HEADS OF ARMY WORK AT HOME TELL THE STORY OF WORK AT THE FRONT
Church of Scotland Commissioned Chaplains—One Hundred Civilian Ministers of Scotland Offered Their Services—The Rev. W. Stevenson Jaffray's Report—Many Forms of Service at the Front—From No. 10 General Hospital, Rouen—The French Decorate Our Soldiers' Graves—Report of the 1st Echelon General Headquarters—A Chaplain's First Lesson—After Neuve Chapelle—The Work of the Y.M.C.A.—A Breathlessly Summoned Council—Six Hundred Centres—A Glorious Nine Months.
I am indebted to the Rev. J.A. McClymont, D.D., V.D., Convener of the Church of Scotland General Assembly's Committee on Army and Navy Chaplains, for the following account of Presbyterian work at the front. It will supplement and bring up to date references to the work of this great Church in the earlier chapters of this book.
"Before the outbreak of the war six ministers of the Church of Scotland held commissions as regular military chaplains, and all of them, along with four of our Indian chaplains, who accompanied their regiments from the East, are now serving with the Expeditionary Force. The names of the former are Revs. W.S. Jaffray (1st Class), J.T. Bird (1st Class), F.W. Stewart (3rd Class), A.R. Yeoman (3rd Class), J. Campbell (3rd Class), and D.A. Morrison (3rd Class); of the latter the names are Revs. G.E. Dodd, Andrew Macfarlane, G.C. Macpherson, and J.H. Horton McNeill. In addition to these, about two hundred civilian ministers of the Church have offered their services as chaplains at the front. Among them are many eloquent preachers, many distinguished scholars, and not a few accomplished athletes. Some have had valuable experience as chaplains in the Territorial Force, or have served as combatants in that force or in the Officers' Training Corps, while others can produce evidence of experience and skill in connexion with the Red Cross Society, the Boys' Brigade, or the Boy Scouts. Some of them can preach in Gaelic, others have a knowledge of French and German and other continental languages, and a personal acquaintance with the countries in which the war is going on. Some have served with acceptance in the Boer War or at a military station at home or abroad. Keen sportsmen are to be found among them who can shoot, ride, cycle, or drive a motor.
"Until lately the number of additional Presbyterian chaplains allowed by the War Office has been much smaller than was generally expected, considering the many thousands of Territorials who have volunteered for foreign service, and the immense multitude of recruits who have enlisted in Kitchener's Army. The ideal arrangement would have been to assign a chaplain to every battalion; but, instead of this, the appointments were at first made to divisions and hospitals, the result being that after eight months of the war only eighteen additional chaplains had been appointed for service at the front. Recently the number has been increased to thirty-eight, making fifty-four Presbyterian chaplains in all; and further additions will soon be made.
In the partitioning of these thirty-eight new chaplaincies among the several Presbyterian churches, the War Office has been guided by the Advisory Committee on the appointment and distribution of Presbyterian chaplains. This Committee was created by Mr. (now Lord) Haldane some years ago, and consists of a representative of the Church of Scotland, the United Free Church, the Presbyterian Church of England, and the Presbyterian Church of Ireland, respectively, with Lord Balfour of Burleigh, a trusted elder of the Church of Scotland, as chairman. The Convener of the Church of Scotland Committee on Army and Navy Chaplains was asked by Lord Balfour to nominate eighteen of the new chaplains, bringing the number of Church of Scotland chaplains on foreign service up to twenty-eight. The Revs. H.Y. Arnott, B.D. (Newburgh), H. Brown B.D. (Strathmiglo), Geo. Donald, B.D. (Aberdeen), A.S.G. Gilchrist, B.D. (Applegarth), Professor Kay, D.D., James Kirk, M.A. (Dunbar), Oswald B. Milligan (Ayr), A.M. Maclean, B.D. (Paisley), A. Macdonald (Glassary), D. Macfarlane (Kingussie), J. Campbell McGregor, V.D. (Edinburgh), C.G. Mackenzie, B.D. (Methlick), James MacGibbon, B.D. (Hamilton), J.J. Pryde (Penpont), D.A. Cameron Reid, B.D. (Glasgow), Thos. Scott, M.A., T.D. (Laurencekirk), Patrick Sinclair B.D. (Urquhart), and Geo. Thompson, B.D. (Carnbee), were so nominated. All of these and the other Presbyterian chaplains above referred to, with the exception of three who have gone to the East, are serving in France and Belgium under the direction of the Rev. Dr. Simms, K.H.C., a minister of the Irish Presbyterian Church, who, but for the war, would have retired on account of the age limit before the end of last year, but is now the responsible and honoured Head of all the chaplains of every denomination at the western seat of war.
