Reverend William Devine (1887–1959): A dual-war Chaplain of extraordinary courage

As Armistice Day approaches, it is fitting to remember the remarkable life of the Reverend William Devine—a hero who offered spiritual, moral, and humanitarian support in the heat of battle while serving as a Chaplain in both World Wars.

Born on the 5th October, 1887, in Castlederg, County Tyrone.  William was the son of George Devine, a local draper, and Catherine Devine (née McGlinchy).  After studying at St. Columb’s College in Londonderry and St. Patrick’s College in Maynooth, he was ordained into the Roman Catholic Church for the Diocese of Derry in 1912. The following year, he emigrated to Australia, serving as a curate in the Melbourne parish of South Yarra.

When the First World War broke out, Rev. Devine volunteered for the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), enlisting in Victoria on the 28th May, 1915, as a fourth-class chaplain with the rank of Captain. In March 1916, he joined the 48th Battalion during its formation in Egypt and served alongside it for the remainder of the war. On the Western Front, he was present at key engagements, including Mouquet Farm, Flers, Third Ypres, and Hamel. He took sick in the winter of 1916 suffering from the effects of gas poisoning received on the battle field and was sent to Ireland on leave briefly but returned to his unit in February 1917.  Devine’s commitment to service made him extremely popular.  He often was right behind the lines in the trenches and ventured into no man’s land to perform spiral and medical duties putting his life in great danger.  His valour on the battlefield earned him both the Military Cross and the French Croix de Guerre with palm.

After recovering from a severe bout of broncho-pneumonia that hospitalized him in London in February 1919, Rev. Devine returned to Australia late that year to serve as a curate at Lancefield. In 1920, he famously organized a group of Victoria Cross recipients to form an honour guard for Melbourne’s St. Patrick’s Day parade, highlighting the shared Australian, British, and Irish bravery displayed during the war.

By February 1923, he was back in Castlederg. He joined the Maynooth Mission to China in 1927, lecturing in history at Tientsin University in Hankow. By 1930, he had returned to Northern Ireland as curate for Dungiven and Sion Mills. In Sion Mills, he successfully secured land for a hall and the Church of the Little Flower, opened in 1935. The site was obtained from Unionist Senator Sir Emerson Herdman of Herdman Mills fame, who was so impressed after seeing Rev. Devine adorned with his war medals at a stag party, offered a lease. Rev.  Devine on rising to his feet as the port was passed around famously quipped, "Rome accepts no leases," ensuring the land was purchased outright.

With the outbreak of World War II, Rev. Devine displayed his characteristic spirit once again by volunteering as a Royal Navy Chaplain while in Londonderry—an unusual transition after serving in the Army during the First World War. His World War Two postings included Algiers, Toronto, Italy, and Malta, often sailing aboard ships on active combat duty.

Following the war, in 1947 he became Parish Priest at Clonmany, County Donegal, retiring a decade later.

Even late in life, his wit remained sharp. During his final outward voyage to Australia—taken against medical advice—he met and became friends with Sir Basil Brooke (Lord Brookeborough), the then Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. Upon parting, Rev. Devine joked: "What would your Orange friends think if they knew I was your Chaplain on the voyage?"

Sadly the Reverend William Devine passed away in a Dublin nursing home aged 72 on the 19th October, 1959. His extraordinary life story is a testament to faith and courage, and one that deserves a place in a proposed Military Museum and County Tyrone Museum at the former St. Lucia Barracks in Omagh.  Perhaps as next year will be the 140th anniversary of his birth that will be achieved.

Stevan Patterson Castlederg, County Tyrone.