General. The three together would constitute an Army Corps. The
formation of these three Irish Divisions is a fact of great note. It
is the first time Ireland is officially represented in the field by a
larger unit than the regiment.

It is to be noted that this book only deals with the achievements of
the old Irish regiments, and one of the new Irish Divisions, namely,
the 10th. The 16th Irish Division, the 36th Irish Division, and the
Tyneside Irish Brigade have only recently gone to the Front.

From letters home from men and officers, from the speeches of Generals
delivered immediately after an action, and sometimes sent home in a
letter or an order of the day, from the spontaneous testimony of
onlookers of other corps rather than from official reports, the
record, so far, of these Irish levies, old and new, is put together.
Official mentions are scant. The official account given by Admiral de
Robeck of the landing and taking of "V" Beach, with its sunken wire
entanglements, one of the most extraordinary of deeds, and valuable in
results in spite of the appalling cost to the Irish battalions who
accomplished it, for it rendered the landing of the troops that
arrived later safe--a feat which General Sir Hunter Weston next day
declared to be "without parallel in the history of feats of arms"--did
not even mention the names of the glorious Irish regiments--although
the names of the regiments concerned in all the other landings were
given with eulogies. General Hamilton, in explanation of his meagre
references to the Tenth Division at Suvla, says he found it difficult
to obtain "living human details." I do not refer to this by way of
complaint, though I hope this omission may yet be officially set
right. The thing is past, and there is going, we hope, to be a great
change in such matters in future. Besides, the facts get known. Such
deeds cannot be hidden--they are too great. I refer to the matter to
explain why it is that books like this, imperfect as it is, have to be
compiled. Other volumes like it will have to supplement the tale. We
Irish are determined that henceforth the doings of our armies in the
field shall not be in vain in any sense. Piously shall we glean the
record, whether official or unofficial, and what our men, our
officers, and our Generals think ought to be known shall no longer, so
far as we can help it, remain unknown. Our brave lads in the
battle-line may rest assured that their country is lovin