BY MARTIN STAUNTON.
JAMES MEEHAN WAS BORN ON THE 16th OCTOBER 1884 AND ENLISTED IN HIS HOME TOWN OF LIMERICK ON THE 16th MARCH 1903 AND EVENTUALLY SERVED WITH THE Ist MUNSTERS IN INDIA BEFORE LEAVING THE THE ARMY IN 1911.
HE THEN EMGRATED TO CANADA AND ENDED UP WORKING AS A JOURNALIST IN THE CAUSE OF SOCIAL REFORM ALONG ITS WESTERN COAST AND THAT OF THE UNITED STATES. A ROLE IN WHICH “HIS BRILLIANT AND DESCRIPTIVE ARTICLES …. EARNED FOR HIM A WELL DESERVED REPUTATION IN HIS ADOPTED COUNTRY”. MEEHAN CONTINUED HIS JOURNALISTIC ROLE WITH A SERIES OF ARTICLES ON HIS EXPERIENCES AT THE FRONT UNDER THE PEN-NAME OF PATSY WHICH APPEARED IN THE “CORK EXAMINER” DURING JANUARY TO JULY 1916.
AS A SOLDIER.HE WAS A LUCKY SURVIVOR OF THE BATTLE IN WHICH THE MUNSTERS SUFFERED THEIR HIGHEST NUMBER OF FATALITIES IN ANY ONE DAY OF THE WAR WHEN 11 OFFICERS AND 140 MEN WERE KILLED IN ACTION ON THE 9th MAY 1915 AT AUBERS RIDGE. AT THE BATTLE OF LOOS LATER THAT YEAR, MEEHAN RECEIVED A GUNSHOT WOUND IN HIS LEFT LEG WHICH HE NARROWLY MANAGED TO AVOID HAVING AMPUTATED.
UPON RECOVERY HE WAS SENT HOME TO THE 3rd MUNSTERS, WHO WERE STATIONED AT AGHADA CO CORK FROM MAY 1915 To AUGUST 1917. AND FOR THE “CORK EXAMINER” WHICH PUBLISHED A CAPTIONED PHOTOGRAPH OF HIM ON THE Ist JANUARY 1916.FULLY RECOVERED, MEEHAN EMBARKED FOR FRANCE ON THE I5th JUNE 1917 AND JOINED THE 1st MUNSTERS ON THE LAST DAY OF THAT MONTH IN FLANDERS. SHORTLY AFTER ENTERING THE LINE HE WAS TREATED FOR TRENCH FOOT AT THE 113 FIELD AMBULANCE AT YPRES ON 4th AUGUST, REJOINING HIS UNIT EIGHT DAYS LATER. FOLLOWING HIS BRAVERY IN LEADING A RAIDING PARTY THAT YEAR, MEEHAN WAS COMMISSIONED INTO THE 6th BATTALION ROYAL IRISH REGIMENT ON THE 18th OCTOBER 1917 AND JOINED THAT UNIT THE FOLLOWING DAY. THIS BATTALION WAS DISBANDED IN FEBRUARY 1918 AND ITS PERSONNEL ALLOCATED TO OTHER UN ITS.
THIS PREVIOUSLY UNPUBLISHED ACCOUNT LIES WITH THE RECORDS OF HIS REGIMENT’S OLD COMRADES ASSOCIATION IN THE NATIONAL ARMY MUSEUM LONDON, AS A RESERVIST, MEEHAN HAD RETURNED FROM CANADA IN NOVEMBER 1914. WAS SENT TO FRANCE IN FEBRUARY 1915 AND JOINED THE 2nd MUNSTERS ON THE 6th MARCH, AT WHICH TIME HIS OWN ACCOUNT OF HIS WAR SERVICE STARTS. “I ARRIVED IN FRANCE EARLY IN THE YEAR 1915, ABOUT FEBRUARY, I THINK, AT LE HARVE, AND WENT TO A CAMP SOME DISTANCE FROM THE TOWN. IT WAS INTENSELY COLD AND THERE WAS AN ABUNDANCE OF SNOW ON THE GROUND. AFTER SOME DAYS WE WERE DRAFTED UP TO OUR UNIT, THE 2nd BATTALION ROYAL MUNSTER FUSILIERS. 3rd BRIGADE, Ist DIVISION. THE BATTALION WAS HOLDING THE LINE AT FESTUBERT ON THE BETHUNE-LA BASSE CANAL. WE WERE WEAK IN MAN POWER. THE BATTALION WAS FAR BELOW FULL STRENGTH. LATER WE WERE RELIEVED BY, I THINK, THE CANADIANS, BUT I AM NOT SURE AS TO THIS. HOWEVER, WE MOVED BACK FOR A REST TO BILLETS NEAR BETHUNE, LA TOMI WILLOT, IF MEMORY SERVES. FROM THERE WE WENT UP TO THE FRONT LINE AND TOOK OVER A SECTOR NEAR NEUVE CHAPELLE. DUTY CONTINUED FOR A MONTH OR MORE AND THE GROUND DRIED. THE TRENCHES WERE NOT TOO BAD AND LIFE TO SOME EXTENT BEARABLE EXCEPT FOR VERMIN (BODY). WE WERE DOING AS WELL AS COULD BE EXPECTED.
