World War, 1914-1918 -- Anecdotes; World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives
On the battlefields the kindness of the French medical men to the
German wounded has always been conspicuous. One of my neutral
friends passing through Germany heard from one of the prominent
German surgeons that they were well aware of this fact, and knew that
their wounded received every attention. There is a story known throughout
France of a French doctor who was attending a wounded German
on the battlefield. The man, who was probably half delirious,
snatched at a revolver which was lying near by and attempted
to shoot the doctor. The doctor took the revolver from him, patted
him on the head, and said: "Voyons, voyons, ne faites pas l'enfant"
("Now then, now then, don't be childish") and went on dressing his wounds.
Everywhere you hear accounts of brotherly love and religious
tolerance. I remember kneeling once by the side of a dying French
soldier who was tenderly supported in the arms of a famous young
Mohammedan surgeon, an Egyptian who had taken his degree in
Edinburgh and was now attached to the French Red Cross. The
man's mind was wandering, and seeing a woman beside him he
commenced to talk to me as to his betrothed. "This war cannot last
always, little one, and when it is over we will buy a pig and a cow
and we will go to the cure, won't we, beloved?" Then in a lucid
moment he realised that he was dying, and he commenced to
pray, "Ave Maria, Ave Maria," but the poor tired brain could
remember nothing more. He turned to me to continue, but I could
no longer trust myself to speak, and it was the Mohammedan who
took up the prayer and continued it whilst the soldier followed with
his lips until his soul passed away into the valley of shadows. I
think this story is only equalled in its broad tolerance by that of the
Rabbi Bloch of Lyons, who was shot at the battle of the Aisne
whilst holding a crucifix to the lips of a dying Christian soldier. The
soldier priests of France have earned the love and respect of even
the most irreligious of the Poilus. They never hesitate to risk their
lives, and have displayed sublime courage and devotion to their
duty as priests and as soldiers. Behind the first line of trenches a
soldier priest called suddenly to attend a dying comrade, took a
small dog he was nursing and handing it to one of the men simply
remarked, "Take care of the little beast for me, I am going to a
dangerous corner and I do not want it killed."
A Gun Carriage An Altar
I have seen the Mass celebrated on a gun carriage. Vases made
of shell cases were filled with flowers that the men had risked their
lives to gather in order to deck the improvised altar. A Red Cross
ambulance drove up and stopped near by. The wounded begged
to be taken out on their stretchers and laid at the foot of the altar in
order that "they might receive the blessing of the good God"
before starting on the long journey to the hospital behind the lines.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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