From escaping the ill fate of the supposed unsinkable ship Titanic, Father Browne went on to serve in the Great War with great distinction.
Upon his death, Father Browne was described by his old Commanding Officer, later on, to become the Earl of Alexander of Tunis, as the bravest man he ever met.
It was in 1916 when Father Browne, known for his photos of the Titanic before it met its demise, joined the British Army as a Jesuit chaplain. For most of the Great War, he was with the Irish Guards staying either in the front line trenches or the battlefields of Flanders.
Because of his ministry to soldiers during the heat of the Great war, Father Browne sustained wounds five times and was severely gassed. Aside from serving as a front line chaplain, Father Browne also took the time taking pictures as how the Great War progressed around him. Some of his photographs have become iconic pictures of the First World War.
WWI finally came to an end. And in 1919, Father Browne was awarded the Belgian Croix de Guerre by the Belgian king himself – King Albert. The honor was in recognition for his service in Flanders for three years. In March the following year, the French followed suit awarding the priest with their French Croix de Guerre with Palm.
To date, Father Eddie O’Donnell took time to write a fitting account of Father Browne and his time in the First World War. The biography is steeped with extracts from his own letters he wrote while serving in the front lines as well as picture illustrations that he himself took.