Within the Rim, and Other Essays, 1914-15 — John Shaqi
Within the Rim, and Other Essays, 1914-15James, Henry
History
Within the Rim, and Other Essays, 1914-15
James, Henry
World War, 1914-1918
I should mention that a particular great Army Corps, on the arrival of
our first cars on the scene, appealed to them for all the service they
could render, and that to this Corps they have been as yet
uninterruptedly attached, on the condition of a reserve of freedom to
respond at once to any British invitation to a transfer of activity.
Such an assurance had already been given the Commissioner for the
British Red Cross, on the part of Mr Norton and Colonel Barry, with
their arrival at Boulogne, where that body cordially welcomed them, and
whence in fact, on its request, a four-stretcher-car, with its American
owner and another of our Volunteers in charge, proceeded to work for a
fortnight, night and day, along the firing line on the Belgian frontier.
Otherwise we have continuously enjoyed, in large, defined limits, up to
the present writing, an association with one of the most tremendously
engaged French Armies. The length of its line alone, were I to state it
here in kilometres, would give some measure of the prodigious fighting
stretch across what is practically the whole breadth of France, and it
is in relation to a fraction of the former Front that we have worked.
Very quickly, I may mention, we found one of our liveliest
opportunities, Mr Norton and Colonel Barry proceeding together to
ascertain what had become of one of the field hospitals known to have
served in a small assaulted town a few days before, when, during a
bombardment, Colonel Barry had saved many lives. Just as our Volunteers
arrived a fresh bombardment began, and though assured by the fleeing
inhabitants, including the mayor of the place, who was perhaps a trifle
over-responsibly in advance of them, that there were no wounded left
behind--as in fact proved to be the case--we nevertheless pushed on for
full assurance. There were then no wounded to bring out, but it was our
first happy chance of bearing away all the hopeless and helpless women
and children we could carry. This was a less complicated matter,
however, than that of one of Colonel Barry's particular reminiscences,
an occasion when the Germans were advancing on a small place that it was
clear they would take, and when pressing news came to him of 400 wounded
in it, who were to be got out if humanly possible. They were got out and
motored away--though it took the rescuing party thus three days, in the
face of their difficulties and dangers, to effect the blest clearance.
It may be imagined how precious in such conditions the power of the
chauffeur-driven vehicle becomes, though indeed I believe the more
special moral of this transaction, as given, was in the happy fact that
the squad had blessedly been able to bring and keep with it four
doctors, whose immediate service on the spot and during transport was
the means of saving very many lives. The moral of that in turn would
seem to be that the very ideal for the general case is the not so
inconceivable volunteer who should be an ardent and gallant and not
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