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
"'Ladies and Gentlemen,--Often have I been proud to state that many of
you have considered it a duty and a patriotic devotion to accompany to
their last resting-place the glorious remains of our Allies who have
fallen on the field of honour, and to show your fraternal friendship
in bringing flowers, a spontaneous testimonial, but ephemeral, which
we will confirm later by a commemorative monument, and we shall put it
up together on this ground of supreme rest.
"'In the name of the Municipal Council of Boisguillaume, ladies and
gentlemen, I thank you one and all.
"'English officers and soldiers,--Be assured we shall never forget
here your brothers in arms. The people of Boisguillaume will make it
their duty to watch over these glorious remains you trust to their
care, and they will regard it as a perpetual honour.
"'When later they bring the younger generation to bow to these graves,
they will ask them to remember for ever that the men who rest here
have shed their blood for France and England, in union of heart with
the civilised nations, in order to fight against the invasion of our
land by the barbarian hordes who are desirous of exterminating justice
and right, our genius and our civilisation.
"'Glory to you, noble heroes, who for the sake of a sacred cause have
sworn to defend France unto death! Carry away with you into eternity
this confidence that you will live for ever in the memory of the
French, who have at present only one heart, one soul, whose gratitude
to you will never fade.
"'Glory to England!
"'Farewell.'"
I have given the Mayor's speech in full, not because such a speech was
exceptional, but because it gathers up into itself the sentiments of
the French nation, and eloquently expresses the reverence felt for our
British dead.
But not only do British soldiers know how to die, but German soldiers
also. They are our enemies, but it is a pleasure to record that many
of the captured German soldiers have their Bibles with them. Mr. Hall
tells of one who died suddenly. His open Bible was found on his bed;
and John iii. 16--"For God so loved the world "--were the words he had
been reading as he passed into the presence of his Saviour.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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