In Sligo Stories of World War I this week we delve a into a remarkable story of Sligo’s compassion and generosity from 1915, after our attention was drawn to a social media post by a friend of Lest Sligo Forgets, Gerard Whelan.
Original social media post reads -
“Sligo, on the west coast of Ireland, was nearly a thousand miles away from the World War 1 battlefield in France. In 1915 a group of Sligonians decided to send an ambulance to the front. They raised 458 pounds and dispatched the ambulance, together with 2 local women drivers to France. One lady was Kathleen (related to Wood-Martin), the other I don’t know the name. As a Belgian, I can only be grateful for the generosity (458 pounds was a lot of money at the time)”
The post is credited to the wonderful Sligo History and Heritage group, but we could only find it posted on the Facebook page of The Dublin Central Branch, The Royal British Legion.
We do not know who the Belgian person is who created the post but would welcome any additional information.
Following the prompt from Gerard Whelan we thought we’d share a little more information on this striking act of charity by Sligo people for those who were injured on the battlefields of France and Belgium.
It is courtesy of an article in The Sligo Independent dated March 13th 1915.
The people of Sligo came together in 1914 & 1915 to deliver this ambulance to the front lines of World War I, to play a part in easing the suffering of those who were injured.
Emulate the community spirit of that time today by helping Lest Sligo Forgets create a fitting Memorial Garden to those from County Sligo who lost their lives during the conflict .
The Story of the Ambulance, which the generosity of Sligo People sent to the front during World War I
The text on the article is faded and difficult to read so we have retyped it in full here.
Sligo Independent Article 13th March 1915 reads
“We reproduce the above facsimile of the magnificent ambulance supplied by the people of this town and county for the conveyance of our wounded soldiers from the battlefield on the European Continent to the nearest base hospital. While Sligo has nobly done its part since the outbreak of the present war perhaps there is nothing which will indicate so truly the Christian spirit of its people as this magnificent gift for the succour of the wounded.
It is the gift of all. It has not been presented by any one section or class. All the people of the town and county, rich and poor may claim a share in the benevolent work. From pence to shillings, and from shillings to pounds, the contributions poured in until £483 was realised, and this, be it remembered, at a time when pressure was being keenly felt on the resources of every-day life.
But when the appeal of suffering humanity is sounded, the people of Sligo are never found wanting. Let that appeal come from home or from abroad, a deaf ear is not turned to it. And the link which binds Sligo with the continent today, by reason of the number of her men now on the plains of France and Belgium, was forged still stronger by this benevolent act on the part of the people. It is one of the grandest testimonies of their spirit. It shows that those who were unable to take an active part on the field of battle themselves, were conscious of the sacrifices of others, and were prepared, in a particular way, to show their sympathy with those who were risking their lives for our protection and peace.
This beautiful plate, which is being presented through the medium of the Sligo Independent, of 13th March, 1915, by the Sligo Ambulance Committee, will act as a souvenir to those who have subscribed to the ambulance, and remind them of the part they played, even at home, in one of the greatest wars of the world history.”