"Permanently commissioned chaplains are divided into four classes, the chaplains therein ranking as colonels, lieutenant-colonels, majors, and captains respectively.
"Now as to the distribution of Church of England chaplains on active service. They may be roughly divided into two classes:
"(1) Those with hospitals at the Base or on lines of communication—these hospitals being of three kinds, namely, general hospitals, the largest which are not moved; stationary hospitals, which are supposed to be mobile; and casualty clearing stations for receiving the sick and wounded from the front and forwarding them to stationary or general hospitals, whence they can, if necessary, be conveyed to England in hospital ships.
"(2) Those with Field Ambulances. By this term we should understand Field hospitals which receive the sick and wounded from their advanced dressing stations, which in their turn receive them from the First-Aid Posts just behind the firing line.
"To these two classes have recently been added another, namely, Senior Chaplains of Army Corps, whose duty it is to advise and direct chaplains of the divisions composing the corps in their work. For instance, I am now senior chaplain of the Third Army Corps.
"I have now been in each one of these three classes, for I came out with number four general hospital, though I was with them subsequently for only a very short time.
"The work of class (1) consists principally of ministering to the sick and wounded, holding services when possible, especially on Sundays, and giving the patients and staff frequent opportunities of the Holy Communion and other ministrations. It may often happen that chaplains of this class may find troops near to them, who are away from their own chaplain. It will then be their duty to minister to them so far as they possibly can. They, of course, also have to conduct many funerals.
"As to the chaplains of class (2), the Field Ambulance will be the centre from which the chaplain should work in his brigade, and such divisional troops (R.A., R.E., &c.) as are included in the brigade area.
"I was for some time with the Eleventh Field Ambulance in the Fourth Division, and as I was the senior chaplain in that division, the general asked me to take over the arrangement of things. My plan was that each chaplain in his area should endeavour to hold five or six large central parade and other services on Sundays, with perhaps celebrations of the Holy Communion after two of the ordinary services.
"Then, chaplains give special attention to particular units on weekdays. Here all days are alike and so are all times. So I would arrange with the commanding officer, and would set out on horseback carrying the requisites for the Holy Communion, for I always, when possible, had a celebration after the ordinary service. My servant would ride behind me with the service books. In this way it was possible to cover the ground in the division fairly well, and to see that each unit had its due.