Many grateful tributes have been paid to the faithful services rendered to their countrymen by Presbyterian chaplains in this war, and four of them have had the honour of being mentioned in despatches, two of whom are ministers of the Church of Scotland, namely, the Rev. J.T. Bird and the Rev. A.R. Yeoman. So far, only two chaplains have been wounded, namely, Mr. Yeoman and Mr. J.H.H. McNeill, who are both ministers of the National Church. Before giving a few extracts from letters and reports received from chaplains at the front, it may be well to mention that upwards of twenty ministers of the Church of Scotland and about fifty University students who were studying, or about to study, in the Divinity Hall have joined the Army as combatants—some of them as officers and some of them as private soldiers—while others are serving with the R.A.M.C. Several have done excellent work in connexion with the Y.M.C.A., notably the Rev. L. McLean Watt (Edinburgh), who was unable to accept a chaplaincy for the period required by the War Office, and the Rev. Hugh Brown (Strathmiglo), before his appointment to a chaplaincy.
"Rev. W. Stevenson Jaffray, senior Chaplain to the Forces, writes as follows:
"'On the evening of October 2, 1914, I received telegraphic instructions from the War Office to join the 7th Division, British Expeditionary Force and reported myself for duty next day. On Sunday, October 4—the last day and Sunday so many hundreds were ever to spend in England—the Division was suddenly ordered to proceed to embark. Few who were present at the open-air Parade Service that day are likely to forget the scene of the great square, composed of such famous units as the 2nd Battalion Scots Guards, 2nd Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers, and 2nd Battalion The Gordon Highlanders, gathered together for divine worship. The Division—the first British force to land in Belgium—was, within a few hours of disembarking, holding in check no less than five German Army Corps. How the various units added fresh lustre to their glorious traditions is known to all who have read the story of Ypres.
"'The chaplain's work at the front is thrillingly interesting, frequently dangerous, and often pathetic, and may be briefly described under four heads.
"'1. Visiting men in billets.
"'The first duty of a chaplain is to get into intimate touch with his men. He can hope to be useful and influence the men when, and only when, by constant visiting he wins their confidence and goodwill. The shyness, stiffness, and indifference so familiar to chaplains visiting barrack rooms in peace time is altogether unknown at the front. On active service the chaplain is welcomed as a comrade and friend. The men are in billets for a fixed number of days, after which they return to the trenches. Every endeavour is made to get into personal touch with the men during the periods of rest, and to become acquainted with their difficulties and needs.
"'2. Visiting wounded and dying.
"'The wounded are removed from the trenches immediately it becomes dark and are brought to the Field Ambulance. The hospital work extends far into the night—at times all night, for nights in succession, particularly when a big fight is in progress. This is the most important and impressive part of our work. After the patient has been dressed by the medical officer, the chaplain kneels beside the stretcher and gives whatever comfort and cheer he can. The heroic and patient suffering of our men, their thankfulness and eagerness for spiritual help and consolation, their thought for wives and little ones, their absolute selflessness make one grateful and proud to minister to such noble souls. Many messages are entrusted to the chaplains. The wounded request a line to be written to allay the fears of loved ones at home. The dying whisper such noble words as these: (actual message) "Tell my wife I have merely done my duty." "I have a wife and five little ones, God help them. I never thought I would come to this, but I have done my best for my country."
"'3. Divine Service.
