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
How heavy the veil of secrecy hanging over the fleet really is, will
be seen from the fact that only one copy of the _Church Pennant_,
which lost its editor in the _Bulwark_, was issued between the
outbreak of war and Easter, and that in February last. The _Church
Pennant_ is the organ of the Naval Church Society, and records the
Christian work on board H.M. ships. Several reports of Christian work
are given in this solitary issue, but the names of the ships are only
indicated by initials.
One report states that the place ordinarily used for celebrations and
evening service had to be given up to the doctors, but that Holy
Communion has been celebrated in the chaplain's cabin every Sunday. On
Christmas Day there were two communions and the number of communicants
was thirty-four. "The men in general are pleased to read religious
papers, and readily accept prayer cards."
Another report says: "On board this ship we were able, in spite of now
and then roughish weather, to keep up our regular daily prayers and
Sunday services. On Sundays we had stand-up church and two hymns from
the hymn cards, and all the responses of Matins with one lesson and
one of the Canticles sung. We had the harmonium to sing to. These
services were brief, but very heartily joined in. After stand-up
Matins we were able always to have our celebration in the captain's
cabin--there being no other place in the ship available. The
attendance was very good and showed that the old prejudice against
coming so far aft is at any rate moribund. Sometimes the weather made
it a little difficult both for the priest and worshippers, but we soon
got used to the necessary balancing.... Everyone throughout the ship
was merry and bright; we only regretted not having a chance of meeting
an opposite number of the enemy."
A third report is as follows:
"First of all, nightly Evensong has been held by the chaplain ever
since the war broke out. On account of the smallness of our numbers,
we meet in the chaplain's cabin, and there the service is performed.
Every Sunday morning, at 7 o'clock, we have a celebration of the Holy
Communion; and on the second Sunday in the month this service is
repeated after morning service. Our flotilla forms rather a large
parish for the chaplain, and to supply its wants we have a service
specially arranged whenever it is convenient. After our usual 7 A.M.
service, we sometimes proceed on board another ship, and have a
celebration, to which all communicants from the other vessels in our
company are invited by signal.
"The place allotted to us in each instance is the captain's forecabin,
which in this ship is as suitable a place as service conditions will
allow. On Sunday evenings we have Evensong at 8.30, followed by
hymn-singing, and occasionally we get a good attendance. But this,
like other services, suffers for want of good space, which is not
always easy to find on board ship....
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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