IT WAS SOME TIME IN APRIL 1915 WHEN I WAS ONE OF THOSE SELECTED BY THE COMPANY COMMANDER TO SECURE A GERMAN PRISONER ALIVE. IT WAS SUCCESSFULLY ACCOMPLISHED. BUT IT WAS RECOGNISED BY THE ENEMY THAT SOMETHING UNUSUAL WAS AMISS IN THEIR FRONT LINE AND THEY OPENED UP MACHINE GUN FIRE ON OUR LITTLE PARTY OF THREE MEN AND ONE OFFICER, AND DESPITE HIS INSTRUCTIONS TO US TO STICK CLOSE BY HIM AND NOT TO ENGAGE COMBAT, I BECAME SEPARATED FROM THEM.
I WAS LOST BETWEEN THE LINES AND LOST ALL SENSE OF DIRECTION AS TO THE ENEMY LINES AND OUR OWN. ANYWAY WHICH I MIGHT TRAVEL BETWEEN THE LINES IN ORDER TO REACH OUR OWN LINES MIGHT, AND AGAIN MIGHT NOT, BE THE PROPER WAY. THE NIGHT FOGS AND MORNING MISTS OBSCURED ALL SENSE OF DIRECTION I LAY DOWN IN IN A SHELL HOLE AND SLEPT FROM SHEER EXHAUSTION. I HAD NO RATIONS OR WATER WITH ME. FOR TWO DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS I LAY STUPIFIED BETWEEN THE LINES NOT KNOWING WHERE LAY OUR LINES OR WHERE LAY THE ENEMY LINES. ALL SENSE OF DIRECTION HAD VANISHED. FEAR GRIPPED ME AND THIRST TORTURED ME. I LICKED EVERYTHING THAT WAS DAMP. MY TONGUE SWELLED IN MY MOUTH AND EVENTUALLY I COULD NOT CLOSE MY EYES. I FOUND A SHELL HOLE AND URINATED IN IT, ALSO I SCRAPED SOME OF MY EMERGENCY RATION (SWEET COCOA. I THINK) INTO IT AND DISSOLVED IT IN THE URINE. THIS I DRANK TO ALLAY MY THIRST. IN A DIM WAY I REMEMBER MY RAVING.
I WAS RESCUED BY A SEARCH PARTY ON THE THIRD NIGHT AND BROUGHT BACK TO MY UNIT. MEDICAL TREATMENT WAS GIVEN ME AND I WAS FIT FOR DUTY IN A MATTER OF A COUPLE OF WEEKS. DUTY CONTINUED. AT THE ACTION IN FRONT OF THE RUE DE BOIS ON THE 9th MAY 1915, I WAS AMONG THOSE WHO SUCCEEDED IN REACHING THE GERMAN LINES WHERE WE WERE ENGAGED FOR ABOUT ONE AND A HALF HOURS. THE ATTACK WAS A FAILURE. ALL ATTACKING UNITS WERE FORCED TO RETIRE. SUPPORTING UNITS WERE UNABLE TO COME TO OUR ASSISTANCE. THE SITUATION WAS HOPELESS. ALL OUR OFFICERS WERE GONE AND I ALONE IN THE GERMAN TRENCHES FOUND MYSELF IN COMMAND. I WAS THEN A LANCE/CORPORAL. OF THE EIGHT MEN WITH ME BUT THREE RETURNED. I GOT OFF THE FIELD THAT NIGHT BETWEEN 8 AND 9 O.CLOCK. MY UNIT HAD BEEN RELIEVED AND I WAS ORDERED TO REJOIN THEM AT OUR OLD BILLETS NEAR BETHUNE. THIS I DID AND REPORTED FOR DUTY THE FOLLOWING MORNING. THE BATTALION THEN NUMBERED ABOUT 200 MEN.
