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
"In the same ward were many wounded upon the floor stretchers, lying
still in their soaked and muddy clothes just as they had fallen, with
bloody bandages showing up in dreadful contrast against their poor
soiled bodies. Some delirious, others lying in profound silence, but
noble fortitude. In a ward like this one sees nothing but tragedy.
"In the receiving room the R.A.M.C. officers were working at highest
pressure to save life and limb, by steady hand and cheery manner
imparting confidence and hope to every patient in turn.
"I could not help expressing admiration for the way in which each
piece of work was carried out, but the officer commanding simply
said, 'You know, Padre, we cannot sacrifice enough for the man who is
standing up to this hail of hell for us.'
"I was surprised to see such a large percentage of officers among the
wounded. No wonder our men are proud of their leaders; where risks
must be taken, the officer claims this as his privilege and thus shows
the way in every undertaking. One brave major leading his men into the
German trenches, when hit, simply shouted "Go on!" as he fell wounded
in the head. He is being buried to-day, as every brave soldier
desires, in his uniform and blanket."
It will be perhaps as well to look at a similar scene through a
doctor's eyes, and I therefore quote a letter from a medical officer
at a receiving base in France published in the _Scotsman_.
"We get the wounded here at practically first-hand. They are brought
in with all possible speed, dealt with at once, and sent out to other
hospitals as soon as we can send them, to make room for the others who
may (and who invariably do) come. They're wonderful chaps, those
Tommies. Great stuff; too good to lose! They are brought to us at all
hours. Exhausted, covered with mud, hastily but well bandaged on
common-sense principles; and aye the quiet, plucky grin, or the
patient, enduring set of the jaw.
"'What price this little lot, doctor? '--and the querist indicates
where the bullet entered his thigh. 'And me futball leg, too!' growled
another one, brought in dripping one night. 'And who will do the
schorin' fur the ould tame now? All the same, sir, I schored ag'in'
the man that did this, or wan av his side.' Man, they're wonderful!
They tell us, under the nervous stress in which we usually find them,
some things that have made me wish to lay my eye to the sights of a
rifle, despite my bay windows. They tell them in such a
matter-of-course fashion, too, that they simply sink in.
"'When did you get this?' I asked a man wounded in both thighs.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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