The War Romance of the Salvation ArmyHill, Grace Livingston
History
The War Romance of the Salvation Army
Hill, Grace Livingston
World War, 1914-1918 -- War work -- Salvation Army
After the Armistice was signed, on November 11th, it was a great
question what disposition would be made of the troops. It was concluded
that they would be sent home as rapidly as possible and that the three
ports—Brest, St. Nazaire and Bordeaux—would be used for that purpose.
Immediately arrangements were made for the opening of Salvation Army
work at the base ports with a view to letting the boys have a last
sight of the Salvation Army as they left the shores of France. The
Salvation Army had served them in the training area and at the front
and were still serving them as they left the shores of the old world
and it would meet them again when they arrived on the shores of the
home-land. In this way the contact of the Salvation Army would be
continuous, so that when they returned, it would be able to reach their
hearts and affect their lives with the Gospel of Christ.
The problem of buildings was, of course, the first one and a very
difficult one. To secure buildings of adequate size, which could be
constructed in a short space of time, was almost out of the question,
but it occurred to the officers that the aviation section would be
demobilizing and that they had brought over portable steel buildings,
for use as hangars. The matter was taken up at once with the military
authorities and twenty of these steel buildings were secured—each of
them sixty-six feet wide by one hundred feet long. It was planned to
place eight of them at Bordeaux, six at St. Nazaire and six at Brest.
By placing two of them end to end it was possible to secure one
auditorium sixty-six feet wide by two hundred feet long—capable of
seating three thousand men. Adjoining that could be another building
sixty-six feet by one hundred feet, to be used for canteen and rest
room.
It was planned to proceed with a religious campaign at these Base
Ports, holding Salvation meetings in these extensive departments.
When the Army of Occupation was started for Germany, two Salvation Army
trucks were assigned to go along with the Army. Whenever the Army of
Occupation stopped for a space of two or three days, places were
secured where doughnuts could be fried, pies made, and at all times hot
coffee and chocolate were available for the men.
When the American soldiers marched through the villages of
Alsace-Lorraine the Salvationists marched with them. At Esch and
Luxemburg they were in all the rejoicing and triumph of the parade,
bringing succor and comfort wherever they could find an opportunity.
When the men arrived at Coblenz the Salvation Army was there before
them, and on their crossing the Rhine, arrangements had been made for
the location of the Salvation Army work at the principal points in the
Rhine-head. They are now conducting Salvation Army operations with the
Army of Occupation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account