THE "PADRE" IN THE FIELD

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 199, 17 May 1919, Page 8

THE "PADRE" IN THE FIELD

HEROISM AND DEVOTION TO'DUTY. When tho first British Expeditionary Force crossed tho Channel to France in 1914 it was accompanied by 54 chaplains (says the London "Times"). They formed almost half tho pre-war establishment of chaplains of all donominations, including four temporary Roman Catholics, tho exact total of which was 113. This number increased with tho growth of our Armies. Parish priests left their livings to serve, many whose age might luivo exempted them from the call, showing a zeal that could not bo exceeded by tho younger men. Still thero was need; and only a year ago tho Bishop of London, and other bishops, appealed for volunteers to All a deficiency caused partly by death and wounds and partly tii tho termination of periods of service. At the tiino of tho armistico the. total of chaplains of all denominations serving with the forces was 3480.

A good deal has been heard of thq work of these devoted men. The heroism shown by many of them, when opportunities olfored, has received national recognition. But tho best colebratidn of their constant disregard of danger in the pursuit of duty comes from the men among whon\ they laboured, and who tell how the padre brought books and tobacco to tho trenches by fire-swept roads, or conducted services under the imminent menace of the German guns. Even better remembered, i'f possiblo is tho daily help they gave in tho spirit of comradeship, their manly sympathy, their forgetfulness of sectional differences, thoir appreciation of essential Christianity, their readiness to obliterate self in tho common 'fcausq.

Of the clergy of note who have acted |as chaplains during the war ruay be mentioned Bishop Qwynno, of Khartum j tho Bishop of London; Canon E. H. Pearcc, Bishop-Elect of Worcester; the Bishop of Birmingham; Mgr. Bicker-staffe-Drew, known to a large oircle of readers undor tho pen-namo of "John Ayscough"; Canon J. 0. Hannay, the "G. A. Birmingham" of novels and plays; tho Rev. F. H. GilHngham, famous in tho cricket field; and "Professor D. M. Kay, of St. Andrew's University. Tho following figures relate to tho Church of England:— Number of clergy offering their services during tho war 7,169 Serving at home and abroad 1,985 Total who liavo served or are serving 3,030 Killed or died on service 88Wounded 176 Officiating clergy at home 878 To chaplains of the English Church 202 awards liavo been made, including three V.C.'s, 10 C.M.G.'s, 37 D.S.O.'s, 205 M.C.'s and Burs, fivo foreign- decorations, and two V.D.'s. The three V.C.'s were won by tho Revd. E. N. Mellish, W. R. i\ Addison, and T. B. Hardy. It has been recorded that the bestowal of these V.C.'s was thoroughly approved by tho Army generally. Also, the re. minder, has been given tlwt the work of the chaplains has differed widely. Only to a few hns como the ohance of earning ono kind of distinction; while opportunities of another kind have been mora freely granted; especially of gaining soldier's confidence. "The Times" correspondent, writing from British Headquarters in France as far back as September 12, 191G, sums up tho relation of the chaplains to the Army in words which are as applicable now as then:— "It has been abundantly proved that, while tlie British soldier wants his parson to be a man and a comrade, he insists, above all, 011 his being still a parson. and the chaplain who forgets his cloth in the endeavour to become more friendly with tho men finds only that 'he has killed his usefulness. . . . The testimony of all grades, from commanding officers down, is that the chaplains now here are in the mass excellent, and are wielding an enormous influence for good. In return the best of the chaplains freely confess that they in their turn learn much from the men, and it is in the official report, flf.ii chaplain who has a largo knowledge of men that I find tho declaration that such an upright bod* of men as our present armies never took tho field in the world's history.' "