The Barmouth and County Advertiser and District Weekly News

tbe fate Sergeant William Oliltill. [By HIS PASTOR, REV. W. GLANDWE-MOEGAN] It is with a sad heart I take up my pen, at the request of the Editor, to write a brief note about my dear young friend, Sergt. William O'Neill, 1st Batt. Suffolk, Regiment. His letter to our Church, which ap- peared in the last issue of the Barmouth Advertiser, is fresh in the minds of all readers. It was so like him. Patient, strong, brave under the most terrible circumstances,—a true British soldier. It was my privilege to spend some hours in his company on his all too rare visits to his dear home, in our midst. During our conversations, I discovered in him some of the finest qualities of manhood. He bad a clean mind and a very high sense of duty, which led him to very noble ideals in his calling as a soldier. The military life is a very exacting one in times of peace, but spite of the many duties in his strenuous upward career, O'Neill sought diligently to stock his mind with the best literature. Most of his military career was spent in Egypt, chiefly in Alexandria and Cairo. When camping out in the desert in the Pyramids, his letters to his beloved mother read like a charmed story. Naturally he was retiring and modest, and on this account did not give the impression of the dashing and intrepid soldier, still be was of that splendid type of character which is determined to surmount all obstacles to win the goal of its ambition. Had be been spared to his country, be would have risen to higher positions. He was a general favourite with his officers and linen, as was testified in many ways during his sojourn in Egypt, and as this lieutenent said when con- veying the sad intelligence, "it is a great loss to me, and to the Company." But now, be, like thousands of our brilliant and brave youth, has fallen in the defence oftiis King and country. "He died (as his sorrowing brother wrote from the trenches) doing his duty." What a noble death The greatest of all deaths to die doing one's duty. He died in honour's cause. But so young not 26 years until April, so buoyant, so full of hope, and high spirits. Why ? "Heaven shall make perfect our im- perfect lives." The broken arc bere- the completed one hereafter. The dreary talc of the war saddens us daily, but they who fall in defence of the Righteous Cause cannot be cast aside by Him, who gave us being. Mrs William O'Neill (widow) Mrs Felstead (mother) the brothers and sisters in their poignant grief, have bepn greatly sustained by the visits and sympathy of the many friends, and wish to take this opportunity througb the medium of the Advertiser to convey their sincerest thanks to all. BRIEF OUTLINE OF SERGEANT O'NEILL'S MILITARY CAREER. Sergeant O'Neal was born at I Buttevant, near Cork, Ireland. He first entered the Army  He first entered the Army j when he was 14} years old at Woolwich. I From Woolwich he was removed to the Isle of Wight, where he was promoted to Lance Corporal. From Isle of Wight he was promoted to Malta, where he remained for two years. Here he was promoted :to Corporal. His next move was to Alexandria (Egypt), Cairo and Khartoum. At Cairo he was promoted to Lance Sergeant, and at Khartoum to Sergeant. ) When War broke out, his Regiment was called home, "and Lichfield, Felix- I stowe and Winchester became tho camp. ing grounds. Six weeks ago the order for France came. It was on the after- noon of the 16th February, while, as given above, doing his duty, he was I! killed. The splendid Suffolks have suffered heavily. I ■■■iiMiii II mi in urn iiiii ii in iiiii mi >■ mi iiiii 11 ii iiniiiiiiiHiiiii in in in mill

0 BEN Y TWR. Tarawyd y dref a phrudd-der fore Sadwrn gan y newydd fod Sergt. Wm. O'Neil wedi ei ladd ar faes y frwydr, Yn y papur hwn wytbnos i beddyw yr oedd ilythr oddiwrtno at ei weinidog, yn diolch am rodd. briodasol. Estynwn ein cydymdeimlad tynheraf a'i fam, ac a'i weddw ieuanc, a'r boll deulu yn eu profedigaeth lem. Cydymdeimlad befyd yn fawr a'r Parch. R, Ward— collodd yntau eu frawd yn ddisymwth yr wythhos ddiweddaf, pan oedd yn paratoi i fyned allan r'r gad. Canmol sydd ar gyngerdd nos Gwyl Dewi, er y gallesid disgwyl fod ieuenc- tyd ein tref wedi dysgu beliach i ym- ddwyn yn fwy gweddus mewn cynull- iadau o'r fatb. Item ddyddorol iawn oedd cydnabod gwrhydi brawd ieuanc o'r He, a stroke go dda oedd; cael i'r llwyfan nid yn unig yr acbubwr ond yr achubedig befyd. Hir oes i'r ddau. Dal i ymweled a'u cartrefi y mae ein milwyr-rhai am y tro olaf cyn croesi'r culfor am Ffrainc. Teimlant oil yn awyddus i fyod hefyd, a gweddi unol y Bermo ydyw am iddynt gael eu cadw i ddyfod yn ol eto i'n plitb. Young man, keep your record clean," oedd gair olaf J. B. Googh cyn gadael y byd. A ddarllenasocb araoth Mr Lloyd George ym Mangor y Sabbotb Do, mae'n sicr. Dyma rai o'r petbau ddywedodd Y mae'r ddioed yn gwneud mwy o niwed yn y rhyfel hwn na holl submarines y gelynion gyda'u gilydd." Dywedai Gweinidog Arianol Rwsia fod swm y gwaith roddir allan gan weitbwyry wlad bonno wedi cyn- yddu rbwng 30 a 50 y cant ar ol cau'r tafarndai yno." Bwriadaltr Llywod- raeth ddefnyddio eu gallu ynglyn a'r fasnach feddwol yn gymedrol, ac yn ddoeth, ond eto yn gwbl ddiofn." Amen, meddwn ninnau, mae'n ben bryd.

