With The Immortal Seventh DivisionKennedy, Edmund John
History
With The Immortal Seventh Division
Kennedy, Edmund John
World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives, British
The Parade Services I held while at Lyndhurst were an inspiration. The
prayer card issued by the Chaplain-General was greatly appreciated by
officers and men. I arranged for the distribution of 15,000 of them in
the Division, and they were eagerly accepted by all from the Generals
downwards. On many an occasion in the after days I came across these
cards tucked away in the lining of the caps of dead and wounded men.
Nothing can exceed the beautiful simplicity of the prayer, a copy of
which I venture to insert:--
A SOLDIER'S PRAYER.
Almighty and most Merciful Father,
Forgive me my sins:
Grant me thy peace:
Give me thy power:
Bless me in life and death,
For Jesus Christ's sake.
Amen.
(On the reverse side.)
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy
kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, As it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our
trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us. And
lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil: For
thine is the kingdom, The power, and the glory, For ever and
ever.
Amen.
The other Chaplains of the Division were:--
Church of England: The Rev. Hon. T. George Maurice Peel, 21st
Brigade.
Presbyterian: The Rev. W. Stevenson Jaffray.
Roman Catholic: The Rev. Father Moth.
It was on October 4 when my wife, daughter and myself were about to
take tea with Captain Douglas of the Staff--alas! now dead--and his
wife, that he hurriedly rode out of the 'Crown' saying, 'The order has
come to stand by.' The news was welcome, for we were growing weary of
waiting. Immediately the troops began to move off; the unit to which I
was attached--23rd Field Ambulance which served the 20th Brigade--left
at 2.45 a.m., reaching Southampton about six. It is of interest to note
that a Division of troops of over 15,000 men makes a brave show upon the
road, its length from the van to the rear being not less than twelve
miles.
Apparently the cheering folk along the road passed a sleepless night,
for at every hamlet and village people lined the road, waving us their
farewells; and from many a cottage window kindly faces could be seen
silhouetted against the light of the room, cheering us onward with
hearty words.
The embarkation at Southampton was a busy scene, and took many hours to
accomplish, but finally fourteen huge transports got under way, and
steamed up Channel for Dover. There we 'stood off and on' until 9 p.m.
on October 6, when picking up our pilot we steamed out into the Down in
the quiet of the autumn night.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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