THE FOLLOWING DAY WE MOVED TO ANOTHER SECTOR EAST OF BETHUNE AND MORE IN FRONT OF LA E3ASSE WHICH WE COULD SEE QUITE WELL. IT WAS THEN IN ENEMY OCCUPATION. OUR POSITION WAS AT THE BRICK FIELDS NEAR GUINCHY AND CAMRAI. DUTY CONTINUED UNTIL THE FOLLOWING SEPTEMBER WHEN IN THE FIGHT FOR LOOS AND HULLUCH I WAS BADLY WOUNDED IN THE LEG. I SHOULD MENTION HERE THAT 1 WAS NOW PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF SERGEANT BY THE CORPS COMMANDER.GENERAL SIR DOUGLAS HAIG FOR WORK DONE ON MAY 9th. J GAVE MY STORY TO CAPTAIN GORT V.C. OF THAT DAYS PROCEEDINGS AND GENERAL HAIG SEEMED TO BE IMPRESSED. I REACHED A DRESSING STATION AT VERMELLES PHILOSOPHE AFTER BEING WOUNDED ABOUT 7.30 THAT MORNING AND RECEIVED NO MEDICAL ATTENTION UNTIL LATER THAT NIGHT WHEN WE WERE TAKEN TO FIELD HOSPITALS SOME CONSIDERABLE DISTANCE BEHIND THE FRONT LINE. GANGERINE WAS SETTING IN. THREE DAYS LATER I WAS AT ROBEY STREET HOSPITAL. MANCHESTER, WHERE IT WAS ANTICIPATED THAT MY FOOT SHOULD BE AMPUTATED. THIS I RESENTED AND DEMANDED THAT THEY SAVE MY FOOT FOR ME AS IT WAS MY INTTENTION TO RETURN TO CANADA (WHERE I HAD BEEN ON RESERVE PREVIOUS TO THE OUTBREAK OF THE WAR) AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE WAR. I ALSO INTIMATED THAT I WANTED TO GO BACK TO FRANCE AGAIN. A CANADIAN MEDICAL OFFICER ATTACHED TO THE HOSPITAL TOOK A DEEP INTEREST IN ME AND SAVED MY FOOT.
LATER I REJOINED MY RESERVE UNIT, 3rd ROYAL MUNSTER FUSILIERS AT AGHADA, CO. CORK. IRELAND. THIS WOULD BE SOME TIME IN THE YEAR 1916. CONVALESCENCE AND MEDICAL ATTENTION SUCCEEDED IN MAKING ME WELL ONCE AGAIN AND AND THE FOLLOWING SUMMER I WAS BACK IN FRANCE FOR THE SECOND TIME WITH THE 1Sst BATTALION OF MY REGIMENT. DUTY CONTINUED AND ON THE 31st JULY 1917 WE TOOK OUR PLACE (16th IRISH DIVISION- 47 BRIGADE) UP AT YPRES AND WERE ENGAGED IN THE THIRD BATTLE FOR A PERIOD OF SIX WEEKS. I HAD TO BE TAKEN OUT OF THE TRENCHES AND BACK TO A FIELD HOSPITAL AT VLAMERTINGHE WHERE I RESTED FOR ABOUT, TWO WEEKS. THE BOOTS HAD TO BE CUT OFF ME, MY FEET WERE BLACK. I HAD NO FEELING IN THEM AND COULD NOT WALK. TREATMENT SOON PUT ME TO RIGHT AND I REJOINED MY UNIT. WE WERE RELIEVED, AND THE DIVISION (16th) UNDER GENERAL HICKIE WAS SENT TO THE SOMME WHERE DUTY CONTINUED IN FRONT OF BOURLON WOOD, CLOSE TO ALBERT, ON THE ALBERT-BAPAUME ROAD.
