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
It will be seen, therefore, that the term fighting base is a very
elastic one. It stands for that wide area behind the advanced lines,
where all but the fighting work is done.
Now, let us get among the Christian workers and see what they are
doing there.
We are impressed with their magnificent opportunity. The men who have
been fighting know what it means. They have looked the king of terrors
in the face, and they feel the need of a Saviour as never before. The
men who, as yet, have not been to the front cannot escape an
indefinable dread, and they, too, are ready for the gospel message.
While the wounded--suffering, and maybe drawing near to death--eagerly
drink in the words of life.
We will listen to some of the chaplains as they tell their own tale.
We will begin with the Rev. J. Esslemont Adams, of the United Free
Church of Scotland. Writing to the _Record_, the organ of that church,
he begins by emphasizing the splendid character of the men of the
Expeditionary Force. He says (November 3, 1914):
"Of 200,000 men forming the Expeditionary Force only 366 are in
prison--one man out of every 546. That statement proves the clean
character of the force. Of these 366 men in prison we find that the
number penalised for yielding to the sins about which Lord Kitchener
warned the troops before they left for overseas is (according to the
official returns) one man in 5000. Only one man in 5000 is worthy of
contempt. The rest are in gaol for reasons which stir not wrath but
pity."
This is a remarkable statement, and when we consider the strain that
these men have experienced, and the reasons for their failure as given
by Mr. Adams--breaking ranks to seize a bunch of fruit, falling asleep
on "sentry-go" and the rest,--the wonder is that there have not been
many more. We do not wonder that he adds: "British soldiers have a
good name and a good character in this country, and it is well that
this be placed to their credit by the people of the Christian Church."
Like all the chaplains at the base, Mr. Adams finds his chief
opportunity in the hospitals. He says:
"At the base there are nine hospitals, some in public buildings, some
in tents out on the plain. Of these nine hospitals, some are filled
with British wounded, others with British and French, and the fellow
soldiers of both--Turcos, Senegalese, Belgians, Indians. The
chaplain's work is principally there, going from ward to ward and tent
to tent, talking on all subjects from the war to the Word of God,
writing letters, or getting those angels of mercy, the nursing
sisters, to write for men too crippled to write.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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