Forthcoming Events Free insertions under this column to all those who bring in their Prinjin on all Forth-coming Events. MARCH. 5th.-County School Annual Eisteddfod at the Belle Vue Hall. 24tb.-Competitive meeting at Park Road Chapel. 24tb.-Competitive meeting at Caer- salern Chapel. APRIL. 5th (Easter Monday)—Grand Concert, Entertainment, and Children's Chinese Play, at the Assembly Rooms, in aid of the local Red Cross Fund. 13th & 14th.-North Wales Union of English Congregational Churches will meet in the Jubilee Road Eng- lish Congregational Church. 15th (Thursday)—Children's Concert- the cantata" The Children's Year" (P" H, Lewis) |

Lord Harlech on Monday received the news that his nephew, Captain Viscount Ebrington, Royal Scots Greys, has been wounded in action. Lord Ebrington is the oldest sou of Earl Fortescue.

WITH THE BARMOUTH TERRITORIALS AT CAMBRIDGE. St. DAVID'S DAY CELEBRATIONS. Cambridge, March 1st. To-day, being St. David's Day, the whole of the Welsh Division stationed in this town, were granted a èay,s holiday. The leek was very prominent, and caused many of the residents to wonder at such a display of them. "0, mother," we beard a little girl say, look at that soldier wearing an onion in his cap." The small child was standing on the edge of the pavement, holding on to her mother's band, and pointing excitedly at the Terrier, -who was walking on the opposite parapet. Hush, child," said the mother, that's not an onion, but a leek," and proceeded to tell her in a simplified way of its being St. David's, the Patron Saint of Wales' day, smiling at the Terrier, who walked on perfectly unconscious and happy, with a great leek stuck askew through the strap on the beak of his cap, the leaves pluming back like a„. cavaliers feather, and the root dangling in a tantalising fashion over his eye. Cambridge, to-day, is full of Welsh patriots, deecendants from the brave Llewelyn. Some wore the whole leek, and were drawing much attention to themselves, and cried after, asking to know why they carried the garden with them others weie content to wear just a part to denote that they came from the Principality others bad none at all,but just as much were they patriots at heart as those who carried a ludicrous lot in their hats. Some, who were filled to overflowing with patriotism, had to p-Ittstei- the emblem on their billets, etc., Welshmen of the new school who favour the daffodil also, had to show it in their caps. All the same, the leek and the daffodil stand for the same thing—that they are Welsh, and wish to celebrate the day of their patron saint. We all made the best of the day, a football competition was arranged, and games were played on nearly all the grounds available, while to night, a service was held at Great St. Mary's Chnrch, at which a choir of over two hundred soldiers sang numerous Welsh hymns. Canon R. T. Jones, the Vicar of Bethesda, preached a powerful and eloquent sermon. The spaciou3 church was filled to its utmost capacity. It is no news, but worth recording the fact that seven of Barmouth sons having volunteered their services for the draft which will be leaving shortly as reinforcements "for the 4th Battalion R.W.F., namely :—Thomas Hugh Jones, John Jones, E. M. Tank, Tommy Loxton, R. R. Lloyd, Wallace Ingram and Bobbie Lloyd. By the time this will be in print their leave will have expired. Let us all pray to God to protect them, and for the speedy termination of the war, so that they may all come back safe and sound, soon, again. Barmouth is sure to be proud of her brave sons, who have so nobly volunteered their services. Yesterday (Sunday) at our first Church Parade, we bad the pleasant surprise of listening to the Rev. Towyn Jones, M.P., preaching; be also preached at the Welsh service, which we have every Sunday night, needlees to say that we enjoyed his eloquent sermons. It has not been my pleasure to listen to an orator before,—Towyn Jones is one of the first water: it makes us want to hear him soon again. He had come over to address the Welsh students à1 the various Colleges, but of course he had to come and preach to us so full is he of the Welsh fervour that he can't withhold himself from doing something all the while. This concludes what I have to write about this time. R.H.R.

It is estimated that 40,000 men have joined the Army from Tyneside, which has in addition contributed 4,000 to the Naval Brigade. I