"'Sunday services are held whenever possible. When the men are in the trenches on Sunday, arrangements are made to conduct service as soon as they return to billets. These services are held in barns or, when weather permits, in the open air. At each service I have endeavoured to give the men a text or thought to strengthen and help them throughout the week. The intense interest taken by all ranks in these services renders them very impressive.
"'4. Soldiers' Clubs.
"'The comfort of men at the front has not been lost sight of. I was requested by Divisional Headquarters to establish clubs in every brigade area to break the monotony of life during the quiet winter months. These clubs contain reading, writing, and game rooms and a refreshment bar, where the men can obtain hot coffee. My thanks are due to the Convener of the Army and Navy Chaplains' Committee, who kindly sent me cases of general literature which proved most useful and interesting to the men. Friends at home supplied games of various kinds, as well as stationery, pencils, and such useful articles. Lectures and concerts have been given, and everything possible has been done to brighten the soldier's life.'"
"The Rev. J.T. Bird, M.A., C.F., writing from No. 10 General Hospital, Rouen, says:
"'In accordance with instructions from the principal chaplain I do what I can to minister to Presbyterian troops within reach, where no Presbyterian chaplain is available. This has usually meant, on Sundays, holding a service in a Reinforcements Camp (infantry or cavalry) in the morning, and two services in hospital: one in the forenoon and one in the evening. One of the hospitals here is the Scottish Red Cross Hospital—excellently equipped. I did what I could for this hospital in the way of visitation and Sunday evening services up till lately, when the Rev. A.M. Maclean of Paisley Abbey was able to undertake these duties in addition to his work at a neighbouring Infantry Camp. The attendance at my service held at the Reinforcements Camp, at St. Nazaire and here, has varied from about 50 to 600, according to circumstances. I have found the Church of Scotland Psalm leaflets and the little blue booklet With the Colours very useful for all services. During the week one is kept busy visiting sick and wounded in four hospitals; holding occasional week-night services for convalescents and assisting to get up concerts for them; writing letters for patients too ill to write themselves; and distributing gifts of all descriptions (literature, cigarettes; woollen comforts, &c., &c.) sent by kind people at home.
"'The Sunday evening service has always been a united one (Church of England and Presbyterian), and the Church of England chaplains I have found very willing to co-operate in this way.
"'I am glad to state that the number of Presbyterians who have died in hospital has not been at all large, considering the large number of patients treated, and this fact I think bears eloquent testimony to the excellent equipment and comfort of the hospitals, as well as to the skill of the medical officers and the great devotion of the nursing staff. The mother of a wounded Seaforth Highlander, who was lying in this hospital, came recently all the way from Inverness with two other friends to see her son, and they all seemed deeply gratified and impressed by the excellence and efficiency of the hospital. All funerals of soldiers are announced beforehand in the French local journal, and here, as at St. Nazaire, French ladies attend and reverently place flowers on the grave after the burial service. They specially decorated the graves for Easter. Such attention must, I think, be gratifying to the sorrowing relatives. The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper has frequently been dispensed, and the number of communicants is always much larger than in time of peace at home stations.'"
"The Rev. Professor Kay, D.D., A.C.F., writes from 1st Echelon General Headquarters, France:
"'A chaplain's first lesson, as I have learned it, is to give due honour to the men he serves. All combatants have offered the supreme sacrifice a man can make for any object; how can anyone not of their consecrated number be worthy to say anything at all to them? Their great vow is too sacred for words; the loss of comrades and the uncertain future are felt but not discussed. The example of Christ which made martyrdom an easy and a right thing for the apostles, the new Covenant in His blood, the grace of His redeeming sacrifice—these acquire fresh power and interest. The combatant understands them, if a chaplain be an adequate minister of Christ's Evangel.
