The only thing in which Redmond was entirely fortunate during these last years of his life was in his son's record during the war.
Another Nationalist well known to the House of Commons served also in the Dublin Fusiliers on the Somme, with a different fortune.

Professor Kettle, owing to conditions of health, had been unable to come to France with the Sixteenth Division, and had been mainly employed in recruiting.
Now in these summer months he pushed hard to get out to France, though he was not physically fit for the line.

He got to France, and, as was easy to foresee, broke down and was sent to work at the base on records: but before he left his regiment he knew that it was under orders for a general action, and he insisted that he should have leave to rejoin for that day.

He came back accordingly, found himself called on to take command of a company, and led it with great gallantry, and on the second day of action was shot dead.

It was the fate that he expected; he, like so many, had a forerunning assurance of his end.