SALVATION ARMY'S WORK FOR SOLDIERS

Evening Star, Issue 23678, 11 September 1940, Page 12

SALVATION ARMY'S WORK FOR SOLDIERS

SERVICE TO EVACUATED TROOPS 80,000 GUPS OF TEA AT ONCE On every hand winning the undying gratitude of Allied servicemen, the Salvation Army’s mobile canteens have been performing an immense task of ministering to fighting men. Throughout the period when war was raging so hotly on the Continent the Army’s many huts and motorised canteens were familiar and welcome sights at the front and behind the lines. And now that Britain fights on alone there is an ever-increasing demand for the organisation with the “ hallelujah tea and smiles.”

At the request of British military authorities, six of the Army’s mobile canteens were rushed to the south-east coast to minister to many thousands of British, French, and Belgian soldiers brought from France. Haggard from lack of sleep, the weary and hungry men hailed the Salvationists who arrived with thousands of cups of hot tea, as veritable angels of mercy. The naval officer in charge of the port, commenting on the work of the mobile canteens, said: “ It is the finest thing of its kind I have ever seen.” Lieutenant-colonel Tatnall and Brigadier Weaver were in charge of ‘this emergency relief work. Drivers from International Headquarters Staff volunteered at a moment’s notice to rush the canteens to the coast.

When Brigadier Weaver, in charge of a detachment of canteens, reported to the embarkation officer at one port that overworked individual pointed to the thousands of returned men who thronged tho place, referred to other voluntary workers who had “ looked at the job and funked it,” and then said: “ Do what you can, Salvation Army, and good luck to yon!” Tho canteens were ready for immediate action, and in a short time the first of thousands of hungry, weary, but still cheerful men were consuming the hot tea and food provided. In a short time more than 80,000 cups of tea and coffee, with many thousands of pies, cakes, sandwiches, etc., had been given free to the men of the B.E.F. from tho canteens, which kept in action night and day. The staffs toiled incessantly, spurred on \y tho gratitude of the men they served, tho immensely moving glimpses of the ordeal through which they had passed, and their almost incredible weariness. They saw men standing in large groups fast asleep on their feet and thousands dropping off to sleep at the first moment when they could relax.

“ Wo have been working 24 hours to the day,” stated Staff-bandsman Alfred Andrews, one of the volunteer mobile canteen workers, “ snatching a few minutes’ sleep between the arrival of the boats, although tho noise of tho gunfire made rest almost impossible. When we arrived the transport officers had grave doubts as to whether we could do much, as on no account could the movement of tho trains be delayed.

“ The transport officers themselves had been reduced to chocolate and apples for satisfying the men’s immediate hunger. But wo got the canteens into full swing in short order, and the local gas company called for volunteers from its staff to keep us supplied continuously with foiling water. “ Wo parked the canteens on a concrete island between the rail tracks.

“ Owing to the swift pulling out of the trains hundreds of cups were soon lost, so milk tins, ‘ bully beef 1 tins, biscuit tins—anything ,’that would hold liquid—were pressed into the service. ‘ Brass hats ’ drank out of flat biscuit tin lids, and when we apologised for lack of cups they exclaimed: ‘ Thank God for you, Salvation Army! We will drink out of anything!’ “ The baker who supplies the local Rod Shield Club suspended all his normal work and baked thousands of meat pies and cakes, turning them out hour after hour. When the f gasmen ’ knocked off for a few hours on Saturday night a Salvationist secured primus stoves from somewhere and kept them going all night, supplying boiling water till the gas was available again. “ Sailors on convoy work„ who had given their own rations to the men, were glad of our refreshments before they returned to their perilous work on the seas. We were able to send off many telegrams for men who had no English money.’’ Among the visitors to the St. Paneras Red Shield Club wore wives and children evacuated from Gibraltar. After a two days’ journey under difficult conditions they were hungry and tired and the children greatly in need of a wash. While the mothers satisfied their hunger a club assistant sat the children on the counter, washed them, and combed their hair. Red Shield Clubs at London railway stations were visited by thousands of returning B.E.F. men. Their first demand in every case was for tea, which they drank with, relish while meals were being prepared. They spoke quietly of their experiences, describing in few words the extreme ordeals of fire and water through which they had passed and apologising for their unwashed condition.

The courtesy and gratitude of the tnon as they received attention from the Army workers was hard to bear. As one of the workers remarked: “ They say ‘ Thank you!’ for a cup of tea as though they had come in from an entertainment instead of facing death for our sakes.” -