Lives of the First World War

known November 1915

The following letter was received by Mrs Margaret Heffernan, No 25, Spittal, Tipperary, whose son is a prisoner of war in Limburg, German, from the Rev J T Crotty, Irish Prisoners Chaplain;-- "Dear Mrs Heffernan,--I beg you to send a few lines of sympathy to you and family on the death of your dear son. R.I.P,. Your boy, William, has just given me the sad news and asks me to pray for the repose of his soul. This I shall do, and shall ask the boys at Mass to pray for him. On the 2nd November we had three Masses in the camp, and have had drawn up a list of the names on a "dead list" which is read at Mass even now and shall be read until we come to the last name. Amongst the names in the list we have the parents, brothers, sisters and friends departed of the prisoners of war in Limburg. For all those we had the Holy Mass specially offered up on that day of All Souls. So that your deceased son came in for a share in our prayers and Masses on that day. Your son, William, is doing well and attends regularly to his duties. It ought to be a source of much consolation to the prisoners friends in Ireland to know that the spiritual welfare of their sons and brothers is particularly cared for. Not only have we the Rosary each evening in the camp, but also in the houses where some of the prisoners are lodging during their time with the farmers. The winter is now upon us and we must feel grateful of the supply of firing materials and coats which we get from the authorities to heat the barracks. Our friends from home are sending out clothing for the winter as well as a large supply of food, so that we are not too badly off. We owe much to the generosity of the good friends which think of us, and we have to thank, in a special way, the people of Tipperary, from whom so much in money and food have come to us. Not long ago I received £5 from the Editor of "The Nationalist" Clonmel for distribution amongst the Tipperary boys. So if you wish you may let him have the card or a copy of it as all friends would then have my recognition of the well-being of the prisoners. Yours Truly. J.T.Crotty."

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