"'An army on active service cannot guarantee food and shelter with certain regularity; far less can it provide fixed routine for common worship. Buildings, organs, choirs, Sabbaths are often unavailable. The army must be always ready to move and to act; it is not possible to set everybody free at one time. Hence one has to discover at what times there will be leisure among the various units. Recreation in clubs and reading-rooms is often easy to contrive, and hours for worship can also be arranged. In hospitals periodic services are possible. In any regiment there are likely to be various denominations of Christians, and minorities must sometimes do without their own type of chaplain. Hymns and Holy Scripture serve as uniting influences, and the fair and friendly feeling among the chaplains in this vicinity makes work easy. Work here makes it evident that the Church of Scotland as by law established is only one of a wide Sisterhood of Presbyterian churches. Canadian, English, Irish, Welsh Presbyterians have been nearly as numerous as those from Scotland, and one representative from South Africa appeared on the list.
"'The battle of Neuve Chapelle caused a stream of casualties to flow past this point for a week. Some died and were laid to rest beside their comrades, their last messages being sent to their startled kinsfolk at home. Some who were weary and willing to die took heart again through sympathy and skilful nursing. One boy of seventeen in sore torture was heard half-consciously crying: "Ah! bonnie Scotland, what I'm suffering for you now"; he slowly recovered and did not grudge his pains. Those at home for whom brave men are suffering and dying should be done with tippling and trifling.
"'The work at this point includes attendance at three hospitals and the conducting of services for troops as required. During last week there were only four cases "seriously and dangerously ill" and about thirty men sick and wounded. At a Rest Depot a class was formed to prepare for First Communion, and at a special service on Good Friday eleven soldiers were admitted. The Sacrament was administered on Easter Sunday morning, and there were about sixty communicants. These included a few Baptists, Congregationalists, and others, who, if members of their own churches, were admitted and invited to this Communion. A Church Parade with an Irish cavalry regiment followed at 11 o'clock. In the twilight the largest soldiers' club in the district was crowded for Evening Service. There the Bishop of London—candid as King Alfred and persuasive as Alfred Tennyson—encouraged and blessed us all, and his inspiring words hallowed the great enterprise which brings us here.'"
The following statement of the work of the Young Men's Christian Association at the front and at home has been written by the Rev. W. Kingscote Greenland, at the request of the General Secretary, Mr. A.K. Yapp.
"No branch of the religious and social work among our soldiers during the war, both at the front and in the home camps, has been so well known and universally acknowledged and appreciated as that accomplished by the Young Men's Christian Association. The press has spread the fame of it far and wide and devoted leaders and columns of details to it. Any exhaustive story therefore is as unnecessary as it would be disproportionally large. What makes it imperative, however, that at least a brief summary of its widespread and manifold activities should be included, is that it has been a work of quite interdenominational character—all churches equally contributing both workers and money—and therefore the credit, if credit there is to be, must be shared among all. The fact of it is that the Y.M.C.A. has acted throughout as a species of central bureau or clearing-house, by the ready and available means of which anybody and everybody desirous of assisting in the moral and spiritual welfare of our troops could do so without calling into existence new organisation and machinery.
"And here it must be mentioned that two facts were, humanly speaking, responsible for the striking emergence of the Y.M.C.A. into this unique position. The first fact is that for fifteen years past the Association has had great experience of this sort of work by reason of its tents in all the Territorial camps every summer, so that the war only meant an extension, though an immense extension, of activities to which it was no stranger. And, secondly, the courageous spiritual statesmanship and moral daring of the General Secretary, Mr. A.K. Yapp, who on the outbreak of war, and in the holiday season too, launched this policy.
"The story of that breathlessly summoned council meeting in the Headquarters of the National Council in Russell Square on August 5 is a veritable romance. Telegrams brought holiday-making secretaries hurrying from the seaside, and in a few hours it was decided to pitch canvas tents wherever the new recruits for Kitchener's Army were located, and issue a national appeal for the necessary funds. As everybody now knows, this was done—hundreds of tents for refreshments, reading, writing, and rest sprang up as if by magic all over the land; thousands of pounds of money flowed in from high and low; and the Young Men's Christian Association was swept forward in the tide from being a semi-disparaged adjunct of the Church's care for a certain type of young townsman, to that of a great ally of the nation in its hour of moral, no less than physical, agony. The tale of the swift adaptation of practically the entire premises, resources, and plant of the Association to the military and naval emergency, involving almost superhuman hours of thought and skill, can never adequately be told. The whole country was mapped out, committees formed, hundreds of workers engaged, stationery ordered, stores and motor-transport acquired, the patronage of the King and the approval of the War Office secured, and in a few weeks the machinery for the safeguarding of the leisure hours of the troops who were flocking to the colours was in working order.
