My own company commander was a very gallant little Dublin barrister, who, before the war, had exerted on English platforms against Home Rule the gift of racy eloquence which he now devoted to recruiting.

Not half a dozen of the subalterns would have described themselves as Nationalists.
It is easy to see how all this could be represented, and was represented, to the outside public of Ireland.

From the inside, one thing was clear.

In our battalion every man desired the success of the Division, and more particularly of the Connaught Rangers, absolutely with a whole heart.

Anything said or done that could have offended the men--practically all Catholic and Nationalist--would have drawn the most condign chastisement from our commanding officer.