AND NOW I AM OBLIGED IN THESE NOTES TO WRITE SOMETHING WHICH I IMAGINE SHOULD BE BETTER LEFT UNSAID. IT IS THIS, FOR ABSOLUTELY NO REASON WHATEVER I FOUND MYSELF ON THE SPOT WHERE I SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN. A RAID WAS TO TAKE PLACE FROM THE POSITION WHICH MY PLATOON HELD. I WAS ORDERED TO TAKE IT BACK, MY PLATOON, TO THE RESERVE TRENCH. I SHOULD MENTION THAT WE WERE SCARCE OF OFFICERS AT THE TIME AND I WAS IN COMPLETE COMMAND. AS I SAY,I TOOK MY PLATOON BACK TO THE RESERVE TRENCH AND I SHOULD HAVE STAYED WHILE OUR RAID ON THE GERMAN TRENCHES WAS IN PROGRESS. I DID NOT. I WENT UP TO SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN THE FRONT LINE AND GOT THERE AS THE BARRAGE OPENED UP AND THE MEN ALMOST ON THE POINT OF GOING OVER THE TOP. THE TWO OFFICERS DETAILED FOR THE RAID BECAME CASUALTIES AS THEY WERE LEAVING THE PROTECTION OF THE TRENCHES AND THE MEN WERE UNAWARE OF THIS. AWAY THEY WENT. WHAT COULD BE DONE? A RAIDING PARTY WITHOUT ANY ONE IN COMMAND MIGHT SUFFER DISASTER AND ACHIEVE RESULTS THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF WHAT WAS ANTICIPATED. A TRAGEDY WAS ABOUT TO BE ENACTED BEFORE MY EYES AND SEEMINGLY NOTHING COULD BE DONE ABOUT IT EXCEPT TO TAKE COMPLETE COMMAND MYSELF. THIS I DID. IT WAS A TWENTY MINUTE AFFAIR. SO MUCH AS I WAS AWARE OF BUT WE REMAINED IN THE GERMAN POSITION FOR ONE AND A HALF HOURS, CAPTURED FOUR MEN AND A BOY AND INFLICTED AS MUCH DAMAGE AS WE COULD. THE RAID WAS A SUCCESS, ONE CASUALTY ON THE LIP OF THE GERMAN TRENCH AS WE WERE VACATING WHICH I MANAGED TO BRING BACK WITH ME. LATER GEN. HICKIE AND GEN. DAVIS AS WELL AS THE C-IN-C. GENERAL SIR DUOGLAS (HAIG) WERE VERY NICE ABOUT IT ALL. BUT THE RESULT WAS THAT I LEFT MY GRAND OLD REGIMENT THE ROYAL MUNSTER FUSILIERS. I WAS GAZETTED INTO THE 18TH FOOT. THE ROYAL IRISH REGIMENT AND AWARDED A REGULAR COMMISSION BY HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE V.
AT THE BATTLE OF CAMBRAI I WAS AGAIN TAKEN OUT OF THE TRENCHES AND BACK AGAIN TO HOSPITAL. THIS TIME TO SOMERFIELD HOSPITAL AT OXFORD. STOMACH TROUBLE, GASTRITIS OF A SEVERE NATURE. I WAS TOLD TO AVOID ALL ALCOHOL IF I WANTED TO CONTINUE IN SERVICE, I DID SO AND ONCE AGAIN FOUND MYSELF IN FRANCE FOR THE THIRD TIME, WHERE I CONTINUED ON DUTY UNTIL FEBRUARY 28th 1919. WHEN ALL REGULAR OFFICERS WERE ORDERED BACK TO ENGLAND. I RETIRED FROM THE SERVICE IN DECEMBER 1919 ON RETIRED PAY.
(SIGNED J.S. MEEHAN, LIEUT. R.P. LATE THE ROYAL IRISH REGIMENT)
JAMES MEEHAN HAD MARRIED HIS WIFE. JOSEPHINE FRANCIS, IN JUNE 1918 AND IN 1920 HE RETURNED TO CANADA TO RESUME HIS JOURNALISTIC CAREER. THERE HE CONTINUED TO SUFFER STOMACH AND NERVE TROUBLE, AND THIS CONTINUED TO AFFECT HIM AFTER HIS RETURN TO IRELAND IN 1936. THE MEEHANS ONLY CHILD NOEL, DIED AFTER BEING SHOT DOWN WHILE SERVING WITH THE: R.A.F. IN 1943, AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH FROM CEREBRAL THROMBOSIS ON THE 17TH JANUARY 1963. MEEHAN WAS RESIDENT IN WHITEGATE CO. CORK. HE IS BURIED LOCALLY THE UPPER AGHADA CEMETERY WHERE LIES ALSO THE GRAVE OF SGT. WILLIAM COSGROVE V.C, THE FIRST SOLDIER TO WIN THE VICTORIA CROSS FOR THE MUNSTER FUSILIERS IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR.
REFERENCES-THE NATIONAL ARMY MUSEUM CHELSEA: LONDON. ENGLAND. WHO ARE IN POSSESSION OF THE O.C.A. RECORDS OF THE ROYAL MUNSTER FUSILIERS.