PRAISE FOR PADRES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 45, 27 April 1942, Page 4

PRAISE FOR PADRES

Official War Correspondent N.Z.E.F. "That other chap is Avorse off —fix him up first." This from a man with a badly shattered arm, to a doctor in an advanced dressing station, is typical of the amazing courage and spirit of New Zealanders wounded in the Libyan campaign. Their morale could not have been higher. No small credit for this, according to the wounded themselves, was due to the chaplains who had been a very real help in many ways. "Before this war/' said one wounded man, "I did not have much to do with' padres. But now that I have seen the way they stuck to us and worked for us night and day, I don't want to hear anything against a fine set of men, ever again. They have well earned our respect and gratitude." Like the doctors and orderlies ill the hospital, the chaplains, he added, worked without pause to makeJL the wounded comfortable and to lieve their pain. Differences of creed were forgotten; all that mattered: was that pa?.n should be eased and hope and consolation brought to the suffering. According to another wounded man, seven padres: were amongst those captured when an advanced dressing station sheltering more than 700 New Zealanders was taken by the enemy, comprising two Church of England ministers, three Catholics, one Presbyterian and one Salvation Army. Soon after the Germans took over the hospital, they instructed the chaplains to carry on and did not interfere Avith their work. In the da5 r s that followed the chaplains had much to do. To them fell the additional task of keeping alive the hope of the NeAv Zealanders that before long they would be restored to the British. Fear that the Avounded might be sent to Germany or Italy Avas not allowed to take shape in the minds or hearts of the patients. It Avas not easy work. Outside Avere large forces of the enemy. The stutter of their machine guns and the bursting of shells Avas far from helpful. Inside badly wounded men Avere fighting their Avay back to life under the hurried but competent care of doctors and orderlies. Religion, in the form of low-voiced conversation with the chaplains,, a request made and an assurance given, that relatives Avould be Avritten to, a smile and a pat on the back, Avas a very real consolation at such a time. Many asked for and received all the spiritual helps provided by their particular church. Community sing-songs too Avere led by the chaplains, and prayers offered in common for the success of the Allied cause and for a speedy release. Services Avere held almost daily and not limited to Sundays. Because the hospital tents Avere crowded Avith wounded, these 'were held in the open and it was a moving sight to see the walking wounded gather in their dirty, tattered clothes, AA'ith unshaA-en faces and bandaged limbs, to pray to their Creator.

No little ingenuity was shown by one chaplain who, just before the arrival of the Germans, hid in the sand a quantity of chocolate and cigarettes. To make sure of the whereabouts of comforts which later proved most welcome to the wounded men who had to live on the meagrest rations, he took a compass bearing of the spot. Yet another padre, because of his fluent command of both the German and the Italian languages, was highly successful in "wangling" from his captors small supplies of comforts which did much to cheer the New Zealanders in their sufferings.