With Our Fighting Men: The story of their faith, courage, endurance in the Great WarSellers, William E.
History
With Our Fighting Men: The story of their faith, courage, endurance in the Great War
Sellers, William E.
Great Britain. Army -- Military life; World War, 1914-1918 -- Religious aspects
"The ordinary services were taken usually in the open air, though
sometimes some large building, a barn, schoolroom, or shed was
available. Whenever it was practicable I had the Holy Communion
indoors, and for this service I invariably put on my surplice. I have
had to celebrate in many strange places--in lofts, kitchens of
farm-houses, engine sheds, stables, and even in a slaughter-house. But
there has been a devotion and a spiritual uplifting in these most
unwonted surroundings which have been good to see, and officers and
men have come to the Holy Communion in large numbers with a reverence
and an evident longing for communion with God which one does not
always see, even in the most splendid churches at home.
"When my stay in the Fourth Division was drawing to a close, Mr. Hall,
whom you probably know, the Wesleyan chaplain at Chatham, was posted
to the Eleventh Field Ambulance, and came to live with me at my
billet. He and I did a great deal of work together, and he would tell
you about it, for he is at home now. I shall never forget how we went
together one night to a certain battalion which was going into the
trenches the following day. We first had the ordinary evening service
in an underground place, and afterwards there was the Holy Communion,
to which came 122 officers and men. The room in which we were gathered
was very dim, and we felt very deeply the immense solemnity of the
hour.
"It was all very wonderful and very beautiful. During the actual
administration, the commanding officer walked behind me with a
lantern, up and down the rows of kneeling men, so as to make sure that
all were cared for.
"We did not reach our billet until after eleven o'clock that night.
The next day some of those who had made their communion on the
previous night were killed in action.
"Very often our service had to be conducted under shell fire. I recall
one amongst many instances. I was taking a service one weekday
morning for a battery in the garden of a house at Houplines. A great
number of shells went over us while the service was proceeding.
Afterwards we had the Holy Communion in the house. During the service
the houses on either side of ours were struck, and, finally, at the
close there was a deafening crash and we found that the house in which
we were had been hit, though not much damage was done.
"These circumstances of difficulty and danger seem to bring out the
very best that is in men, and I have been immensely impressed by the
craving for spiritual help shown by both officers and men, and their
gratitude for anything I could do for them, as well as by the humble
reverence and real devotion of all ranks.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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