The Soul of the Soldier: Sketches from the Western Battle-Front — John Shaqi
The Soul of the Soldier: Sketches from the Western Battle-FrontTiplady, Thomas
History
The Soul of the Soldier: Sketches from the Western Battle-Front
Tiplady, Thomas
World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives, English
There is the same naturalness and spirit of fellowship between members
of various churches. Many lasting friendships have been formed between
chaplains of differing communions. There has been no change of creed
but something greater, a change of spirit. They have been touched by the
common spirit, and have lived and worked in free and happy fellowship.
On my last Sunday in a hospital in France, the chaplain, a canon of the
Church of England, invited me to read the lesson at the morning parade
service, and to administer the wine at Holy Communion. This I did; and
a colonel who was present stayed behind to express to us both the
pleasure which had been given to him by the sight of Anglican and
Methodist churchmen serving together at the Lord’s Table.
To a chaplain not a little of the glamour of the Front is found in this
warm fellowship between men of differing creeds and varying religious
communions. We have not knocked down our garden walls but we have taken
off the cut glass that had been cemented on them by our fathers; and now
we can lean over and talk to our neighbors. We have already found that
our neighbors are human beings, and quite normal. The chief difference
between us seems to be that while one has an obsession for roses the
other has an obsession for dahlias. On pansies, sweet peas and
chrysanthemums we seem equally keen and exchange plants. A Roman
Catholic officer who had been appointed to the Ulster Division told me
that though he was received coldly at first, he had not been with the
Division more than a few weeks when every officer in his regiment, and
every soldier in his company, accepted him as cordially as if he were a
Protestant. He was from Dublin and they from Belfast, but they did not
allow it to make any difference, and feelings of the warmest loyalty and
friendship sprang up. His Tommies would fight to the death by his side,
as readily as around any Ulsterman; and he was just as popular in the
officers’ mess. When, he said, it passed the Irish Guards or any other
Roman Catholic regiment, his regiment would sing some provoking song
about "hanging the Pope with a good strong rope," and the Dublin
regiment would reply with some song equally obnoxious and defiant; but
whereas, in peace time, the songs would have caused a free fight to the
accompaniment of bloodshed, now it caused nothing worse than laughter.
The songs were just a bit of teasing such as every regiment likes to
regale another with--perhaps, too, a common memory of the dear country
they have left behind. The men of Belfast and the men of Dublin have
learned to respect and value one another. They know that in a scrap
with the enemy they can count on one another to the last drop of blood,
for, whether from North or South, the Irish are "bonnie fighters." Of
such are the miracles at the Front.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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