenches preparatory to assaulting German trenches. Reliefs completed without casualties at 12 midnight..5 (Capt. T. W. Filgate, adjutant.) Extract from Chaplain Rev. Father Francis Gleeson 8 May 2023. We march out from Tombe Willot (Locon) about 900 strong, our Commanding Officer being Major Rickard and the Adjutant, Captain Filgate - two of the kindliest men I have come across. We leave about 7.00 pm. The scenes of enthusiasm are outstanding. I ride my horse. Give Absolution to Batt. during rest on road. Opposite La Couture Church between the shrine of 'N.D. de la Bonne Mort' and another shrine we have another rest. The men all sing hymns 'Hail Great St. Patrick'. I go further up - near the trenches and bid good bye to all. So Sad !!. (Chaplain Gleeson). Extract from Story of the Munsters by Mrs J. Rickard 1915. About a mile from the market-place of Neuve Chapelle, and above Festubert and Givenchy, is the Rue du Bois, a street lying east and west, some 500 yards behind the British trenches... At the entrance to the Rue du Bois there stands a broken shrine, and within the shrine is a crucifix. About a mile from the market-place of Neuve Chapelle..6 The Last Absolution site was somewhere on Rue du Bois, however 'about a mile from the market-place of Neuve Chapelle' was incorrect as the distance was more like 3.6 miles (5.8 km.) Extract from Irish Sword - journal of Military History Society of Ireland. (no date on photocopy) In September 1971 some 50 members of the Military History Society of Ireland toured the 1914-18 battlefields of France and Flanders and other areas of interest, they also made inquiries about the Last Absolution site however the article did not mention any specific location. It is never very easy for the military historian to relate ground to narrative of a bygone action, but we were determined to find this spot, if we found no other. Enquiries elicited �Ah, oui, Monsieur, vous devez . . .� and Non, elle se trouve. . .� and our French had some of the rust knocked off it as we searched. However, we happened on an estaminet�we needed it at this stage�and Jimmy Magee ferreted out a guide, who led us to our objective. It is not only in St. Stephen�s Green that development threatens the vestiges of our past. The shrine is gone. . bulldozed into a pile of rubble to make way for a road, not a particularly good one, at that. However, the owner of the nearby cottage reverently guards the plaque from the shrine..7 Extract from Orange Green & Khaki. On the evening of 8 May, under command of Lt.-Col. V.G.H. Rickard, 2nd Munsters once again marched towards the front. At a French wayside shrine, Rickard halted the battalion and formed a hollow square before it. On three sides were the rifle companies, and facing them on horseback were Col. Rickard, his adjutant, Capt. Filgate and the chaplain, Father Gleeson. Gun flashes added to the semi-light of a spring evening; gunfire and shell explosions reminded all of the ordeal to come. All bared their heads and the light breeze ruffled hair and caused to flutter the green company standards. Father Gleeson�s stole made a splash of soft colour. The chaplain raised his right hand and intoned general absolution and all sang the T� Deum. Then, to the barked commands of RSM Ring, the march resumed towards the sound of the guns..8 Research was a stop-go effort until August 2005 when it gathered momentum after an article was posted on the Great War Forum (GWF). Sample extracts below..9 GWF August 10 2005. As a matter of interest has anyone ever established the exact location of the blessing of 2nd Munsters in the Rue De Bois, prior to their attack on Aubers Ridge, as immortalized in the painting by Fortunino Matania? (Mark Hone). GW August 13 2005. Hi all, 'La rue du Bois' is in the village of RICHEBOURG (Pas-de-Calais) few kilometers from AUBERS and it seems to me that I saw in one of the conference rooms of the town hall of this village this painting or perhaps a copy. I go there as soon as possible interested. (Michel Knockaert). GWF 2nd January 2007. Hi all. My investigation advances with great steps. With the hazard of the purchase of a book devoted to the area of "the b�thunois", I discovered a heading devoted to the Chapel of Notre Dame de Seez, located at Richebourg L'Avou�. The chapel is located at the hamlet of "l'Epinette" with Richebourg l'Avou�. The history of this chapel is related to that of the regiment of 2nd Royal Munster Fusiliers ordered " by Lt-colonel Victor RICHARD who received on Saturday evening May 8, 1915, of his chaplain the Reverend Father GLEESON, a last absolution before entering the battle of the ridge of Aubers, where he was to find death with a great number of his men. In 1935, his widow, Lady Colonel RICHARD,
offered the painting representing the scene
of "the last absolution of the Munster�s",
according to the artist MATANIA, it hung inside
the Artefacts from Chapel Notre Dame de Seez. A number of artefacts from the Chapel Notre Dame de Seez was traced and found to be in the safe-keeping of descendants of the original family. The family hope one day to rebuilt the Chapel. The Location of the Last Absolution site. The subject matter attracted wide interest on the GWF resulting in numerous posts amounting to 34 web pages, as a result this subject was classified as a 'Classic Thread'. The above are simply a sampling of some of the posts. Eventually due to excellent detective work by Michel Knockeart of La Couture, the the actual site and interesting artifacts were discovered. Michel also added an interesting number of photos to illustrate his Forum posts and his input and personal time devoted to the subject is highly valued and acknowledged by the Royal Munster Fusiliers Association and those with an interest in the Munster Fusiliers history. Bibliography: 1. Orange Green
& Khaki by Tom Johnstone. p436 ref.23. Additional Notetations Note:
Re reference note 23 from Orange Green
& Khaki by Tom Johnstone. 23. Ibid. The scene was well captured on canvas by Fortunino Matania from a description obtained by Mrs Rickard. The original painting was presented to the Royal Army Chaplains� Department (RC) by Maj. Henry Harris, author of The Irish Regiments in the First World War. Informant: Mgr John Moran, former Principal Roman Catholic Chaplain (Army). Ownership of the Original Painting While researching
the ownership and whereabouts of the original painting,
I was presented with two different versions. According to our records, the painting was destroyed by fire during the Second World War. It was one of a number of Matania First World War works that were in the hands of the Illustrated London News and other publications. Matania was an artist who produced work for use in such publications and as a result much of his original work was purchased by, or belonged to, these publications. It was whilst with them that they appear to have been destroyed during the Second World War. Our Matania collection consists of two original works, one poster, several lithographs and four reproduced prints. We have an old newspaper cutting relating to his painting of the Munster's, but this contains only a small black and white, poor quality image of the work. (Imperial War Museum). This differs from the statement by Mgr John Moran, former Principal Roman Catholic Chaplain (Army). (Some years ago the author of this web page presented a high resolution colour copy to the IWM taken from his own personal copy of the painting)
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