"Then came the late autumn with its rains and floods, and the necessity for better accommodation than canvas tents. Wooden huts were obviously required. But these would cost money—roughly £300 at least apiece. A great appeal was issued for the necessary funds, and the response was amazing. Several hundreds of thousands of pounds were contributed, many donors presenting a hut and furnishing it, and as winter closed in comfortable and warm and well-equipped huts replaced everywhere the sodden tents.
"As the military situation broadened and developed, the Association followed suit, and huts were built and opened in the base towns in France, Egypt, and India, while many young men were sent on board the troop-ships as lay chaplains to take charge of the soldiers on these journeys and to look after them on their landing in foreign and colonial ports.
"And so the situation as it stands at this present time of writing is roughly as follows: 600 Y.M.C.A. centres in the home camps, of which 300 are permanent wooden huts. In France 50 centres, of which 36 are huts. In Egypt 8 centres in charge of 10 young Christian men sent out by the Association, and in India 30 centres, manned by 12 Association workers. To this record must be added over 2000 camp workers, only a very small proportion of whom are paid, and the innumerable ladies who either serve at the counters or are quartered with local committees of management. To this, further, several other inspiring features and items must still be added. Under the Y.M.C.A. auspices, Princess Victoria has a number of field kitchens across in France and Flanders which supply the men at the actual front. Also, and by no means least, scores of clergymen and ministers of all denominations give some, and a few all their time, to conducting services and "talks" in the huts in the evenings, while among the voluntary workers on Salisbury Plain, at the Crystal Palace, the White City, Harwich and Felixstowe, Hindhead, Milford, Southport, Alnwick and along the Tyne, and scores of other camps, are to be found university professors and students, men from all the theological colleges, retired city merchants, ministers with leave of absence from their churches, business men moved to leave their shops and offices in the care of wives and clerks and managers, and almost every type of Christian man and profession and occupation.
"All this deals, as it will be seen, with the many externals of the Association work, and takes little or no account of the various more directly spiritual agencies. Almost every well-known evangelist has given up his time to the Y.M.C.A. huts, including such men as Mr. W.R. Lane, Mr. C.M. Alexander, and the Rev. Canon Hicks, while the work of the Pocket Testament League and of Temperance has been wonderfully successful.
"Beginning on the Wednesday after Easter and continuing for seven days, a special effort was made throughout the camps to make it a Decision Week for the men of the new army. A pledge of acceptance of Jesus Christ as Saviour and King was to be taken and a War Roll signed. It is too early to give the final results, but already many thousands have signed, and the reports of camp workers, chaplains, clergymen, and ministers are most enheartening.
"Of the actual meetings held, of the conversations that have taken place, of the strange, moving, pathetic and thrilling incidents that have marked this tragic and glorious nine months, much has already been written, and books could be filled. Thousands of men of our homes and churches have written and spoken most affectionately of the service rendered to them in the Y.M.C.A. tents, and of the lessening of their temptations thereby, while many hundreds of thousands of dear ones have received letters written under the quiet conditions only obtainable in the Association's huts, and, be it added, on their millions of sheets of free notepaper.
"Of the generosity of the public, the kindness and appreciation of the generals and colonels and officers generally, and perhaps, most of all, of the untiring and self-denying labour of those who have manned the huts through these long months, short-handed, overworked, cheery, and eager, in cold and mud, it is impossible fully to speak. Let it suffice to say that the Young Men's Christian Association is deeply humbled and proud, by reason of the honour God has manifestly conferred upon it in giving it this supreme chance of serving the interests of His Kingdom."