At the burial of the late Captain Norman Leslie, the Primate of Ireland read the following extract from a letter which the unfortunate officer had written to a hay friend while at the front, The magnificent spirit of British officers is well illustrated in its passages. It is as follow:
"Try and not worry too much about the war units, Individuals cannot count. Remember we are writing a new page of history. Future generations cannot be allowed to read of the decline of the British Empire and attribute it to us. We live our little lives and die, and to some are given the choice of proving themselves men, and to others no chance comes.
Whatever our individual faults, virtues, or qualities may be it matters not; but when we are up against big things let us forget individuals and let us act as one great British unit, united and fearless. Some will live and many will die, but count not the loss. Tt is better far to go out with honour than survive with shame."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.