With Our Fighting Men: The story of their faith, courage, endurance in the Great War — John Shaqi
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
Here and there we get a little light in the darkness. The _War Cry_ of
September 19 contains a story from the pen of a motor driver in the
R.F.A., who was also a Salvation Army bandsman, which has to do with
the battle more than the retreat, but which may as well be told here,
leaving a description of some incidents in the retreat itself to
follow later.
"We got everything ready for the enemy, the trenches dug and the guns
fixed, and then came the worst job of all--waiting. For thirty-six
hours we lay there watching and listening for the first sign of the
Germans. Then for five hours the battle lasted without cessation.
"Having brought my transport wagons up to the firing lines with my
motor, I had to help load the guns. Shells were flying and bursting
all round us. I was wounded by a splinter from one of the shells, but
as it was only a flesh wound I bound it up and went on with my work.
"Now, the enemy seemed to be beating us, then again they retreated.
All the time my comrades were falling around me, and the Germans were
falling in hundreds too. So thick were the enemy's dead that when the
advance was given we simply had to force the motor up and over heaps
of bodies--there was nothing else for it.
"At last the battle, so far as the batteries in our neighbourhood were
concerned, went in our favour, and we were ordered to follow the
retreating Germans. In doing this six of us got lost, and for four
days we were tramping about without a mouthful of food or drink!
"By day we lay concealed in the corn or grass fields, and by night we
crept along, without any guide, only hoping and praying--I've prayed
many times in the past, but never so much as on these nights--that all
would come right.
"On the first day we were fairly well, on the second we were _very_
hungry, on the third our tongues were hanging out, and two of my
comrades went mad.
"On the fourth night we fell in with a British ambulance section and
were taken into camp. As I was passing an ambulance tent I heard some
one singing:
'I'm a child of a King,
I'm a child of a King,
With Jesus my Saviour,
I'm a child of a King.'
I asked who it was, and was told it was a Salvationist.
"In the stillness of another night from one of the tents I heard--
'Then we'll roll the old chariot along,
And we won't drag on behind.'
"I tell you it was thrilling; it made me dance for joy. Two or three
Salvationists were having a Free and Easy; after the chorus had been
sung once or twice I heard it taken up by other Salvationists in other
tents, and presently from many parts of the camp could be heard the
old Salvation Army song. It was splendid!
"My, didn't the old verse go with a swing--
'If the Devil's in the way
We'll roll it over him!'
By this time the whole camp had joined in. Some of the
non-Salvationists would sing it with a slight change.
"Another favourite with us Salvationists was the last verse of 'I'm a
child of a King'--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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